Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
ARRANGEMENTS FOR INTRAORAL SCANNING
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] Not applicable.
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present disclosure relates generally to the field of intraoral
scanning, and more
specifically, to intraoral scanning for generating a three-dimensional image
of a user's teeth that
is used in treating misalignment of the user's teeth.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Dental impressions and associated physical or digital reproductions of
a patient's teeth
can be used by dentists or orthodontists to diagnose or treat an oral
condition, such as the
misalignment of the patient's teeth. For example, to take a dental impression,
a dental tray
having a viscous, thixotropic impression material is fit over the dental
arches of the patient, and
then the impression material sets to a solid over time, thereby providing an
imprint of the
patient's dental arches once the dental trays are removed from the patient's
mouth. The
impressions provide a detailed and stable negative of the patient's teeth and
tissues in their
mouth. The negative impressions may then be utilized to produce a physical or
digital
reproduction of the patient's teeth and surrounding tissues.
[0004] Traditionally, dental impressions are made in a dental office and
require significant
time. Dental offices typically deliver the dental impressions to an outside
vendor that utilizes the
impressions to form a positive model of the teeth and surrounding tissue. If
the dental
impressions include any errors (e.g., incomplete impression of the teeth and
tissues), the patient
may be required to return to the dental office to have a second impression
made. Furthermore, if
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the dental impressions are used by the dental professional in the course of
administering a
continuing treatment plan, the patient is typically required to undergo many
check-up
appointments at the dental office so that the dental professional can track
the patient's treatment
and modify the treatment plan as necessary. Each of these examples results in
significant
inconvenience to the patient and increases the cost of the treatment plan to
both the dental
professional and the patient.
SUMMARY
[0005] An embodiment relates to a method. The method includes conducting,
using an
intraoral scanner at an intraoral scanning site, an intraoral scan of a mouth
of a user based on
determining that one or more teeth of the user are not being repositioned
according to an initial
treatment plan designed to reposition the one or more teeth of the user using
a first plurality of
aligners. The intraoral scan generates three-dimensional data of the mouth of
the user. The
method also includes generating, by a treatment plan computing system, a
corrective treatment
plan for the user based on the three-dimensional data of the mouth of the
user. The method also
includes producing, at a fabrication site, a second plurality of aligners
based on the corrective
treatment plan. The second plurality of aligners specific to the user and
being configured to
reposition the one or more teeth of the user in accordance with the corrective
treatment plan. The
method also includes providing the second plurality of aligners to the user.
[0006] Another embodiment of the method includes the initial treatment plan
being based on
initial three-dimensional data obtained from scanning dental impressions of
the mouth of a user.
[0007] Another embodiment of the method includes the initial treatment plan
being based on
initial three-dimensional data obtained from conducting an initial intraoral
scan of the mouth of
the user.
[0008] Another embodiment of the method includes providing the corrective
treatment plan to
a dental or orthodontic professional for review.
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[0009] Another embodiment of the method includes receiving an approval of the
corrective
treatment plan by the dental or orthodontic professional. The approval is
received without the
dental or orthodontic professional physically seeing the user in person.
[0010] Another embodiment of the method includes producing the second
plurality of aligners
responsive to receiving the approval.
[0011] Another embodiment of the method includes determining that the one or
more teeth of
the user are not being repositioned according to the initial treatment plan
based on information
received from the user.
[0012] Another embodiment of the method includes the information including an
indication
from the user that the user is unsatisfied with the initial treatment plan.
[0013] Another embodiment of the method includes the information including an
indication
from the user that at least one aligner of the first plurality of aligners
does not fit or is
uncomfortable.
[0014] Another embodiment of the method includes providing a message to the
user requesting
the user to provide the information.
[0015] Another embodiment of the method includes receiving compliance check
information
from the user indicating that the user correctly followed the initial
treatment plan.
[0016] Another embodiment of the method includes providing a financial
incentive to the user
responsive to the user having correctly followed the initial treatment plan.
[0017] Another embodiment of the method includes providing, responsive to
determining that
the one or more teeth of the user are not being repositioned according to the
initial treatment
plan, the user scheduling information regarding scheduling an appointment at
the intraoral
scanning site to undergo the intraoral scan.
[0018] Another embodiment of the method includes generating the corrective
treatment plan
by manipulating, by the treatment plan computing system, one or more teeth in
the three-
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dimensional data of the mouth of the user from a starting position at the time
of the intraoral scan
to an ending position.
[0019] Another embodiment of the method includes producing the second
plurality of aligners
by generating a plurality of molds of a dentition of the user at at least a
starting position and an
ending position according to the corrective treatment plan, and thermoforming
a material to each
of the molds to produce the second plurality of aligners. Each mold of the
plurality of molds
correspond with a specific step of the corrective treatment plan.
[0020] Another embodiment relates to a system including a communications
system, an
intraoral scanning site, a treatment planning computing system, and a
fabrication system. The
communications system is configured to communicate with a user regarding an
initial treatment
plan designed to reposition one or more teeth of the user using a first
plurality of aligners. The
communication with the user indicates that the one or more teeth of the user
are not being
repositioned according to the initial treatment plan. The intraoral scanning
site comprises an
intraoral scanner configured to conduct an intraoral scan of a mouth of the
user to generate three-
dimensional data. The treatment planning computing system is configured to
generate a
corrective treatment plan for the user based on the three-dimensional data.
The fabrication
system comprises manufacturing equipment configured to produce a second
plurality of aligners
based on the corrective treatment plan data. The second plurality of aligners
are specific to the
user and are configured to reposition the one or more teeth of the user in
accordance with the
corrective treatment plan.
[0021] Another embodiment of the system includes the initial treatment plan
being based on
initial three-dimensional data obtained from at least one of scanning dental
impressions of the
mouth of a user and conducting an initial intraoral scan of the mouth of the
user.
[0022] Another embodiment of the system includes the communications system
being
configured to determine, based on the communication with the user, whether the
user correctly
followed the initial treatment plan, and provide a financial incentive to the
user responsive to
determining that the user correctly followed the initial treatment plan. The
financial incentive is a
reduction in cost of the second plurality of aligners.
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[0023] Another embodiment relates to a method. The method includes conducting,
using an
intraoral scanner at an intraoral scanning site, an intraoral scan of a mouth
of a user to generate
three-dimensional data of the mouth of the user. The intraoral scan is
conducted based on
information provided by the user. The information at least one of indicates
that the user is
unsatisfied with an initial treatment plan designed to reposition one or more
teeth of the user
using a first plurality of aligners, indicates that at least one aligner of
the first plurality of aligners
does not fit or is uncomfortable, and indicates that the one or more teeth of
the user are not being
repositioned according to the initial treatment plan. The method also includes
generating, by a
treatment plan computing system, a corrective treatment plan for the user
based on the three-
dimensional data of the mouth of the user. The method also includes providing
the corrective
treatment plan to a dental or orthodontic professional for review. The method
also includes
receiving an approval of the corrective treatment plan by the dental or
orthodontic professional.
The approval is received without the dental or orthodontic professional
physically seeing the user
in person. The method also includes producing, at a fabrication site, a second
plurality of aligners
based on the corrective treatment plan. The second plurality of aligners are
specific to the user
and are configured to reposition the one or more teeth of the user in
accordance with the
corrective treatment plan. The method also includes providing the second
plurality of aligners to
the user.
