CA2122634C - An oral appliance - Google Patents
An oral appliance Download PDFInfo
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- CA2122634C CA2122634C CA002122634A CA2122634A CA2122634C CA 2122634 C CA2122634 C CA 2122634C CA 002122634 A CA002122634 A CA 002122634A CA 2122634 A CA2122634 A CA 2122634A CA 2122634 C CA2122634 C CA 2122634C
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- appliance
- base portion
- user
- teeth
- flange portion
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- Orthopedics, Nursing, And Contraception (AREA)
Abstract
An oral appliance (10) for repositioning the temporomandibular joint having a base portion (11) and inner and outer flanges (13 and 12) which form upper and lower U-shaped channels (15 and 16) for receiving the teeth of the upper and lower jaws. The inner flange (13) includes a central tab (27) and a pair of slots (28) on opposite sides of the tab (27) to allow for lateral adjustment of the appliance. In another embodiment, the oral appliance (10) has a base portion (11), inner and outer flange portions (13, 12) extending to opposite sides of the base portion (11) to form upper (15) and lower (16) channels. The outer flange portion (12) being provided on its inner surface on opposite sides of and spaced from the base portion (11) with ribs means (44) extending parallel to the base portion (11) to engage the teeth of the user.
Description
dV~ 93/OR761 fCC/AiJ92/0059Z
Ail Q~?AL ,~1PPLIA6VCE
~F i a 1 d of the I n~PCt'i on THIS INVENTI~N relates to an oral appliance and in particular to an orthopaedic or orthodontic repositioning appliance.
Cescrip~ion of ~,he Prior art ~ _~.
Headache and jaw problems are often associated with incorrect harmony of the muscles and nerves of the jaw, skull and neck mechanism, an area called the Cranio-Mandibular ~0 System. A part of this system is the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) which comprises the joint which connects the lower jaw or mandible to the skull with temporal muscles in the region of the joint suspending the mandible from the skull. These muscles are used inter alia for speaking, swallowing eating and 75 breathing and permit the mandible to be open and closed and moved forwardly and to the rear.
In a perfect bite with correct dental occlusion, the teeth of the upp~r and lower jaws come together. Misalignment of the upp~r and lower jaws however is a common occurrence 2t? caused by 1 ack of dwel opment of ,rhe 1 ower j aw resul ti ng i n a d~ep bite curv~ b~tween the to~th of the upp~r and lower jaws.
Misalignment of the joint caused by structural imbalances or other reasons can also cause a number of problems incl~c!ing headache, neck tension, Curvature of the spine, mu~;~.ular 25 weakness and poor o~ordination. Furthermore, it has been found that a p~rson loses str~ngth wh~n the joint is out of a7ignm~nt. ~8hen the joint is under stress due t~ imbalance, the body uses up muscular strength causing fatigue and pain.
In the case of athl~tes, misalignment of the joint r~sults in S~ decr~ased performance. A further underlying factor in the dysf uncti on i n the muscu 1 ar comp 1 ex of the C ran i o Mand i bu 1 ar System is the indorrect function or positioning of the tongue.
It has b~en found that by aligning the TMJ, dramatic improv~ments in athletic capabilities occur, in particular S5 strength. Custom fitted plastic bite plates known as mandi bul ar orthop~di c reposi ti oni ng appl i ances ( MCFtA ) have been proposed to relax the temporal muscles so as to permit the W~193/0~76~ P~'I'/AU92100592 muscles to rest from their constant strain and thus relieve headaches and neck tension and in the case of athlet~s, to improve athletic performances. Such appliances however are required to be custom fitted to the user by taking impressions ' from the jaw and subsequently moulding the bite place. Such, .
appliances have proved to be relatively exqensiv~ and of ' limited applicability..
Other oral devices are also used for a number of other purposes. For example, mouthguards are commonly used in sporting applications to protect the tooth of a user against damage . Such mouthguards range f rom i nexpens i ve ( arid re 1 ati ve 1 y inefficient) devices which the user shay~s his- or herself to the form of the jaws or t~eth to the more ~xpensive devices Pitt~d by d~ntists or orthodontists. In each case, the known mouthguards are intended only for protection purposes and have, and are intended to hav~, no other function.
There is also known in the art an oral appliance which is used primarily for t~eth cleaning purposes. Such an appl i ante i s i n the gen~ral form of a mouthguard but i s formed of relatively fl~xible material and is provided with a plurality ~f projections which serve wh~n the appliance is worn to ram~ve food particles from betty~en the teeth. Such an appliance is only used on a short term basis for cleaning and again has no other purpose..
25. Anoth~r form of mouth appliance which is well known is the dummy which may be of many diff~rent forms and which is primarily used to pacify babies and young children.
Gen~rally however dummies can have a detrimental affect on teeth f~rmation and positi~ning.
A number of dental appliances have been available in the past t~ dory~ct tooth alignment. Such devices vary from orthodontic brackets, specially made removable appliances, both functional and non-functional, and orthodontic repositioners.
Examples of the type of devices which have been proposed are shown i n ~ a Patent B>ios. 3'B 75520, 3475742, 3510J4C , 3545335 and 4g136i2. Generally such devices are specially manufactured in a laboratory with specific indentations.for the teeth to be ~v~ 93ms~6~ ~crs~u~z/~ms~z positioned or clipped onto and are manufactured in a multitude of sizes to match varying size mouths. Additionally some devices are required to be fitted directly onto the to~th.
Summarv of the invention The present invention aims to provide an oral appliance which in one aspect has the effect of r~positioning the temporomand i bu 1 ar j o i nt and wh i ch may be s ~i mp 1 y~ and ~as i 1 y used by a user. The pr~sent invention aims also to provide an oral appliance which is relatively inexpensive and which may be 3 ~0 manufactured i n one si ze to f i t the majori ty of adul is irrespective of race and requiring no moulding or trimming.
xn one form, the present invention is ~mbodied in an oral appliance which may be us~d for the r~lief of the symptoms of muscle t~nsion h~adaches. zn yet a further form, the present invention is embodied in an oral appliance suitable for improving performance in particular sports. The pros~nt invention in a yet a further form is ~mbodied in an oral appliance suitable for use as a children's dummy or pacifier.
