CUSTOM ORTHODONTIC APPLIANCE FORMING APPARATUS

An apparatus for automatically designing and manufacturing a custom orthodontic appliance from anatomical shape data preferably of the lower jaw and teeth of a patient includes a scanner to produce images in three dimensions, a computer that constructs archforms and calculates finish tooth positions, then automatically designs an appliance, preferably including archwires and brackets, to move the teeth to the calculated positions and jigs to place the brackets on the teeth of the patient, and program controlled machines for making the brackets, wires and jigs to the appliance design driven by commands derived from digitized tooth and jaw shape data.