[0024] Another embodiment of the method includes the information including
photographs of
the mouth of the user taken at various angles. At least one of the photographs
having been taken
with a dental appliance positioned at least partially within the mouth of the
user. The dental
appliance is configured to hold open the user's upper and lower lips
simultaneously to permit
visualization of the user's teeth.
[0025] Various other embodiments and aspects of the disclosure will become
apparent based
on the drawings and detailed description of the following disclosure.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] FIG. 1 shows an appointment management system according to an exemplary
embodiment.
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[0027] FIG. 2 shows a reservations screen associated with the appointment
management
system of FIG. 1 according to an exemplary embodiment.
[0028] FIG. 3 shows a booking screen associated with the appointment
management system of
FIG. 1 according to an exemplary embodiment.
[0029] FIG. 4 shows a reservation hold screen associated with the appointment
management
system of FIG. 1 according to an exemplary embodiment.
[0030] FIG. 5A and FIG. 5B show example confirmation windows associated with
the
appointment management system of FIG. 1 according to an exemplary embodiment.
[0031] FIG. 6 shows a check-in screen displayed on a user device for enabling
a user to check
into an appointment according to an exemplary embodiment.
[0032] FIG. 7 shows a health and consent information screen displayed on a
user device for
enabling the user to provide health and consent information according to an
exemplary
embodiment.
[0033] FIG. 8 is a user portal screen displayed to the user prior to the
user's appointment
according to an exemplary embodiment.
[0034] FIG. 9 is an example of a user portal screen displayed to the user
following the user's
appointment according to an exemplary embodiment.
[0035] FIG. 10 is an example of a user portal screen displaying a progress
tracker according to
an exemplary embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0036] The present disclosure is directed to systems and methods for
conducting an intraoral
scan of a user at a location. A user can request an appointment at an
intraoral scanning site. For
example, the user can request an appointment in advance of the requested
appointment time (e.g.,
online, via a mobile application, via a telephone call) or the user can
request an appointment at
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the time of requested appointment (e.g., a "walk in"). In requesting the
appointment at the
intraoral scanning site, the user can provide various information for
reserving the appointment,
such as a reason for making the appointment (e.g., misaligned teeth) or a
dental condition of the
patient (e.g., having crowns, an impacted tooth). The user can make the
request online (e.g., via
an intern& scheduling website associated with the intraoral scanning site).
When the
appointment timeslot is held for the user, one or more scheduling alerts can
be communicated to
the user (e.g., confirmation notification, reminder notification, appointment
modification query).
Upon arriving at the appointment, the user can provide health history and
consent information.
The user can receive the intraoral scan, and upon confirmation from the user
to purchase the
aligners, one or more sets of aligners configured to modify the alignment of
the user's teeth can
be sent to the user.
100371 The systems and methods described herein may have many benefits
including, but not
limited to, increasing user excitement about the alignment process, increasing
the likelihood of a
user showing up for their appointment, and increasing the likelihood of a user
purchasing
aligners at the intraoral scanning site, as will be discussed in greater
detail below.
100381 Referring to FIG. 1, an appointment management system 100 is shown. The
appointment management system 100 includes a computing system 102, a mobile
device 116 of
a user 104, a personal computer 118 of the user 104, and a plurality of
intraoral scanning sites
106.
100391 The computing system 102 includes a processor 108 and memory 110.
Processor 108
may be a general purpose or specific purpose processor, an application
specific integrated circuit
(ASIC), one or more field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), a group of
processing
components, or other suitable processing components. Processor 108 may be
configured to
execute computer code or instructions stored in memory 110 or received from
other computer
readable media (e.g., CDROM, network storage, a remote server, etc.) to
perform one or more of
the processes described herein. Memory 110 may include one or more data
storage devices (e.g.,
memory units, memory devices, computer-readable storage media, etc.)
configured to store data,
computer code, executable instructions, or other forms of computer-readable
information.
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Memory 110 may include random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM),
hard drive
storage, temporary storage, non-volatile memory, flash memory, optical memory,
or any other
suitable memory for storing software objects and/or computer instructions.
Memory 110 may
include database components, object code components, script components, or any
other type of
information structure for supporting the various activities and information
structures described in
the present disclosure. Memory 110 may be communicably connected to processor
108 via
processing circuit 202 and may include computer code for executing (e.g., by
processor 108,
etc.) one or more of the processes described herein.
[0040] The memory 110 is described below as including various circuits 112.
While the
exemplary embodiment shown in the figures shows each of the circuits 112 as
being separate
from one another, it should be understood that, in various other embodiments,
the memory 110
may include more, less, or altogether different circuits 112. For example, the
structures and
functions of one circuit 112 may be performed by another circuit 112, or the
activities of two
circuits 112 may be combined such that they are performed by only a signal
circuit 112.
Additionally, it should be understood that any of the functionalities
described as being performed
by a circuit 112 that is a part of the controller 112 may also be performed by
a separate hardware
component having its own processors, network interfaces, etc.
[0041] As shown in FIG. 1, the appointment management system 100 includes one
or more
communications device(s) 114. The communications device(s) 114 can be or
include
components configured to transmit and/or receive data from one or more remote
sources. For
instance, each of the intraoral scanning site(s) 106 may include a respective
communications
device 114, the user 104 may have one or more communications device(s) 114
embodied on the
user's 104 mobile device 116, personal computer 118, etc., and/or the
computing system 102
may include a communications device 114. Each of the respective communications
devices 114
may permit or otherwise enable data to be exchanged between the user 104, the
intraoral
scanning site(s) 106, and/or the computing system 102. The communications
device 114 may
communicate via a network 120. The network 120 may be a Local Area Network
(LAN), a
Wide Area Network (WAN), a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), an Internet
Area
Network (IAN) or cloud-based network, etc. In some implementations, the
communications
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device(s) 114 may access the network 120 to exchange data with various other
communications
device(s) 114 via cellular access, a modem, broadband, Wi-Fi, satellite
access, etc.
100421 GENERATING AN APPOINTMENT
[0043] In some implementations, the user 104 may access a website (or other
network-based
portal) associated with the appointment management system 100. The user 104
may book an
appointment at an intraoral scanning site 106 on the website. The user 104 may
be directed to
the website through, for instance, an advertisement on the user's 104 social
media account.
Additionally or alternatively, the user 104 may search for (e.g., on the
internet, etc.) the website
associated with the appointment management system 100.
[0044] Additionally or alternatively, the user 104 may receive a message
directing them to the
website to book an appointment at an intraoral scanning site 106. The
processor 108 may control
the communications device 114 to send the message to the user 104 in response
to various
conditions. For instance, the processor 108 may determine that the user 104
previously signed
up to receive an in-home dental impression kit and never returned the
completed kit. The
processor 108 may identify a time between an order date (or shipment date) of
the dental
impression kit and the current date. The processor 108 may compare the
identified time to a
threshold time indicative of the user 104 likely not returning impressions
from the dental
impression kit. Where the identified time exceeds the threshold time, the
processor 108 may
automatically generate and send the message to the user 104. As another
example, the processor
108 may determine that the impressions received from the user 104 were, for
instance,
incomplete. A technician may review the impressions (or a scan thereof) to
determine their
suitability for manufacturing dental aligners. When the impressions are
determined to be
incomplete, the technician may flag the impressions as incomplete. When the
impressions are
flagged, the processor 108 may automatically generate and send the message to
the user 104
prompting the user to schedule an intraoral scan.
[0045] The website may include a home page, an instructional page detailing
how the customer
aligner process works, a results page, a locations page, and/or additional or
alternative pages.