The present inv~ntion in another aspect aims to ~0 provi de an oral appl i ance for use i n orthodonti c and orthop$di c corr~ction particularly in th~ facial area of children which overcom~s or at 1~ast alleviat~s the disadvantages of the known devices. other objects and advantages of the inv~ntion will beCOm~ apparent from th~ fOllo4odlng descrlptlon.
~25 With the above and other objects in vi~w, th~
pr~sent invention provid~s in a first aspect an oral appliance adapt~d for repositioning th~ t~mporomandibular joint, said appliance including a base portion shaped so as to b~ locatable b~twe~n th~ t~~th of the upper and low~r jaws of a us~r, mnd 30 outer and inner flang~ portions along the leading and trailing edg~s of said base portion and extending to opposite sides thereof so as to form upper and lower channels for accepting the t~eth of the upper and lower jaws, said inner flange portion defining a concave recess for receiving the tongue of 35 the user, said base portion having a cross sectional form adapted to substantially occupy the space betty~en said tooth of said upper and lower jaws so as to provide a support for the dV0 93/0761 PCl'/~1(J92/~1592 j aws of the use r , and sa i d i nne r f 1 ange port i on be i ng p rov i deed on its upper side with a slot or cutaway region arranged at or adjacent the midline of said appliance whereby said appliance may adjust laterally to fit the jaws of the user.
The present invention also provides a method for relieving the symptoms of muscle tension headaches; said method inciuding the steps of.p7acing an appliance of the above type in the mouth of a headache sufferer, closing the tooth on said appliance and maintaining said appliance in the mouth for an 1 ~ extended peri od of time sui tabl y i n the regi on of one hour .
Pr~ferably, the base portion is of generally U°shaped or parabolic plan form and tapers in thickness along the channels on each side of the appliance f rc~m regions forwardly of but adjacent to the trail i ng ~nds of sai d appl l ance towards 1~ the leading end thereof. Preferably, also, said base portion tapers in thickness from said regions to the trailing ends of said applianc~. The base portion is thus designed to substanti al 1 y occupy the space betw~en the upper and 1 ower j aws resulting from a deep bite curve 1;o put more pressure on the 2~ rear molars thereby r~l~xing and exercising the joints and muscles. Most preferably, the variation in thic6cness in the base portion is achieved by forming the base portion on opp~site sides of the appliance asymmetrically with the top si~~ of the base portion being g~nerally planar or flat.
25 suitably, -the b~s~ portion is formed as an asymmetric aerofoi 1 shape with the asymmetric or curved surface thereof being disposed on th~ operative low~r s°id~ of the applianc~ and the maximum d~pth ~f the a~rofoil being iocat~d at a said region ~n opposite sid~s of said appliance.
Ail Q~?AL ,~1PPLIA6VCE
~F i a 1 d of the I n~PCt'i on THIS INVENTI~N relates to an oral appliance and in particular to an orthopaedic or orthodontic repositioning appliance.
Cescrip~ion of ~,he Prior art ~ _~.
Headache and jaw problems are often associated with incorrect harmony of the muscles and nerves of the jaw, skull and neck mechanism, an area called the Cranio-Mandibular ~0 System. A part of this system is the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) which comprises the joint which connects the lower jaw or mandible to the skull with temporal muscles in the region of the joint suspending the mandible from the skull. These muscles are used inter alia for speaking, swallowing eating and 75 breathing and permit the mandible to be open and closed and moved forwardly and to the rear.
In a perfect bite with correct dental occlusion, the teeth of the upp~r and lower jaws come together. Misalignment of the upp~r and lower jaws however is a common occurrence 2t? caused by 1 ack of dwel opment of ,rhe 1 ower j aw resul ti ng i n a d~ep bite curv~ b~tween the to~th of the upp~r and lower jaws.
Misalignment of the joint caused by structural imbalances or other reasons can also cause a number of problems incl~c!ing headache, neck tension, Curvature of the spine, mu~;~.ular 25 weakness and poor o~ordination. Furthermore, it has been found that a p~rson loses str~ngth wh~n the joint is out of a7ignm~nt. ~8hen the joint is under stress due t~ imbalance, the body uses up muscular strength causing fatigue and pain.
In the case of athl~tes, misalignment of the joint r~sults in S~ decr~ased performance. A further underlying factor in the dysf uncti on i n the muscu 1 ar comp 1 ex of the C ran i o Mand i bu 1 ar System is the indorrect function or positioning of the tongue.
It has b~en found that by aligning the TMJ, dramatic improv~ments in athletic capabilities occur, in particular S5 strength. Custom fitted plastic bite plates known as mandi bul ar orthop~di c reposi ti oni ng appl i ances ( MCFtA ) have been proposed to relax the temporal muscles so as to permit the W~193/0~76~ P~'I'/AU92100592 muscles to rest from their constant strain and thus relieve headaches and neck tension and in the case of athlet~s, to improve athletic performances. Such appliances however are required to be custom fitted to the user by taking impressions ' from the jaw and subsequently moulding the bite place. Such, .
appliances have proved to be relatively exqensiv~ and of ' limited applicability..
Other oral devices are also used for a number of other purposes. For example, mouthguards are commonly used in sporting applications to protect the tooth of a user against damage . Such mouthguards range f rom i nexpens i ve ( arid re 1 ati ve 1 y inefficient) devices which the user shay~s his- or herself to the form of the jaws or t~eth to the more ~xpensive devices Pitt~d by d~ntists or orthodontists. In each case, the known mouthguards are intended only for protection purposes and have, and are intended to hav~, no other function.
There is also known in the art an oral appliance which is used primarily for t~eth cleaning purposes. Such an appl i ante i s i n the gen~ral form of a mouthguard but i s formed of relatively fl~xible material and is provided with a plurality ~f projections which serve wh~n the appliance is worn to ram~ve food particles from betty~en the teeth. Such an appliance is only used on a short term basis for cleaning and again has no other purpose..
25. Anoth~r form of mouth appliance which is well known is the dummy which may be of many diff~rent forms and which is primarily used to pacify babies and young children.
