Rapid prototyping as a tool for diagnosis and treatment planning for maxillary canine impaction

Treating an impacted maxillary canine requires identifying its exact position; this can pose a challenge to both orthodontists and oral surgeons. The purpose of this article is to present a new method for diagnosis and treatment planning of maxillary canine impaction by using computed tomography combined with rapid prototyping. Computed tomography image files of a patient with tooth 13 impaction were edited to produce, by means of rapid prototyping, an anatomic model of the maxillary teeth and a single attachment model that was later used to fabricate a metal attachment to be bonded to the impacted tooth. The dental model was used in the diagnosis and orthodontic treatment planning, and to communicate with the patient and his parents. The model showed the exact anatomical relationship between the impacted tooth and the other teeth; it was the main aid in intraoperative navigation during surgery to expose the tooth. The metal attachment built from the prototype was bonded to tooth 13 during surgery. Prototyping could become a new tool for fabricating brackets and other precision accessories for specific needs. Dental models made with rapid prototyping could become the diagnostic procedure of choice for evaluating impacted maxillary canines.