Each of these pages may present different information to the user 104. For
instance, the home
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page may present information pertaining to an overall user experience. The
instructional page
may present a step-by-step overview starting from an appointment to receiving
customized
aligners. Additionally, the instructional page may present a video to the user
104. The video
may include graphics and/or text that show how the customized aligners
reposition the user's 104
teeth, among other information. The video may also show the user 104 what to
expect upon
arrival at their appointment location, should they choose to book an
appointment. The results
page may include before-and-after pictures (or a rolling video of before-and-
after pictures) of
previous users who have used aligners to reposition their teeth. The locations
page includes
locations associated with each of the respective intraoral scanning sites 102.
[0046] Referring now to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the user 104 may access the
locations page of the
website. Specifically shown in FIG. 2 is a reservation page 200 which may be a
portion of the
locations page or a portion of the home page.
[0047] In some embodiments, the computing system 102 may include a scheduler
122. The
scheduler can be or include instructions that, when executed by the processor
108, cause the
processor 108 to generate and/or manipulate pages and displays for scheduling
an appointment at
an intraoral scanning site 106. While shown as embodied on memory 110 of the
computing
device 102, in some implementations, the scheduler 122 may be separate from
the computing
device 102. For instance, the scheduler 122 may be located remotely from the
computing device
102. In instances such as these, the scheduler 122 may have a separate
processor 108 and
memory 110 (a dedicated processor and memory, for example). A user 104 may
schedule an
intraoral scan at a particular intraoral scanning site 106 via the website.
The website may be
controlled by the processor 108 using instructions from the scheduler 122.
Following the
intraoral scan, the user 104 may, in some instances, order aligners that are
customized for the
user 104. For instance, the user 104 may be satisfied with the overall process
at the intraoral
scanning site 106 and results of other users 104. Therefore, the user 104 may
purchase aligners
for aligning the user's 104 teeth. The aligners may be constructed of a
polymer material, such as
Polyethylenterephthalat-Glycol Copolyester (PET-G), which is thermoformed to
positive molds
(or models) of the user's 104 dentition at various intervals between a
starting position and an
ending position. The positive molds of the user's dentition 104 may be
generated based on the
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treatment plan. The aligners may be used by the user 104 in stages to move the
user's teeth
towards the ending position. For example, the user 104 may be directed to wear
a first aligner
during a first month, a second aligner during a second month, a third aligner
during a third
month, and so on for a treatment period. These aligners may be shipped to the
user 104
following production of the aligners (e.g., at a fabrication site which
generates or otherwise
produces the aligners). In some instances, the aligners may be shipped in
stages, all at once in
one box, etc. Each of the aligners may be administered by the user in a
predetermined sequence
and for a predetermined duration. For instance, a first aligner (which
corresponds to a starting
position of the user's teeth) may be administered by the user for a duration
(e.g., a month, 90
days, etc.), a second (and additional intermediate) aligner(s) may be
administered by the user for
the same duration, and a final aligner may be administered for the same
duration. Each of these
aligners may move the user's teeth from the starting position to one or more
intermediate
positions, and from the one or more intermediate positions to the final
positions based on the
treatment plan.
[0048] As shown in FIG. 2, the reservation page 200 includes locations 202,
dates 204, and
times 206. Included in the locations 202 is information corresponding to each
of the intraoral
scanning site(s) 106. While each of the intraoral scanning site(s) 106 are
shown as included, in
some embodiments, only a subset of intraoral scanning site(s) 106 may be
shown. For instance,
the intraoral scanning site(s) 106 which are located nearest to the user 104
may be shown. As
one example, the processor 108 may receive data from a communications device
114 associated
with the user 104 (e.g., the mobile device 114, personal computer 118, etc.).
The data may
include location-based data associated with the user 104. The processor 108
may use this data to
select, from each of the intraoral scanning site(s) 106, a subset of intraoral
scanning site(s) 106 to
include in the locations 202. As another example, the user 104 may be prompted
to provide a zip
code. The processor 108 may use the zip code provided by the user 104 to
determine intraoral
scanning site(s) 106 that are located nearest to (or within) the zip code.
[0049] In some implementations, a user 104 may search for specific locations
202 (instead of
selecting ones that are nearest to the user's 104 location). The user 104, for
instance, may be
traveling to a different city than their city of residence and may want to
schedule an appointment
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at an intraoral scanning site 106 located in that different city. As a result,
the user 104 is not
limited to scheduling appointments at intraoral scanning sites 106 in their
own city, but may
schedule appointments at any of the intraoral scanning sites 106. In
implementations such as
these, the user 104 may provide a zip code that is different from their
current zip code (e.g., the
zip code associated with the city to which they are traveling).
100501 In still other implementations, one or more of the intraoral scanning
sites 106 may be a
mobile intraoral scanning site 106. For instance, the mobile intraoral
scanning site 106 may be
implemented in a vehicle (e.g., an automobile, a truck, a van, a bus, etc.),
as part of a kiosk (e.g.,
located within another store or within a shopping mall), or comprise a pop-up
location in
operation for only a limited time period (e.g., one day, one week, one month).
The mobile
intraoral scanning site 106 may be included in the locations 202 on the
reservations page 200.
As will be described in further detail below, a user 104 may be able to
arrange for the mobile
intraoral scanning site 106 to travel to a set location (e.g., a location set
by the user, such as their
home or place of business), and the user 104 may receive an intraoral scan at
the set location.
100511 Upon selecting a location 202 of an intraoral scanning site 106 from
the list of locations
202 of intraoral scanning sites 106, the user 104 may select an available date
from the list of
dates 204. Each intraoral scanning site 106 may maintain a schedule 124. The
schedule 124 may
be maintained locally (e.g., at each respective intraoral scanning site 106,
etc.) and
communicated to the computing system 102. The scheduler 122 can include
instructions to
access the schedule 124 of the intraoral scanning site 106 selected by the
user 104 and determine
available days/times for an appointment for the user 105 based on the schedule
124 for the
intraoral scanning site. The scheduler 122 can include instructions to display
available times and
dates for the intraoral scanning site 106 based on the schedule 124 associated
with the intraoral
scanning site 106. Additionally or alternatively, the schedule 124 may be a
cloud-based schedule
that is remotely accessible by the processor 108 and by the respective
intraoral scanning site 106.
In implementations such as these, the memory 110 may store intraoral scanning
site data 126
corresponding to each respective intraoral scanning site 106. The intraoral
scanning site data
126 may be stored in a database 128 within memory 110. The intraoral scanning
site data 126
may include a location 130 associated with the intraoral scanning site 106 (or
other information
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usable to identify a particular intraoral scanning site 106) and a
corresponding schedule 132 for
the intraoral scanning site 106. The scheduler 122 can include instructions to
determine the
schedule for the selected location 202 of the intraoral scanning site 106 by
cross-referencing data
for the selected location 202 with location 130 within the intraoral scanning
site data 126.
Following cross-referencing the data for the selected location 202, the
scheduler 122 can include
instructions to identify the schedule for the corresponding selected location
202.
[0052] In each of these arrangements, the scheduler 122 can include
instructions to identify
available appointment times for the intraoral scanning site 106. These
available appointment
times may be presented to the user 104 for selection and booking an
appointment.