Gen~rally however dummies can have a detrimental affect on teeth f~rmation and positi~ning.
A number of dental appliances have been available in the past t~ dory~ct tooth alignment. Such devices vary from orthodontic brackets, specially made removable appliances, both functional and non-functional, and orthodontic repositioners.
Examples of the type of devices which have been proposed are shown i n ~ a Patent B>ios. 3'B 75520, 3475742, 3510J4C , 3545335 and 4g136i2. Generally such devices are specially manufactured in a laboratory with specific indentations.for the teeth to be ~v~ 93ms~6~ ~crs~u~z/~ms~z positioned or clipped onto and are manufactured in a multitude of sizes to match varying size mouths. Additionally some devices are required to be fitted directly onto the to~th.
Summarv of the invention The present invention aims to provide an oral appliance which in one aspect has the effect of r~positioning the temporomand i bu 1 ar j o i nt and wh i ch may be s ~i mp 1 y~ and ~as i 1 y used by a user. The pr~sent invention aims also to provide an oral appliance which is relatively inexpensive and which may be 3 ~0 manufactured i n one si ze to f i t the majori ty of adul is irrespective of race and requiring no moulding or trimming.
xn one form, the present invention is ~mbodied in an oral appliance which may be us~d for the r~lief of the symptoms of muscle t~nsion h~adaches. zn yet a further form, the present invention is embodied in an oral appliance suitable for improving performance in particular sports. The pros~nt invention in a yet a further form is ~mbodied in an oral appliance suitable for use as a children's dummy or pacifier.
The present inv~ntion in another aspect aims to ~0 provi de an oral appl i ance for use i n orthodonti c and orthop$di c corr~ction particularly in th~ facial area of children which overcom~s or at 1~ast alleviat~s the disadvantages of the known devices. other objects and advantages of the inv~ntion will beCOm~ apparent from th~ fOllo4odlng descrlptlon.
~25 With the above and other objects in vi~w, th~
pr~sent invention provid~s in a first aspect an oral appliance adapt~d for repositioning th~ t~mporomandibular joint, said appliance including a base portion shaped so as to b~ locatable b~twe~n th~ t~~th of the upper and low~r jaws of a us~r, mnd 30 outer and inner flang~ portions along the leading and trailing edg~s of said base portion and extending to opposite sides thereof so as to form upper and lower channels for accepting the t~eth of the upper and lower jaws, said inner flange portion defining a concave recess for receiving the tongue of 35 the user, said base portion having a cross sectional form adapted to substantially occupy the space betty~en said tooth of said upper and lower jaws so as to provide a support for the dV0 93/0761 PCl'/~1(J92/~1592 j aws of the use r , and sa i d i nne r f 1 ange port i on be i ng p rov i deed on its upper side with a slot or cutaway region arranged at or adjacent the midline of said appliance whereby said appliance may adjust laterally to fit the jaws of the user.
The present invention also provides a method for relieving the symptoms of muscle tension headaches; said method inciuding the steps of.p7acing an appliance of the above type in the mouth of a headache sufferer, closing the tooth on said appliance and maintaining said appliance in the mouth for an 1 ~ extended peri od of time sui tabl y i n the regi on of one hour .
Pr~ferably, the base portion is of generally U°shaped or parabolic plan form and tapers in thickness along the channels on each side of the appliance f rc~m regions forwardly of but adjacent to the trail i ng ~nds of sai d appl l ance towards 1~ the leading end thereof. Preferably, also, said base portion tapers in thickness from said regions to the trailing ends of said applianc~. The base portion is thus designed to substanti al 1 y occupy the space betw~en the upper and 1 ower j aws resulting from a deep bite curve 1;o put more pressure on the 2~ rear molars thereby r~l~xing and exercising the joints and muscles. Most preferably, the variation in thic6cness in the base portion is achieved by forming the base portion on opp~site sides of the appliance asymmetrically with the top si~~ of the base portion being g~nerally planar or flat.
25 suitably, -the b~s~ portion is formed as an asymmetric aerofoi 1 shape with the asymmetric or curved surface thereof being disposed on th~ operative low~r s°id~ of the applianc~ and the maximum d~pth ~f the a~rofoil being iocat~d at a said region ~n opposite sid~s of said appliance.
3~ Wreferably, the inner flange portion is provided with a pair of spaced slots or cut-away portions disposed symmetri cal 1 y on opposi to si des of the mi di i ne of the appl i ance to define that~b~tween a tab, said tab preferably having an increased thickness relative to the remaind~r of the flange <
35 portion to provide an abutm~nt for the tongu~ ~f the user whereby the tongue is ~ncouraged or r~rminded to adopt a normal position.. Preferably also, the junction between the base WC~ 9/08761 Ft..°I'i~LJ'~2/005g2 ~~~~~J~
portion and the inner flange portion on opposite sides of the app i i ance i s th i c~Cened or en 1 arg~d so that the app 1 i ance i s adapted to the shape of the teeth of the user.
~Ihen th~ appliance of the invention is used for 5 sporting or other purposes, it is suitably centrally apertur~d.
through the outer flange portions and/or the~b~e portion so as to facilitate br~athing by the user. Alternativ~ly, a series of apertures may be formed through the out~r flange portion for this purpose.
then the appliance of the invention is applied for usage as a dummy or pacifier, it is suitably provid~d with a handle which in use is arranged ext~rnally of the mouth of a user.
Wh~n the base portion is formed as above, the lower jaw of the user is moved downwardiy and forwardly so that the jaws of the us~r are fully stapport~d and so that muscles about the jaw are in a relaa~~d or substantially relaxed state.
The appliance of the invention is suitably formed of a flexible mat~rial such as silicone or pVC material which may 2~ read i 1 y def 1 ect to f i t th~ mouth c>f the use r .
