(19)

(11)

EP 4 042 967 A3

(12)	EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION

(88) Date of publication A3: 09.11.2022 Bulletin 2022/45 (43) Date of publication A2: 17.08.2022 Bulletin 2022/33 (21) Application number: 22154644.3 (22) Date of filing:  01.02.2022

(51) International Patent Classification (IPC):  A61C 7/00(2006.01) A61C 7/08(2006.01) (52) Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC): A61C 7/002; A61C 7/08; B29C 51/30; B29L 2031/7536

(84) Designated Contracting States: AL AT BE BG CH CY CZ DE DK EE ES FI FR GB GR HR HU IE IS IT LI LT LU LV MC MK MT NL NO PL PT RO RS SE SI SK SM TR Designated Extension States: BA ME Designated Validation States: KH MA MD TN (30) Priority: 16.02.2021 US 202117176565 (71) Applicant: Ormco Corporation Brea, CA 92821 (US)	(72) Inventors: Tsai, Evan Yifeng Rancho Cucamonga, 91739 (US) Miranda, Karol Heredia City (CR) (74) Representative: CSY Herts  Helios Court 1 Bishop Square Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL10 9NE Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL10 9NE (GB)

(54)	ORTHODONTIC APPLIANCE WITH BITE STRUCTURES AND METHODS OF MAKING SAME

(57) An orthodontic aligner includes a shell defining at least one cavity sized to receive one of a patient's teeth. The cavity includes a lingual portion, a labial portion, and an occlusal portion. A bite structure forms at least a portion of the occlusal portion and is configured to be spaced apart from an occlusal surface of the patient's tooth by a distant sufficient to interfere with full closure of the patient's jaws. The bite structure has a non-planar surface that does not conform to the patient's tooth. The non-planar surface includes at least two spaced-apart projections separated by a boundary. The spaced-apart projections are spherical-like projections or ellipsoidal-like projections. The boundary has a grid-like appearance that spans the bite structure side to side. The spaced-apart projections define a tooth-engaging plane of the bite structure. The bite structure is an integral portion of the shell.

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