[0053] As shown in FIG. 2, the intraoral scanning site(s) 106 may have
extended hours (e.g.,
open nights, weekends, etc.). In implementations such as these, the user 104
may be more likely
to schedule an appointment when the hours are extended due to a lessened
likelihood of a
scheduling conflict between the user 104 and a given intraoral scanning site
106.
[0054] The processor 108 may access the schedule 124, 132 for the selected
location 202 to
determine available dates via the instructions from the scheduler 122. The
processor 108 may
display the available dates in the list of dates 204. Following a selection of
an available date
from the list of dates 204, the times available for the selected date may be
displayed to the user
104. The processor 108 may determine the available times in the same manner in
which the
available dates are determined. The user may select an available time to book
their scan from the
list of available times 206.
[0055] While described herein as the user first selecting a location, in some
embodiments, the
user may first select a preferred date and/or time and available locations
(and/or dates and
locations) may then be displayed based on the selected preferred date and/or
time (and/or dates
and locations). In each of these implementations, the user 104 may reserve a
time at a particular
intraoral scanning site 106, and at the reserved time, the user 104 may arrive
at the particular
intraoral scanning site 106 and receive their intraoral scan, as will be
discussed in further detail
below.
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[0056] In some implementations, the user 104 may select the mobile intraoral
scanning site
106. In implementations such as these, the processor 108 may identify a
schedule 124, 132
associated with the mobile intraoral scanning site 106 using instructions from
the scheduler 122.
The user 104 may request a date 204 and time 206 that is available for the
mobile intraoral
scanning site 106. The user 104 may then provide a location to arrange the
appointment with the
mobile intraoral scanning site 106. The mobile intraoral scanning site 106 may
have a
predetermined radius (e.g., 10 miles, 20 miles, 25 miles, 50 miles, etc.)
within which the mobile
intraoral scanning site 106 operates. The user 104 may provide a location
within the
predetermined radius. At the reserved time, the mobile intraoral scanning site
106 may be driven
to the location provided by the user 104. The user 104 may similarly arrive at
the provided
location at the reserved time and receive an intraoral scan, as will be
discussed in further detail
below.
[0057] Referring now to FIG. 3, following the user 104 selecting an available
time 206 (e.g., as
shown in FIG. 2), the scheduler 122 can include instructions to direct the
user 104 to a booking
screen 300. At the booking screen 300, the user 104 may be prompted to provide
various
personal information 302 (e.g., first and last name, a phone number, an e-mail
address, etc.).
Additionally, the user 104 may be prompted to opt into (or not opt into) a
messaging service by
selecting box 304. The messaging service may provide one or more messages to
the user 104
concerning the user's 104 booked appointment, as will be discussed in further
detail below. The
personal information 302 and data corresponding to whether the user 102 opted
into the
messaging service may be stored in database 128 in a user file 134. The user
file 134 may be a
file associated with the user 104 and may include various types of data
associated with the user
104. The user file 134 nay be subsequently used for generating messages to the
user 104 before
and/or after the user's 104 appointment. The user file 134 may also include
the intraoral scan,
the treatment plan, progress information, photographs, etc.
100581 As shown in FIG. 3, the appointment may be free to the user 104. In
some
implementations, the appointment may have a flat fee (e.g., $25, $95, etc.).
In still other
implementations, the appointment may have a booking hold which is not charged
to the user 104.
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Following the user 104 providing their personal information, the user 104 may
be prompted to
book their scan by selecting button 306.
100591 Referring now to FIG. 4, when the user 104 books their scan by
selecting button 306 (of
FIG. 3), the scheduler 122 can include instruction to direct the user 104 to a
holding page 400.
At the holding page 400, the user 104 may be prompted to provide credit card
information 402.
The credit card information 402 may be requested to hold the available time
selected by the user
104 (e.g., as selected on reservations page 200). The credit card information
402 may be used to
place a hold (for instance, $25) on the user's 104 credit card. In some
implementations, the hold
may be a refundable hold (e.g., the credit card for the user 104 is not billed
or is refunded unless
the user 104 does not show up for their appointment at the selected time).
[0060] In some implementations, the hold may be optional. For instance, the
user 104 may be
able to hold the reservation (through selection of button 404) or opt out of
holding the
reservation (through selection of button 406). The user 104 may provide their
credit card
information 402 and select button 404. In selecting prompt 404, confirmation
window 500 may
be displayed to the user 104 (e.g., indicating that the user's 104 reservation
has been confirmed).
Additionally, the user 104 may not provide their credit card information 402,
and instead, opt out
by selecting button 406. In some implementations, selecting button 406 may
direct the user 104
back to the reservations page 200. In other implementations, selecting button
406 may cause
confirmation window 502 to be displayed to the user 104 (e.g., indicating that
the user's 104
reservation is still confirmed despite the user 104 not providing credit card
information 402). By
providing credit card information 402, the user 104 may be more likely to show
up for their
appointment, despite their credit card never being charged.
[0061] In one or more embodiments, following the user 104 reserving (and
optionally holding)
their appointment, the user 104 may want to reschedule their appointment. To
do so, the user
104 may call the intraoral scanning site 106 to reschedule their appointment.
Additionally, the
user 104 may go onto the web site associated with the appointment management
system 100,
provide log-in information or other identifying information to look-up their
appointment and
access, for instance, a user portal (as will be discussed in greater detail
below). The user portal
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may include various appointment-related information including the time, date,
and location for
their appointment. Following the user's appointment, the user portal may
include various
treatment plan information (such as a virtual representation of the user's 104
treatment plan at
different stages or a simulated representation of the user's 104 teeth through
progression of the
treatment plan), progress information provided by the user 104, etc., as will
be discussed in
greater detail below. The user 104 may select their appointment and reschedule
their
appointment in substantially the same manner by which the user 104 booked
their appointment
(e.g., by following the progression from FIG. 2 through FIG. 4).
100621 PRE-APPOINTMENT MESSAGING SERVICES
[0063] Referring back to FIG. 1, when the user 104 opts into the messaging
service (through
selection of box 304 of FIG. 3), one or more messages may be automatically
generated and
communicated to the user 104 (e.g., via respective communications device(s)
114). For instance,
the computing system 102 may include a message generator 136. The message
generator 136
can be or include instructions that, when executed by processor 108, cause the
processor 108 to
generate a message to communicate to the user 104. The message generator 136
can include
instructions to transmit the generated message to the user 104 via, for
instance, the
communications device 114 of the computing system 102 to the communications
device 114 of
the user's 104 mobile device 116 and/or personal computer 118. The message
generator 136 can
include instructions to identify a communications device 114 associated with
the user 104 (e.g.,
by identifying the user file 134 associated with the user 104). The message
generator 136 can
include instructions to communicate the generated message to the user 104 upon
one or more
conditions, as will be discussed in further detail below. Accordingly, the
various messages
described herein may be communicated to the user's 104 mobile device 116
and/or the user's
104 personal computer 118. Various examples of messages will be discussed in
turn below.
[0064] In some implementations, one or more messages that are generated via
the message
generator 136 may be communicated to a notification center 138. The
notification center 138
may be, for instance, a call center. The messages that are communicated to the
notification
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center 138 may be instructions to call a particular user 104 at a particular
time to deliver a verbal
message, as will be discussed in further detail below.