~n a second asp~ct, the press~nt inventi~n provides an oral applianc~ for orthodontic or ~rthop~dic correction, said appliance including a bas~ portion shap~d so as to be locatable between the to~th of the upper and low~r jaws of ~ user, and 2a outer and inner~flang~ portions along the leading and trailing edges of said base portion and ext~nding to opposite sides thereof so as t~ form upper and lower channels for accepting the t~eth of th~ upp~sr and lowor jaws and wh~rein said base portion has a cross s~ction~l form adapt~d to substantially 3g occupy space b~tw~~n said to~th of said upper and lower jaws so as to provide a support for the jaws of the user, said outer flange portion being provid~d with rib m~ans on its inner su rf ace on oppos i to s i d~s of and spaced f rom sai d bas~ port i on , said rib means ~xt~nding generally para11e1 to said base .35 portion and adapted to in use engage the teeth of th~ user.
This appliance may also have on its inner flange a cut-away r~gion or slot to allow for lateral adjustm~nt of the WO 93/08761 P~1'A~aU92/0059z 212~~34 appliance. Preferably also an integral rib or enlargement is formed at the junction of the inner flange portion and base portion preferably on both sides thereof so that the tooth of the user are positioned in use between such ribs and the rib ' means on the i nner surface of the outer f 1 ange porti on . The .
outer flange portion may also be pr~v~ded at leas_t~ ~n its' lower half with a aortas of. protrusions for ~ngagir~g ythe mental is muscle.
~g~,~g,~~riOtiOn~h.~ Drawings 1~ In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now b~ made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodim~nt of the invention and whenein:-Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one form of oral appliance according to the present invention;
Fig. 2 illustrates irv side view the appliance of Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a half f rout elevational view of the appliance ~f Fig. 1;
'Fig. ~ is a half plan view of th~ appliance of Fig. 1;
Figs. 5 to 11 are sectional views of the appliance along lines 9~-A, 8l~, C-~, CD-~, ~-~, F-F, and G-G
rasp~ctiveiy of Fig. 4.;
' Fig. 12 is a sectional view along line H-H Of Fig. 5;
Fig. 13 illustrates the sections of Figs. 5 to 11 ov~rlaid;
Fig. 14 illustrat~s schematically a skull and jaw in an unbalanced state;
Fig. 15 illustrates the manner in which the ~ral appliance of Fig. 1 repositions the jaws;
Figs. 1fi and 17 illustrate the application of the appliance of the invention to a sports appliance and dummy respectively.
Fig..l8 is a side elevational view of a second form of appliance according to the invention;.
Fig. 18 is a half front elevational sectional view of the appliance of Fig. 18;
VV~ 93/8761 f~'/A~J92/~~592 F i g . 20 i s an en l arged hal f-p l an v i ew of the app l i ance of Fig. 18; and Figs. 21 and 22 are sectional views along line A-A and line 8-8 of Fig. 20 respectively.
~e~fi~ailed Descrioti~n c~f the ~~pventZgon ~teferring to the drawings and firstly to: Figs.-°1 to 4, there i s i 11 ustrated a f i rst form of oral apps i ance 10~
according to the present invention. The appliance 10 includes a base portion 11 which is of a somewhat parabolic or U-shaped plan form so as to follow substantially the shape of the jaws and toeth pattern of a person . The base porti on 1 1 i s provi ded along its leading edge with an outer or labial flange portion 12 and along its trailing edge with an inner or lingual flange portion 13. The flange portions 12 and 13 define with the base portion 11 upper and lower chann~ls 15 and 16 for receipt of the teeth of the upper and lower jaws. The outer and inner flange portions 12 and 13 are shaped t~ the labial and lingual aspects of the upper and low~r jaws whilst at the central leading portion of the appliance °~0, upp~r and lower 1~cating cut-outs or notch~s 14 ar~ provid~d in the flange portion 12..
The appliance 10 as shown in Fig. 2 may also include upper and lower ribs 17 which as shown mor~ clearly in Fig. 12 day have a triangular cross section, the ribs 17 being arranged c~ntrally at the 1~ading ~nd of the appliance and ~xtending into the channels 15 and 16. The ribs 17 arg provided for positioning the appliance centrally within th~ mouth of the us~r for l ocati on betwe~n the f ront two teeth of the upp~r and lover jaw.
The base portion 11 oi; the applianc~ 10 most preferably S0 has a ~Ghic~ness which tap~rs towards the c~ntral leading ~nd 18 of the app'i i ance i n the manner shown i n F i gs . 2 and 3 f rom a maximum at regions 1~ arranged towards but spaced from the trailing ends 20 of the appliance and then tapers to the trailing end leading ~nds of the appliance from those regions S5 18 so as to form a shape of a substanti ai 1 y asymmetri c aerofoi 1 with the asymmetric or curved surfac~ 21 of the a~rofoil being located on the lower side of the appliance 10. Suitably, the i~~D 93/08761 P~'/AU92/00592 ,.
s base portion 11 has a thickness of approximately 1mm to 3mm.
adjacent the leading end 18 of the appliance which increases to a maximum thickness of approximately 3.5 to 5mm. at the regions 19 which are adjacent the first molar and then reduces to a thickness of approximately 2 to 3mm. at the trailing ends 20. , .
i~' As shown more clearly in Figs. 5 to 11', the inner and outer f 1 anges 12 and 13 def i ne the upper and 1 over channel s 15 and 18 for receipt of the teeth of the upper and lower jaws with the channels 15 and 76 for this purpose increasing in width from the central leading end ig of the appliance 10 to the trai 1 i ng ends 20 theneof . As i s apparent al so the f 1 angel 12 and 13 taper in height from the leading end 15 of the appliance 10 to the trailing ends 20 then~of.
The base portion 11 is generally planar ~r flat on its top side whilst as described above, the base portion 11 i ncreases i n thi ckness f r~m the i eadi ng end 1 S of the appl i mice to a maximum at the regi~n shown at Fig. ~ from where it reduces in thickness to the section shown in Fig. 11.
As i s more apparent i n F i g " i 3 , the f runt f i ange 12 i s inclined to th~ vertical away f r~m the i~ading ~nd 18 of the app i i ance 1 ~ can ~ppc~s i to s i des of the base port i on 11 . The angle of inclination of the flange 12 (marked Z in Fig. 13) on the upper side ~f th~ base portion 11 decrees~s from a maximum at a position at the leading end 1S of the appiianc~ (see Fig.
