Originally Published EMDM May/June 2002
SPECIAL REPORT
Dental Instruments, Equipment, and Supplies
Invisalign Teeth-Straightening Device
A teeth-straightening system that consists of clear, removable aligners, gradually moves teeth to a desired final position
Once a doctor and patient agree on orthodontic treatment with Invisalign, the treating clinician begins by sending upper and lower polyvinylsiloxane (PVS) impressions of the patient's teeth, bite registration, photos, and x-rays, in addition to a Web-based treatment prescription form, to Align Technology. The manufacturing process begins with a dental plaster pour-up of the PVS impressions. Next, a computer communicates with the scanner compiling the layers to create a virtual 3-D image on the computer to enable separation of the individual teeth using custom-designed software tools. Individual teeth are moved from their initial positions to a final position based on the treating clinician's prescription.
The software precisely controls which teeth are moved by each Aligner, as well as the velocity of each tooth's movement. A digital form of the treatment is then delivered to the treating clinician via the Internet. A viewing program gives the clinician an opportunity to review the treatment and, once the case is confirmed, the Aligners are manufactured using a CAD/CAM process. Each virtual treatment stage is converted into a physical model using a laser-cured plastic resin. Once these three-dimensional models are created, laboratory technicians use a thermoforming process to fabricate the Aligners from a proprietary polyurethane material. The Aligners are laser etched with the patient's initials, trimmed, polished, and disinfected before being shipped to the treating clinician's office.
The main benefits of the Invisalign system as a comprehensive orthodontic appliance are that they are undetectable, removable, and comfortable. Because the Aligners are clear, they are undetectable from a distance of at least two feet.
The Aligners are also removable, allowing patients to brush and floss normally without any impeding brackets or wires. They are comfortable and do not irritate the cheeks and surrounding tissues as can happen with poking wires or brackets. Also, patients do not need to change their diet or eating habits because of food sticking to or breaking their appliances. Align Technology Inc., Santa Clara, CA, USA; Fitting Image Inc., San Leandro, CA, USA; and Design Concepts, Madison, WI, USA.
HealOzone TEC3 Dental Device
A dental tool uses ozone to treat dental caries quickly and painlessly
Offering an alternative to conventional treatments, the HealOzone TEC3 dental device uses a 10-second application of ozone gas to eliminate microorganisms in primary-root carious lesions. Significantly reducing treatment time and cost, the system is less invasive than previous methods and conserves more of the tooth's natural structure. The device measures 15 x 11 x 11 in., and includes a handpiece with an attached sealing cup used to apply the gas. Designed with several safety features that prevent accidental gas discharge, the HealOzone system reduces patient anxiety and discomfort, and can replace or minimize traditional treatments in all but advanced decay situations.
Currently, the most widely used treatment method for dental caries requires a dentist to drill the infected tooth, remove the decay, and then fill the drilled hole with a resin-based composite. Requiring local anaesthetic, this process is relatively invasive and time intensive, with typical procedures lasting up to 60 minutes. Because of the generation of heat and desiccation, drilling also sometimes inadvertently damages pulpal contents, necessitating either root canal therapy or tooth extraction. Micro Motors Inc., Santa Ana, CA, USA.
Elipar FreeLight Cordless LED Curing Light
A curing device provides complete and appropriate intraoral polymerization of dental materials
The Elipar FreeLight dental polymerizing tool has an enhanced curing-light line due to the optical arrangement of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in the interior of the light source. By reducing power requirements and generated heat, cooling fans and ventilating apertures have been eliminated, resulting in a more ergonomic design. The Elipar FreeLight's penlike contour offers users a familiar shape they are accustomed to handling as opposed to the conventional pistol configuration of current technology.
Brushed and chromium-plated aluminium and a synthetic material were used to fabricate the upper part of the handpiece to achieve enhanced technological and ergonomic features. The lower part of the handpiece and the charging unit are made of polycarbonate. The front is made of metal and can be reliably cleaned, which is a key feature of the part since it is used in proximity to the oral cavity.
A microprocessor controls the luminance parameters in the handpiece while another supervises charging in the charging unit. A specially designed heat sink inside the device dissipates generated heat.
Minimum light intensity is 350 mW/cm3 to ensure polymerization quality. The initiator system's narrow absorption band achieves optimal emission to match the spectrum of camphorquinone, a photoinitiator that is typically used in dental materials, with maximum absorption at 465 nm. Although LED curing lights have lower intensity than halogen lamps, their emitted blue light can be used more efficiently. The maximum emission of a blue LED is 465 nm, which is identical to the maximum absorption of camphorquinone. 3M ESPE AG, Seefeld, Germany; and Neumeister Design, München, Germany.
Copyright ©2002 European Medical Device Manufacturer