[0065] In some embodiments, the message generator 136 can include instructions
for
generating an appointment confirmation message. The message generator 136 can
include
instructions to determine when a user 104 has successfully reserved an
appointment. The
message generator 136 can include instructions to automatically communicate
(e.g., via
respective communications devices 114) the appointment confirmation message in
response to
the user 104 successfully reserving the appointment. The appointment
confirmation message
may be or include a message that indicates that the user's 104 appointment has
successfully been
reserved. In some implementations, the appointment confirmation message may
include a link,
which the user 104 may select, that causes the appointment to be automatically
added to a
calendar associated with the user 104. For instance, the appointment
confirmation message may
include a plurality of links associated with different types of calendar
software. The user 104
may select the link corresponding to whichever type of calendar that is used
by the user 104.
Upon selecting the appropriate link, the appointment may automatically be
added to the user's
104 calendar. The appointment added to the user's 104 calendar may include
contact
information associated with the corresponding intraoral scanning site 106, a
location associated
with the intraoral scanning site 106, time, and an expected duration of the
appointment (e.g., 30
minutes).
[0066] In some embodiments, the message generator 136 can include instructions
for
generating one or more appointment reminder messages. The message generator
136 can include
instructions to determine a current time and an appointment time (e.g., the
time of the user's 104
appointment at the intraoral scanning site 106). The message generator 136 can
include
instructions to compare a time difference between the current time and
appointment time to a
threshold time. If the difference in time is less than (or equal to) the
threshold time, the message
generator can include instructions to automatically generate the appointment
reminder message.
[0067] In some implementations, the threshold time may be set based on a
number of days
(e.g., two days, three days, a week, etc.) until the user's 104 appointment.
In implementations
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such as these, the appointment reminder message may be a message reminding the
user 104 that
they have an upcoming appointment. The appointment reminder message may be
generated
when the user 104 books an appointment well in advanced. Accordingly, where
the user 104
books an appointment for a number of days in advanced that is less than a
threshold number of
days (e.g., two days, three days, a week, etc.), the appointment reminder
message may not be
generated. As one non-limiting example, the user 104 may book an appointment
on a Monday.
Where the user 104 books the appointment for the next Friday, the user 104 may
be reminded of
their appointment through generation of an appointment reminder message on the
upcoming
Wednesday. However, where the user 104 books the appointment for the next day
(e.g.,
Tuesday), the user 104 may not receive an appointment reminder message. The
appointment
reminder message that is communicated to the user 104 may include various
information
including, for instance, directions to the intraoral scanning site 106, a
phone number for the
intraoral scanning site 106, etc. Additionally, the appointment reminder
message may include
various information pertaining to the user's 104 appointment. For example, the
appointment
reminder message may include a health and consent questionnaire for the user
104 to fill out. In
some implementations, the health and consent questionnaire may have a
plurality of Yes/No
questions corresponding to various health-related conditions. The responses to
the questions
may be defaulted to "No", whereby the user 104 may only need to change those
answers to the
questions that do apply to the user 104. Referring briefly to FIG. 7, the user
104 may be shown
several questions which are defaulted to "No". The user 104, however, may have
an impacted
tooth and an indicator on the health and consent questionnaire for an impacted
tooth is defaulted
to "No". Accordingly, the user 104 may maintain all defaulted answers except
for the question
relating to impacted teeth, which the user 104 may switch to answer "Yes."
Such arrangements
may expedite the overall process for the user's 104 experience at the
intraoral scanning site 106.
As another example, the appointment reminder may include before-and-after
pictures for
previous customers (e.g., similar to those described above with reference to
the results page).
Such arrangements may increase excitement and anticipation of the appointment
for the user
104.
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[0068] In some implementations, the threshold time may be set based on a
location of the user
104 (e.g., as determined based on data provided by the user's 104 mobile
device 116 and/or
personal computer 118) with respect to the location of the intraoral scanning
site 106. In
implementations such as these, the appointment reminder message may be a
message reminding
the user 104 to leave for their appointment. The threshold may be determined
based on factors in
addition to the location of the user 104 including, for instance, a distance
between the respective
locations, traffic between the respective locations, weather, time of day, day
of the week, etc.
The appointment reminder message that is communicated to the user 104 may
include various
information including, for instance, directions to the intraoral scanning site
106, a phone number
for the intraoral scanning site 106, etc.
[0069] In some implementations, the message generator 136 may include
instructions to
generate multiple appointment reminder messages. For instance, the message
generator 136 may
generate a first appointment reminder message to remind the user 104 that they
have an
upcoming appointment and a second appointment reminder message to indicate to
the user 104
that they should leave for their appointment (e.g., now, in 15 minutes, in one
hour, etc.).
[0070] In some embodiments, the message generator 136 can include instructions
to identify
specific users 104 for voice messages. For instance, where the user 104 does
not provide credit
card information 402 (thus opting out of reserving the appointment), such
information may be
stored in the user file 134. Where the user 104 does not provide credit card
information 402, the
message generator 136 can include instructions to generate a prompt for a
voice message to
communicate to the notification center 138. The prompt may instruct a person
at the notification
center to initiate a telephone call with the user 104, in which the user 104
will be informed about
the overall process and experience at the intraoral scanning site 106, and the
user 104 may
provide one or more concerns regarding their smile. The call may be initiated
by the person at
the notification center a certain number of days prior to the user's 104
appointment (e.g., three
days, five days, etc.). The person may annotate (or record) the conversation,
and portions thereof
may be saved to the user file 134. In embodiments such as these, the voice
message may
increase user 104 excitement for the appointment and increase the likelihood
that the user 104
shows up for their scheduled appointment.
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[00711 APPOINTMENT MANAGEMENT AT AN INTRAORAL SCANNING SITE
100721 Referring now to FIG. 1 and FIG. 6, upon arrival at the intraoral
scanning site 106, the
user 104 may be presented with a user device 600. The user device 600 may be a
tablet, for
instance. The user 104 may be requested to provide personal information 602
(e.g., similar to the
personal information 202) for accessing the user file 134. The processor 108
may retrieve the
user file 134 associated with the user 104 and check the user 104 into their
appointment. Where
the user 104 does not show up within a predetermined timeframe (e.g., at the
start time of their
appointment, within five minutes after the start time, 10 minutes after their
start time, etc.) the
processor 108 may automatically indicate the user 104 did not show up for
their scheduled
appointment. The processor 108 may compare a time difference between the
current time and
the appointment start time to a predetermined timeframe. If the time
difference exceeds the
predetermined timefi-ame, the processor 108 may automatically indicate the
user 104 did not
show up for their scheduled appointment in the user file 134. Additionally or
alternatively, a
receptionist may indicate that the user 104 did not show up for their
appointment in the user file
134. In some embodiments, the message generator 136 can include instructions
for
automatically generating a message to send to the user when the user is late
for their appointment
beyond a predetermined time frame (for instance, five minutes late). The
message may ask the
user to respond with whether they still plan on having an intraoral scan
conducted, indicate that
they do not need an appointment to receive their scan, prompt them to
reschedule, etc.
100731 In some instances, the intraoral scanning site 106 may include a screen
(e.g., of a
television or other display system) that displays before-and-after pictures of
customers who
previously used aligners. The before-and-after pictures may be similar to
those described above
with reference to the results page. The before-and-after pictures may be
displayed on a rolling
basis. In instances such as these, consumer confidence may be increased by
observing historical
results.