35 portion to provide an abutm~nt for the tongu~ ~f the user whereby the tongue is ~ncouraged or r~rminded to adopt a normal position.. Preferably also, the junction between the base WC~ 9/08761 Ft..°I'i~LJ'~2/005g2 ~~~~~J~
portion and the inner flange portion on opposite sides of the app i i ance i s th i c~Cened or en 1 arg~d so that the app 1 i ance i s adapted to the shape of the teeth of the user.
~Ihen th~ appliance of the invention is used for 5 sporting or other purposes, it is suitably centrally apertur~d.
through the outer flange portions and/or the~b~e portion so as to facilitate br~athing by the user. Alternativ~ly, a series of apertures may be formed through the out~r flange portion for this purpose.
then the appliance of the invention is applied for usage as a dummy or pacifier, it is suitably provid~d with a handle which in use is arranged ext~rnally of the mouth of a user.
Wh~n the base portion is formed as above, the lower jaw of the user is moved downwardiy and forwardly so that the jaws of the us~r are fully stapport~d and so that muscles about the jaw are in a relaa~~d or substantially relaxed state.
The appliance of the invention is suitably formed of a flexible mat~rial such as silicone or pVC material which may 2~ read i 1 y def 1 ect to f i t th~ mouth c>f the use r .
~n a second asp~ct, the press~nt inventi~n provides an oral applianc~ for orthodontic or ~rthop~dic correction, said appliance including a bas~ portion shap~d so as to be locatable between the to~th of the upper and low~r jaws of ~ user, and 2a outer and inner~flang~ portions along the leading and trailing edges of said base portion and ext~nding to opposite sides thereof so as t~ form upper and lower channels for accepting the t~eth of th~ upp~sr and lowor jaws and wh~rein said base portion has a cross s~ction~l form adapt~d to substantially 3g occupy space b~tw~~n said to~th of said upper and lower jaws so as to provide a support for the jaws of the user, said outer flange portion being provid~d with rib m~ans on its inner su rf ace on oppos i to s i d~s of and spaced f rom sai d bas~ port i on , said rib means ~xt~nding generally para11e1 to said base .35 portion and adapted to in use engage the teeth of th~ user.
This appliance may also have on its inner flange a cut-away r~gion or slot to allow for lateral adjustm~nt of the WO 93/08761 P~1'A~aU92/0059z 212~~34 appliance. Preferably also an integral rib or enlargement is formed at the junction of the inner flange portion and base portion preferably on both sides thereof so that the tooth of the user are positioned in use between such ribs and the rib ' means on the i nner surface of the outer f 1 ange porti on . The .
outer flange portion may also be pr~v~ded at leas_t~ ~n its' lower half with a aortas of. protrusions for ~ngagir~g ythe mental is muscle.
~g~,~g,~~riOtiOn~h.~ Drawings 1~ In order that the invention may be more readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now b~ made to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodim~nt of the invention and whenein:-Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one form of oral appliance according to the present invention;
Fig. 2 illustrates irv side view the appliance of Fig. 1;
Fig. 3 is a half f rout elevational view of the appliance ~f Fig. 1;
'Fig. ~ is a half plan view of th~ appliance of Fig. 1;
Figs. 5 to 11 are sectional views of the appliance along lines 9~-A, 8l~, C-~, CD-~, ~-~, F-F, and G-G
rasp~ctiveiy of Fig. 4.;
' Fig. 12 is a sectional view along line H-H Of Fig. 5;
Fig. 13 illustrates the sections of Figs. 5 to 11 ov~rlaid;
Fig. 14 illustrat~s schematically a skull and jaw in an unbalanced state;
Fig. 15 illustrates the manner in which the ~ral appliance of Fig. 1 repositions the jaws;
Figs. 1fi and 17 illustrate the application of the appliance of the invention to a sports appliance and dummy respectively.
Fig..l8 is a side elevational view of a second form of appliance according to the invention;.
Fig. 18 is a half front elevational sectional view of the appliance of Fig. 18;
VV~ 93/8761 f~'/A~J92/~~592 F i g . 20 i s an en l arged hal f-p l an v i ew of the app l i ance of Fig. 18; and Figs. 21 and 22 are sectional views along line A-A and line 8-8 of Fig. 20 respectively.
~e~fi~ailed Descrioti~n c~f the ~~pventZgon ~teferring to the drawings and firstly to: Figs.-°1 to 4, there i s i 11 ustrated a f i rst form of oral apps i ance 10~
according to the present invention. The appliance 10 includes a base portion 11 which is of a somewhat parabolic or U-shaped plan form so as to follow substantially the shape of the jaws and toeth pattern of a person . The base porti on 1 1 i s provi ded along its leading edge with an outer or labial flange portion 12 and along its trailing edge with an inner or lingual flange portion 13. The flange portions 12 and 13 define with the base portion 11 upper and lower chann~ls 15 and 16 for receipt of the teeth of the upper and lower jaws. The outer and inner flange portions 12 and 13 are shaped t~ the labial and lingual aspects of the upper and low~r jaws whilst at the central leading portion of the appliance °~0, upp~r and lower 1~cating cut-outs or notch~s 14 ar~ provid~d in the flange portion 12..
The appliance 10 as shown in Fig. 2 may also include upper and lower ribs 17 which as shown mor~ clearly in Fig. 12 day have a triangular cross section, the ribs 17 being arranged c~ntrally at the 1~ading ~nd of the appliance and ~xtending into the channels 15 and 16. The ribs 17 arg provided for positioning the appliance centrally within th~ mouth of the us~r for l ocati on betwe~n the f ront two teeth of the upp~r and lover jaw.