100741 Referring now to FIG. 1 and FIG. 7, the user file 134 may include the
health and
consent questionnaire. Where the health and consent questionnaire was
previously filled out by
the user 104 (e.g., as it was received in an appointment reminder message),
the health and
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1,1
consent questionnaire may be saved to the user file 134. However, where the
health and consent
questionnaire was not previously filled out by the user 104 (e.g., the user
104 never filled the
questionnaire out or the questionnaire was never provided to the user 104),
the user 104 may fill
out the health and consent questionnaire via the user device 600. In some
embodiments, where
the user 104 switches an answer, a comment box is automatically generated and
displayed to the
user 104 prompting the user 104 to provide further details. For instance,
where the user indicates
that they are experiencing pain in their teeth, a comment box is automatically
generated and
displayed on the display of the user device 600. The user may provide an
input, via the comment
box, to elaborate on the pain in their teeth. While two examples of when the
health and consent
questionnaire are provided (e.g., following a reservation and following an
appointment check-in
but prior to the intraoral scan), the health and consent questionnaire may be
provided to the user
104 to complete at any time throughout the scanning process after they arrive
at the scanning
location, such as during a break in procedures, following completion of the
intraoral scan, etc.
Accordingly, the present disclosure is not limited to any particular
arrangement regarding when
the health and consent questionnaire is completed by the user 104.
[0075] As shown in FIG. 7, the user device 600 may present the health and
consent
questionnaire to the user 104. As discussed above, the health and consent
questionnaire may
have a plurality of Yes/No questions corresponding to various health-related
conditions. In some
implementations, at least some of the questions for the health and consent
questionnaire may be
defaulted to a set response. For instance, the health-related questions for
the questionnaire may
be defaulted to "NO", whereas the consent-related questions for the
questionnaire may be
defaulted to "YES". In other instances, all of the questions may be defaulted
to "NO". The user
104 can modify the responses to all the questions as needed. For instance, the
user 104 may have
bridgework and a question inquiring about whether the user 104 has bridgework
is defaulted to
"No". Accordingly, the user 104 may maintain the default answers to all the
questions except for
the question pertaining to bridgework. The user 104 may manually switch this
answer to "Yes."
In each of these implementations, the user's 104 experience at the intraoral
scanning site 106
may be improved by expediting the health and consent questionnaire.
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[0076] Following check-in and providing the responses to the health and
consent questionnaire,
the user 104 may be directed to a room where the user 104 will receive their
intraoral scan. A
technician at the scan shop 106 may administer the intraoral scan. The
technician may
administer the intraoral scan using, for instance, an iTero scanner. As the
technician
administers the intraoral scan, the intraoral scanner may produce data which
is visually
represented on a display. The data may correspond to a three-dimensional scan
of the user's 104
mouth. In some embodiments, the technician may administer the intraoral scan
in a
predetermined position. For instance, the technician may be instructed to
administer the intraoral
scan from over the user's 104 shoulder with the display in the field of view
of the user 104.
Accordingly, as the intraoral scanner generates data that is visually
represented on the display,
both the user 104 and technician may be able to observe the display. Such
arrangements and
instructions may enhance the user's 104 experience by engaging the user 104 in
the scanning
process.
[0077] In some embodiments, the administration of the intraoral scan may be
recorded for
quality assurance purposes. For instance, the room in which the user 104 has
the intraoral scan
administered may have a camera. The user 104 may approve or deny the
recording. In some
instances, the user 104 may be incentivized to approve the recording by, for
instance, one free set
of aligners or one free set of retainers.
[0078] In some embodiments, the user 104 may be shown a simulated movement of
the user's
teeth from the starting position (e.g., as represented by the three-
dimensional scan) to a simulated
final position. Such capabilities presently exist through use of the iTero
scanner.
[0079] Following administration of the intraoral scan, in some embodiments, a
quality control
technician may review and approve the intraoral scan. The quality control
technician may be
located at the intraoral scanning site 106. Additionally or alternatively, the
quality control
technician may be located remotely. The quality control technician may be a
manager or other
guide who has the authority to approve (or not approve) the intraoral scan.
Where the quality
control technician does not approve of the intraoral scan, the quality control
technician may
highlight particular areas on the intraoral scan that need to be re-scanned.
The quality control
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technician may also approve some or all of the information provided by the
user 104 (e.g., the
personal information 202, the health and consent information provided in the
health and consent
questionnaire, various other information such as shipping information, etc.).
In implementations
such as these, the quality control technician may ensure that subsequent
visits to the intraoral
scanning site 106 or unnecessary calls to the user 104 are avoided by
collecting all necessary
information during a single appointment of the user 104.
[0080] In some embodiments, following administration of the intraoral scan,
the technician
may take one or more photographs of the user's 104 mouth. The technician may
take the
photographs of the user's 104 upper and lower jaw (in some instances with a
smile spreader).
The technician may take a head-on photograph of the user's 104 smile. The
technician may take
the one or more photographs using a digital camera. Additionally or
alternatively, the technician
may take the one or more photographs using a camera of the user device 600. In
each of these
implementations, the photographs may be an initial set of photos that is used
for compliance
checks. The photographs may be saved to the user file 134.
[0081] Once the quality control technician approves of the intraoral scan (and
photographing),
the user 104 may leave the room where the user 104 received their intraoral
scan. The user may
go to, for instance, a waiting area or front desk area. At the front desk
area, the user 104 may be
shown or given various products. For instance, the user 104 may be shown what
the aligners
generally look like (e.g., substantially transparent, translucent, etc.). The
user 104 may also be
shown the packaging in which the aligners are delivered and the corresponding
instruction
manual. The user 104 may be provided with various dental-related items. For
instance, the user
104 may be provided with lip balm, teeth whitening kits, a tote bag, etc. Each
of these examples
may further increase the likelihood of the user 104 purchasing aligners that
are custom to the
user's 104 teeth. In some embodiments, instead of receiving products at a
front desk area, the
user 104 may be shown or given various products in the room where they
received the intraoral
scan. In some embodiments, the user 104 may be shown the aligners/packaging
prior to
receiving the intraoral scan (e.g., at check-in), during a break, etc.
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100821 In some embodiments, the user 104 may be presented with a fast track
option for
generating a set of aligners from the intraoral scan. The fast track option
may be a form that is
filled out by the user 104, may be an oral agreement from the user, etc. The
fast track option
may authorize a provider of the aligners to automatically generate the
aligners once the treatment
plan (or the final teeth position) for the user 104 is approved by a doctor
(e.g., a dentist, an
orthodontist, etc.).
100831 The user 104 may be prompted to pay at the time of the intraoral scan
(or set up a
payment plan at the time of the intraoral scan). Once the user 104 pays (or
sets up the payment
plan), the user 104 may authorize fast tracking the generation of the
aligners. In
implementations such as these, the user 104 may not be required to authorize
the treatment plan.
Rather, the treatment plan may be shown in the user portal, as will be
discussed in greater detail
below. Additionally, once the treatment plan is approved by the doctor, the
treatment plan may
be automatically used for generating the aligners and automatically uploaded
to the user portal.
100841 In some embodiments, the doctor (e.g., the dentist, orthodontist, etc.)
may approve of
the treatment plan following the doctor seeing the user via a video conference
or a video of the
user. For instance, the doctor may "see" the user remotely prior to approving
the treatment plan.
In still other embodiments, the doctor may approve of the treatment plan
without the video
conference or the video of the user. In each of these embodiments, the doctor
may approve of
the treatment plan for the user without having to physically see the user in
person. Accordingly,
the user may not be inconvenienced with a trip to a doctor's office, which may
also save time for
the user.