The base portion 11 oi; the applianc~ 10 most preferably S0 has a ~Ghic~ness which tap~rs towards the c~ntral leading ~nd 18 of the app'i i ance i n the manner shown i n F i gs . 2 and 3 f rom a maximum at regions 1~ arranged towards but spaced from the trailing ends 20 of the appliance and then tapers to the trailing end leading ~nds of the appliance from those regions S5 18 so as to form a shape of a substanti ai 1 y asymmetri c aerofoi 1 with the asymmetric or curved surfac~ 21 of the a~rofoil being located on the lower side of the appliance 10. Suitably, the i~~D 93/08761 P~'/AU92/00592 ,.
s base portion 11 has a thickness of approximately 1mm to 3mm.
adjacent the leading end 18 of the appliance which increases to a maximum thickness of approximately 3.5 to 5mm. at the regions 19 which are adjacent the first molar and then reduces to a thickness of approximately 2 to 3mm. at the trailing ends 20. , .
i~' As shown more clearly in Figs. 5 to 11', the inner and outer f 1 anges 12 and 13 def i ne the upper and 1 over channel s 15 and 18 for receipt of the teeth of the upper and lower jaws with the channels 15 and 76 for this purpose increasing in width from the central leading end ig of the appliance 10 to the trai 1 i ng ends 20 theneof . As i s apparent al so the f 1 angel 12 and 13 taper in height from the leading end 15 of the appliance 10 to the trailing ends 20 then~of.
The base portion 11 is generally planar ~r flat on its top side whilst as described above, the base portion 11 i ncreases i n thi ckness f r~m the i eadi ng end 1 S of the appl i mice to a maximum at the regi~n shown at Fig. ~ from where it reduces in thickness to the section shown in Fig. 11.
As i s more apparent i n F i g " i 3 , the f runt f i ange 12 i s inclined to th~ vertical away f r~m the i~ading ~nd 18 of the app i i ance 1 ~ can ~ppc~s i to s i des of the base port i on 11 . The angle of inclination of the flange 12 (marked Z in Fig. 13) on the upper side ~f th~ base portion 11 decrees~s from a maximum at a position at the leading end 1S of the appiianc~ (see Fig.
5 ,~ t~ ~er~ ~ t~~arda~! the tra, l , ng end 2L sh~wn at 6-i g . ~ s Suitably the maximum angi~ of inciinatian is in th~ regi~n of degrees. Furthermore, the upper and lower portions of the flange 13 merge inter ~ach other at the base porti~n 11 through 3~ a radius~d section 2~. and the radius of th~ radius~d s~ction decreases to °~hat sh~wn in Fig. g after which it increases until the curve flattens to a substantially perpendicular line , as shown in Fig. 1i.
The trai 1 i ng f 1 ange 13 i s of general i y parabol ~ c cross secti on so as t~ def i ne a r~arwardl y d i rect~d r~cess 25 for enc~mpassing the tongue of the user in its correct anatomical pos i t i on i n the mouth and so as to i mp rove r~~tent i on of the Wl~ 93/08?6i P~i'/I~,U92/00592 device in the oral cavity.
The ieadi ng face of the f i ange' 13 preferabi y stays on the same tad i us f tom the 1 ead i ng to the trai 1 i ng endls of the applianc~ although the width of the flange 13 reduces as is apparent in Figs. 9 and 10 approaching the trailing ends of the appliance 10. At the trailing side of the f,_lavge~l3; the surface of the flange. l3 is disposed along ~he~same radius forming a concavity howev~r the width of the flange 13 on either side of the base portion 11 reduces so that the concave curve merges i nto a convex curve whi ch f i attens as shown i n Fi g. 11 to a perpendi cut ar 7 i ne at the trai 1 i ng ends of the apparatus.
The inner flange portion 13 as shown more clearly in Figs. l and 2 includes on its upper side and at its trailing ~dge a central tongue restrainer 2~6 which is in the form of a tab 2? formed between a pal r of s7 ots 28 i n the f i ange 13, the slots 28 being ~rrang~d symmetrically r~lative to th~ midline of th~ appliance 10. The slots 28 have an important function n so far as they al 1 ow i nward and outward mov~ment of the opposite arms of the appliance 10 without causing distortion ~f the app i i ar~ce 10 . Thi s ai 1 ows vat i ous arch s i z~s of the population to be accommodated so that the appliance 10 will adept to both narrow and broad arches without fundamental change i n shape .
Th~ 'tab 27 add i ti oval l y i s formed on i is undo rs i de w i th a bulg~ or protrusion 29 which projects below the adjacent surfac~s of the flange 13 so as to pr~s~nt an abutment to the tongu~ of the user. 'thus when swallowing, the tongue will tend to come i nto ~ngagement wi th the bul g~ car protrusi on 29 and that~by b~ encourag~d to adopt a normal functional position.
The f~ang~ portion 13 is also provided on its inner surface adaacent its junction with the base portion 11 with an integrally formed rib-lik~ enlarg~m~nt 30 (as shown in Figs.2 to 6) which adapts the appliance 10 to th~ gen~ral shape of the t~~th of the user. Th~ rib-like enlargements 30 which are provid~d both on the upper and lower sides of the applianc~ 10 extend symmetrically on opposite sides of the appliance and Wt~ 93/0~76~ PC,°'H'/ALJ92/On592 part way along the respective channels 15 and is.
Fig. 16 illustrates a further embodiment of appliance 3~ suited to sports appliance applications. This embodiment is similar to the above described embodiment and accordingly 5 like parts have been given like numerals. In this case however, the base portion 19 has an increased tMidkness--whilst iw -retaining the substantially aerofoil shape with a suitable maximum thickn~ss being up to 4. to Smm. great~r than the dimensions stated above for normal usage. Furthermore, in this 10 embodiment, the central region of the appliance is apertured through th8 f i ange 12 and base porti on 19 so as to def i ne a 1 arg~ ai r breathi ng hol a 34 nec~ssary for sporty appl i cations .
R~f~rring now to Fig. 17 there is i l lustrated a further gmbodim~nt of applianc~ ~5 according to the inv~ntion suitably for use as a dummy or p~ci~Fier for babies or young children.
Again like parts to the previous ~mbodiments have b~en given 1 i ke nom~ral s . In thi s form, the appl i ance 35 i s provi ded wi th an integral handle porti~n 8f> which projects outwardly from the central portion of th~ appliance 85 to be normally locat~d ~0 outside th~ mouth. Preferably, the handle portion 35 includ~s en enlarged h~ad 87 of 2~ny suitable form to faci l itate g~iPping. The handle portion 37 may b~ formed of hard plastics ~n~terial and either as stated above bs form~d int~grally with the main body of the ~ppl lance 35 or secured thereto in any ~5 ~uitabl~ fashion. zt will be appar~pt in this form that the appliance 35 is consid~r~bl~ small~r ~in dimensions than the appli~n~~ described with rifer~nce to Figs" 1 to 15 ~o ss to suit th~ sixg of baby's mouths. ~s with the other type of app ~ i aces , however , th i s app l i ance may be made d i f f ~ r~nt s i yes 8~ so as try sui t a range of mouth si zss .