100851 Where the user 104 does not authorize fast tracking the generation of
the aligners, the
user 104 may authorize the treatment plan once the treatment plan is sent to
the user 104 via the
user portal. Following authorization of the treatment plan, the aligners may
be generated and
sent to the user 104. Additionally, following authorization of the treatment
plan, the user 104
may then be prompted to pay for the aligners (or sign up for a payment plan).
100861 In some embodiments, the treatment plan may be generated by a dental
professional
using a computing system at a treatment plan site. The treatment plan site may
be separate from
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the intraoral scan sites, the fabrication site, etc. In other embodiments, the
treatment plan site
may be the same as the intraoral scan site and/or the fabrication site.
Accordingly, two or more
of these sites may be consolidated into one site.
[0087] The treatment plan may be generated by manipulating individual teeth in
the three-
dimensional representation of the user's mouth. For instance, the dental
professional may
manipulate one or more teeth of the user's mouth (as represented in the three-
dimensional data)
from a starting position (at the time of the intraoral scan) to an ending
position (following
treatment). Following the teeth being moved to the ending position, the
treatment plan may
automatically be generated (e.g., by a computer or computing system) in
accordance with a set of
rules. The set of rules may include rules which constrict an amount of
movement of a single
tooth between two sequential aligners (for instance, 3.00 mm). Following the
treatment plan
being generated, various models (e.g., positive molds of the user's dentition)
may be generated
which correspond to the position of the teeth at various intervals between the
starting and ending
position. The aligners may then be generated by thermoforming a polymer
material to each of
the various models (with a first aligner corresponding to the starting
position of the user's teeth
in the user's dentition, the second [and subsequent] aligner corresponding to
an intermediate
position[s], and the final aligner corresponding to the final position of the
user's teeth in the
user's dentition).
[0088] Following generation of the aligners, all aligners associated with the
treatment plan may
be sent to the user 104. In some implementations, the aligners may be
generated and sent to the
user 104 in packaging similar to the packaging described in U.S. Patent
Application Serial No.
15/725,430, filed on October 5, 2017, titled "DENTAL IMPRESSION KITS AND
METHODS
THEREFOR," and U.S. Patent Application Serial No. 16/010,097, filed on June
15, 2018 and
having the same title.
100891 POST-APPOINTMENT
- 25 -
Date Recue/Date Received 2021-09-20
[0090] Following the user 104 having their intraoral scan administered at the
scan shop 106,
the user 104 may receive one or more messages generated via the message
generator 136.
Accordingly, in some embodiments, the message generator 136 can include
instructions for
generating and communicating one or more messages to the user 104 following
the user's 104
appointment.
[0091] In some implementations, the message generator 136 can include
instructions to
generate a message including various surveys and/or questionnaires. These
surveys may be used
for evaluating the user's 104 experience at the intraoral scanning site 106.
In some
implementations, the surveys may solicit the user 104 for a review on a
customer review website
such as Yelp , Google , etc. Additionally, where the user 104 receives a
whitening kit at their
appointment, the message generated via the message generator 136 may include
whitening tips
for the user 104. In each of these implementations, the messages generated via
the message
generator 136 may be used as feedback for subsequent user's appointments, and
to enhance the
experience for the user 104.
[0092] In some implementations, the message generator 136 can include
instructions for
generating various messages specifically when a user 104 does not attend their
appointment. For
instance, when the user file 134 indicates the user 104 did not show up for
their appointment, the
message generator 136 can include instructions for automatically generating a
message including
a survey for evaluating reasons why the user 104 did not showed up for their
appointment. The
survey generated in these implementations may solicit the user 104 to provide
suggestions of
what the intraoral scanning site 106 (or website) could do differently. The
survey generated in
these implementations may also solicit the user 104 to provide information as
to how the user
104 would like to be contacted in the future (e.g., via phone call, text
message, email, etc.). In
some instances, the message generated via the message generator 136 may
include an indication
to the user 104 that the user 104 does not require an appointment for an
intraoral scan and that
the user can show up at an intraoral scanning site 106 any time during
business hours (e.g., that
walk-ins are welcome). In each of these implementations, the messages are
provided to the user
104 when the messages may increase the likelihood of the user 104 scheduling
or otherwise
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visiting the intraoral scanning site 104, and may assist in improvements to
the overall experience
for other users.
[0093] Additionally, where the user 104 misses their appointment, in some
instances, the user
104 may be provided a free at-home impression kit (similar to those described
in U.S. Patent
Application Serial No. 62/522,847 and U.S. Patent Application Serial No.
15/725,430). The at-
home impression kit may be sent to the user 104 via first class mail. For
instance, when the user
file 134 indicates the user 104 did not show up for the appointment, the
message generator 136
can include instructions to automatically generate a message to the user 104
that indicates that an
at-home impression kit will be sent at no charge to the user 104.
Additionally, the message
generator 136 can include instructions to generate a prompt that is
transmitted to, for instance, a
processing or shipping warehouse. The prompt may include an address or
shipping label and
instructions to send an at-home impression kit to the user 104 at the address.
100941 USER PORTAL
[0095] Referring now to FIG. 1 and FIG. 8, a user portal is generated for the
user 104.
Specifically shown in FIG. 8 is an example user portal 800 associated with the
user 104. The
example user portal 800 shown in FIG. 8 is generated prior to the user's 104
appointment. The
appointment management system 100 may include a portal manager 140. The portal
manager
140 may be or include instructions, that when executed by the processor 108,
cause the processor
108 to generate/modify/change/manage one or more aspects of the user portal
800. As shown,
the user portal 800 may include a brief overview of what to expect at the
user's 104 appointment.
The user portal 800 may include a button 802 to reschedule the user's 104
appointment. The
button 802 may direct the user 104 to a page similar to reservation page 200.
Additionally, the
user portal 800 may include a button 804 to view a Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQ) page
providing answers to questions that the user 104 may have.
[00961 Referring now to FIG. 1 and FIG. 9, the portal manager 140 may include
instructions to
modify the user portal 800 following the user's 104 appointment. For instance,
as shown in FIG.
9, the user portal 800 is generated following the user's 104 appointment. The
user portal 800
shown in FIG. 9 may include a visual representation (shown as a video) of the
user's 104
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treatment plan. The visual representation may show changes in the user's 104
smile as the user
104 progresses through various stages of the treatment plan. The visual
representation may be a
series of photos, a video, etc. The user 104 may be able to view the visual
representation
through selection of a button 900 (e.g., play button).
[0097] Additionally, the user 104 may be required (or requested) to provide
progress
information. As will be discussed in greater detail below, the progress
information provided by
the user 104 may be used for evaluating compliance and issuing a mid-course
correction.
[0098] The user 104 may select a button 902 for providing progress
information. The user 104
may be required to provide progress information at various stages along the
treatment plan. For
instance, the user 104 may be required to provide progress information at the
outset of the
treatment plan, as each aligner is used, following 90 days from the outset of
the treatment plan,
and/or other stages in the treatment plan. In some implementations, the
appointment
management system 100 may issue reminders to the user 104 for providing the
progress
information. For instance, the message generator 136 and/or portal manager 140
can include
instructions to automatically generate one or more messages to communicate to
the user 104 at
various points throughout the treatment plan. As one example, when the
aligners are received by
the user 104 (e.g., as detected by a delivery notification), the delivery
notification may be
indicated in the user file 134. When the user file 134 indicates the delivery
notification, the
message generator 136 and/or portal manager 140 can include instructions to
automatically
generate one or more messages for the user 104 instructing the user 104 to
provide initial
progress data. When uploaded, the portal manager 140 can include instructions
to store the
initial progress data in the user file 134 as a baseline. The message
generator 136 and/or portal
manager 140 may include instructions to generate subsequent messages reminding
the user 104
to upload progress data at various stages of the treatment plan, as described
above. The message
generator 136 and/or portal manager 140 can include instructions to identify a
send date upon
which the message corresponding to the initial progress data was communicated
to the user 104.