R~f~ar~°ing now to Figs. 18 to ~2, th~re is illustrated an alt~rnative form of appliance ~0 according to the present invention particularly adapt~d for orthodontic and orthopaedic correction in the facial ar~a of children. The appliance 40 ,~5 has many features i n common wi th th~ appl i ance 1 ~ of Fi gs . 1 to 15 including a base portion 41 of generally aerofoil shape in cross section and inner and outer flange portions 43 and 42 9~V~ 93/0761 PC:T/AU92/00592 respectively. The base portion 41 is generally parabolic in plan viQw to be approximately the shape of the average child's arches. Preferably, the appliance is made in two sizes to accommodate the ages 2 to 5 years and 6 to 11 years with the base porti on 41 pr~ferabl y haul ng a l ength of 30mm and 4~mm .
respectively, the longer length being to acoommodate newly ~rupted molars. The thickest part of the base portion 41 is preferably 2 to 3mm thicker than the thickness of ~.,h~ anterior-posterior parts of the base portion 41.
1~ The outer flange portion 42 includ~s on its inner surface on the upper and lower sides of the base portion 41 r~specti ve ri bs 44 whi ch are spec~d f rom the bas~ porti on 41 and ~xtend inwardly towards the opposite fiang~ portion 4~ and g~neraliy parallel to the base portion 41. Th~se ribs 44 are 9 5 posi ti oned to i i ~ on the 1 abi ai surfaces of the upper and i ower ant~r r 1 or to~th t~ ~ mprov~ th~l r ai 1 gnm~nt a The outer flang~ portion 42 also includ~s on its outer surface and on its lower half, a plurality of outwardly direct~d proj~ctions 45 which serve as bump~rs to discourage ~~ contraction of the mentaiis muscle which lies in us~ proximal to this surface. This muscle is implicated in malocclusion of the low~r front teeth. The thickra~ss and mat~riai flexibility of the out~r flange portion give it the compromise between adaptability to many mouth and tooth sizes and also sufficient ~5 tension to align the t~~rth.
The i nner f 1 ange porti on 43 as bef oa~e i s of comp i ex shape in plan and side view being g~n~rally parabolic in cross section with deep~ning curves towards its distal ~nds. The mi ddi a secti on of th~ upper s~cti on of th~ i nnor f 1 ange porti on ~~ i s formed as b~fore to have a tab 46 whi ch i s thi ck~r that the adjacent sections of th~ fiang~ portion 43 and projects towards th~ tongue in use to provide stimulus to the tongue to position it in a particular manner. As befor~, the cut-away s~ctions 47 on ~ither side of the tab 46 not only defin~ the shape of ~5 th~ tab 46 but also p~rmit th~s applianc~ 40 to adapt to wide ranging arch and tooth sizes without distortion of the central section and thus the entire appliance.
VV~D 93/~761 1'CH'/A1J9~/1~D59~
~12263~
'the abov~ arrangem~nt is only provided on the upper po rt i on of the app 1 i ance 4~ . At the '! owe r s i d~ , the su rf ace of the inner flange has a double convex curvature to sit against the teeth and provide a forward force on the teeth to position them further forward. 'This force also acts .
antagoni sti cal 1 y to the projecti ng ri bs 4~. on the _inner surface ' of th~ outs r f 1 ange . ~2 . Thi s al 1 oars the A appl ; ance ~ to straighten t~eth without fixed or removable appliances of special construction.
1~ For pr~school usage the appliance ~A.~ may include a handle portion 48 ~s~e Fig. 20) to ~nable easy placgm~nt of the applianc~ within the mouth cavity and removal therefrom.
'typically and ovith reference to Fig. 21 the dim~nsions A, 8, C and ~ for a preschool appl i ance are at the centre of the appliance 8mm, fmm, Smm and Smm r~sp~ctively. For primary school usage thos~ dimensions are typically l2mm, Smm, l0mm and 1~mm r~spectively. For a pr~scho~ol appliance the dim~nsi~ns X and Y i n F i g . 21 are typ i cal 1 y 2mm anti 1 . 5mm or 3rltm and 2 . 5mm for primary sch~o7 children. Suitable the ribs 4.4 have a thi ckness of appr~axi mat~1 y 1 . 5mm and thei r typi cal spaci ng f rom the surface of the base portion 41 of the appliance is betwe~n 3mm and ~.5mm on the upper sid~ and between 2mm and 4mm on the lower side. .
In a further simp7 ifi~d form of the apparatus a single slot or cut-out portion may bg provided on the ~ann~r flange at thg midline, the cutout portion for ~xample being of V-shaped form so as to allow for lat~ra1 adjustm~nt of th~
appliance. .
In use, the appliance 10 is appiied to the mouth of 3~ the user and the effect of the inner and out~r f7ang~ portions 12 and 1~ is ~o promote relaxation of the muscles controlling the lower jaw so as to also r~lax the reciprocal muscles of the head and n~ck . 'th i s i s f a rth~ r f ac i 1 i tat~d by the shape of the base portion 11 which sL'pports the lower jaw and encourag~s the S5 l oeder j aw to assum~ i is anatomi cal l y correct re l ati onshi p wi th 'the upper jaw. ~ Relaxation of the aforesaid muscles in th~ h~ad and neck will d~cr~ase the majority of muscle t~nsion vv~ ~~iog7f~y ~~.°riAtr9xeoos9x ._ 1~
headaches. This will be further apparent from Figs. 14. and 15 where as shown in Fig. 14, the misaligned upp~r jaw 31 and lower jaw 32 come together incorrectly with the lower jaw 32 and t~eth disposed r~arwardly of the upp~r jaw 31 and teeth in a non-perfect bit~ situation, this causing muscle overload and al so the cervi cal vertebrae to be i ncorrec°~t.hc-~ al i~gned thus leading to pain in th~ user.