Additionally, the message generator 136 and/or portal manager 140 can include
instructions to
identify a current date. Based on a difference between the send date and the
current date, the
processor 108 may generate subsequent messages based on the instructions from
the message
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generator 136 (and/or portal manager 140). Similarly, the message generator
136 and/or portal
manager 140 can include instructions to generate messages directing the user
104 to change
which aligners they are using (e.g., directing the user 104 to stop using a
first set of aligns and to
instead use a second set of aligners, directing the user 104 to stop using a
third set of aligners and
instead use the second set of aligners, to stop using the aligners altogether
and to wait for new
aligners to be sent to the user 104, etc.). Such messages may be generated
similar to the
messages for providing progress data.
100991 Referring now to FIG. 1 and FIG. 10, upon selection of button 902, the
portal manager
140 can include instructions to direct the user 104 to a progress tracker page
1000 within the user
portal 800. Within the progress tracker page 1000, the user 104 is prompted to
indicate which
aligner the user 104 is currently using (e.g., through selection of a
corresponding button 1002).
Additionally, the user 104 is prompted to upload photos of the user's 104
smile. The user 104
may be instructed (e.g., either on the user portal 800, the progress tracker
1000, or separate
instruction manual) on how to capture photos. For instance, the user 104 may
be instructed to
capture photos while using a smile spreader (e.g., a device positioned in the
user's 104 mouth
intended to push back the user's 104 lips and expose a greater area of the
user's 104 teeth). The
user 104 may be instructed to position the smile spreader in the user's 104
mouth and capture
images at various angles. The user 104 may be instructed to capture an image
of the user's 104
teeth head-on while biting down. The user 104 may be instructed to capture an
image of the
user's 104 lower jaw while opening the user's 104 mouth. The user 104 may be
instructed to
capture an image of the user's 104 upper jaw while opening the user's 104
mouth. The user 104
may be instructed to capture additional /alternative images of the user's 104
teeth. Each of these
images may be uploaded by the user 104 using button 1004. Upon selection of
button 1004, the
user 104 may be prompted to search for and locate the image to upload. The
image may be
previewed (e.g., in display box 1006) once the user 104 locates the file. The
user 104 may then
select an upload button 1008 to upload the images to the user portal 800. When
the images are
uploaded, the portal manager 140 can include instructions to automatically add
these images to
the user file 134.
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[0100] The user 104 may provide comments regarding the progress or fit of the
aligners in
comments box 1010. For instance, the user 104 may indicate that the user 104
is not satisfied
with the progress of realigning the user's 104 teeth or how the user's 104
smile looks. As
another example, the user 104 may indicate that the aligners do not fit or are
uncomfortable.
Each of these indications may indicate that the user 104 may require a mid-
course correction. As
used herein, a mid-course correction is defined as a new treatment plan
developed for the user
104 following an indication that the current treatment plan is no longer
desirable for the user
104. Accordingly, the user 104 receives a new intraoral scan, a new set of
aligners, etc. In this
regard, no cross-reference is made between the first treatment plan and the
second treatment
plan. However, in some implementations, the mid-course correction comprises
receipt of at
least one new set of aligners, which may be created for the user 104 following
new intraoral scan
or new impressions to be made of the user's 104 teeth. In some
implementations, the mid-course
correction may be free to the user 104. For instance, as discussed below, the
mid-course
correction may be free following a compliance check indicating that the user
104 is correctly
following the treatment plan.
[0101] The compliance check may be a review of the progress data provided by
the user (e.g.,
via progress tracker 1000). In some implementations, following the user 104
uploading any
comments via comments box 1010, the portal manager 140 may include
instructions to
automatically flag the user file 134 and communicate the file to a
professional terminal 142. The
professional terminal 142 may be a computer associated with one or more
professionals (e.g.,
doctors, dentists, orthodontists, etc.). The professional terminal 142 may
display the user file
134 including the images uploaded by the user 104 and the current aligner
which is being used
by the user 104. The user file 134 may be evaluated by the professionals to
determine whether
the user 104 is progressing according to the treatment plan, whether the user
104 is following the
treatment plan as instructed, etc. Where the user 104 is not following the
treatment plan as
instructed, the user file 134 may be flagged as not being in compliance. Where
the user 104 is
following the treatment plan but is not progressing according to the treatment
plan, portal
manager 140 may flag the user file 134 for a mid-course correction. Where the
user file 134 is
flagged as not being in compliance, the user 104 may be required to pay for
the mid-course
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correction. However, where the user 104 is following the treatment plan, the
mid-course
correction may be offered to the user 104 for free.
[0102] In some implementations, when the user 104 is following the treatment
plan as
instructed and progresses through the treatment plan, the message generator
136 and/or portal
manager 140 may include instructions to automatically generate a message (and
corresponding
flag in the user file 134) indicating that the user 104 is eligible for a free
dental check-up and
cleaning at a dental clinic or associated dental office.
[0103] The construction and arrangement of the systems and methods as shown in
the various
exemplary embodiments are illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments
have been
described in detail in this disclosure, many modifications are possible (e.g.,
variations in sizes,
dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values
of parameters,
mounting arrangements, use of materials, orientations, etc.). By way of
example, the position of
elements may be reversed or otherwise varied and the nature or number of
discrete elements or
positions may be altered or varied. Accordingly, all such modifications are
intended to be
included within the scope of the present disclosure. The order or sequence of
any process or
method steps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternative
embodiments. Other
substitutions, modifications, changes, and omissions may be made in the
design, operating
conditions and arrangement of the exemplary embodiments without departing from
the scope of
the present disclosure.
[0104] The present disclosure contemplates methods, systems and program
products on
memory or other machine-readable media for accomplishing various operations.
The
embodiments of the present disclosure may be implemented using existing
computer processors,
or by a special purpose computer processor for an appropriate system,
incorporated for this or
another purpose, or by a hardwired system. Embodiments within the scope of the
present
disclosure include program products or memory comprising machine-readable
media for
carrying or having machine-executable instructions or data structures stored
thereon. Such
machine-readable media may be any available media that may be accessed by a
general purpose
or special purpose computer or other machine with a processor. By way of
example, such
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machine-readable media can comprise RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other
optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices,
or any other
medium which can be used to carry or store desired program code in the form of
machine-
executable instructions or data structures and which can be accessed by a
general purpose or
special purpose computer or other machine with a processor. Combinations of
the above are also
included within the scope of machine-readable media. Machine-executable
instructions include,
by way of example, instructions and data which cause a general purpose
computer, special
purpose computer, or special purpose processing machines to perform a certain
function or group
of functions.
[0105] Although the figures may show a specific order of method steps, the
order of the steps
may differ from what is depicted. Also, two or more steps may be performed
concurrently or
with partial concurrence. Such variation will depend on the software and
hardware systems
chosen and on designer choice. All such variations are within the scope of the
disclosure.
Likewise, software implementations could be accomplished with standard
programming
techniques with rule based logic and other logic to accomplish the various
connection steps,
processing steps, comparison steps and decision step.
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