Where the appliance 10 of the present invention is emp 1 oyed as shown i n sect i ona l v i ~w i n F i g . 15 and when the teeth are closed on the appliance 10 the jaws 31 and 32 are repositioned, the lower jaw 32 moving downwardly and outwardly to the perfect bite position with the t~eth in substantial alignment with the to~th of the top jaw 31 so that stretching of the muscles does not occur which accordingly r~duces the symptoms of muscl~ tension headach~s.
When us~d for h~adache reli~f or r~lief of neck pain, the applianc~ 10 is plat~d into the mouth and th~ t~eth clos~d upon the appliance lightly to move the jaws into a more balanc~d positicsn. It is preferred that a person suffering f rom h~adach~s s i t qu i et 1 y i n a ray 1 axed pos i ti on f or a m i n i mum of on~ hour, whilst assuring t~.he n~ck and head are well supported. The appliance may be used as r~quired wh~n h~adaches ar~ most s~vere.
For ex~rci.sing the head and n~ck muscles and to improve oxyg~n flow to tt~~ fac~ muscles, the appliance 10 may be used acti vel y bei ng 9~nt1 y chewed for 10 mi notes. Th~ appl i anc~a 10 carp also be worn at night whilst sle~ping to all~viate teeth ~rinding, morning stiffness or morning h~adaches.
F~egular use of the applianc~ of the invention will serv~ to r~program the Oranio--N~~ndibular area and r~train the muscles into functioning as int~nded. Additionally, the applianc~ trains the tongue and muscles associated therewith to fundtroon correctly in th~ manner describ~d above. The shape of th~ ~p~liance and relative dim~nsions make the appliance almost universally adaptable to adult mouths without moulding or adjusting. The appliance additional encourag~s nose breathing by obliterating the oral airways.
W~ 9~/087G1 i'GT/AU92/~592 Preferably, the appliance is formed of silicon rubber or medical PVC material, how~ver, any other flexible synthetic or natural material may be suitable for forming the appliance.
This appliance of Fig. 16 which can b~ mass produced in several s7zes is designed to increase the available strength, in athlet~s gay holding the jaws in their op_ti~mum, strength ., position. The applianc~ which suitably is formed ~f a m~dicinal PVC may be us~d in all sports but specifically for golf, tennis, weightlifting and athl~tics.
1~ The appliance of Fig. 17 is used in a conventional manner as a dummy or pacifier and the inner and outer flange portions 12 and 93 h~lp pacify children and the shape of the flanges promote core~ct tongue position and d~ntal eruption.
Forth~rmore, wh~n ch~w~d, th~ appliance does not have the t5 advsrse orthodontic eff~;cts of conventional dummi~s.
Th~ appliance of Figs. 1t3 to 22 when placed in the mouth and progrgssiv~ly chew~d upon by th~ growing child 'and th~n h~ld passively will encourage the tooth jaw alignment and functional adaption n~c~ssary to normalize a dev~loping 20 r~aiocclusion provided that the appliance is us~d regularly and daily for a minimum of 5 months.
~C
~5
The trai 1 i ng f 1 ange 13 i s of general i y parabol ~ c cross secti on so as t~ def i ne a r~arwardl y d i rect~d r~cess 25 for enc~mpassing the tongue of the user in its correct anatomical pos i t i on i n the mouth and so as to i mp rove r~~tent i on of the Wl~ 93/08?6i P~i'/I~,U92/00592 device in the oral cavity.
The ieadi ng face of the f i ange' 13 preferabi y stays on the same tad i us f tom the 1 ead i ng to the trai 1 i ng endls of the applianc~ although the width of the flange 13 reduces as is apparent in Figs. 9 and 10 approaching the trailing ends of the appliance 10. At the trailing side of the f,_lavge~l3; the surface of the flange. l3 is disposed along ~he~same radius forming a concavity howev~r the width of the flange 13 on either side of the base portion 11 reduces so that the concave curve merges i nto a convex curve whi ch f i attens as shown i n Fi g. 11 to a perpendi cut ar 7 i ne at the trai 1 i ng ends of the apparatus.
The inner flange portion 13 as shown more clearly in Figs. l and 2 includes on its upper side and at its trailing ~dge a central tongue restrainer 2~6 which is in the form of a tab 2? formed between a pal r of s7 ots 28 i n the f i ange 13, the slots 28 being ~rrang~d symmetrically r~lative to th~ midline of th~ appliance 10. The slots 28 have an important function n so far as they al 1 ow i nward and outward mov~ment of the opposite arms of the appliance 10 without causing distortion ~f the app i i ar~ce 10 . Thi s ai 1 ows vat i ous arch s i z~s of the population to be accommodated so that the appliance 10 will adept to both narrow and broad arches without fundamental change i n shape .
Th~ 'tab 27 add i ti oval l y i s formed on i is undo rs i de w i th a bulg~ or protrusion 29 which projects below the adjacent surfac~s of the flange 13 so as to pr~s~nt an abutment to the tongu~ of the user. 'thus when swallowing, the tongue will tend to come i nto ~ngagement wi th the bul g~ car protrusi on 29 and that~by b~ encourag~d to adopt a normal functional position.
The f~ang~ portion 13 is also provided on its inner surface adaacent its junction with the base portion 11 with an integrally formed rib-lik~ enlarg~m~nt 30 (as shown in Figs.2 to 6) which adapts the appliance 10 to th~ gen~ral shape of the t~~th of the user. Th~ rib-like enlargements 30 which are provid~d both on the upper and lower sides of the applianc~ 10 extend symmetrically on opposite sides of the appliance and Wt~ 93/0~76~ PC,°'H'/ALJ92/On592 part way along the respective channels 15 and is.
Fig. 16 illustrates a further embodiment of appliance 3~ suited to sports appliance applications. This embodiment is similar to the above described embodiment and accordingly 5 like parts have been given like numerals. In this case however, the base portion 19 has an increased tMidkness--whilst iw -retaining the substantially aerofoil shape with a suitable maximum thickn~ss being up to 4. to Smm. great~r than the dimensions stated above for normal usage. Furthermore, in this 10 embodiment, the central region of the appliance is apertured through th8 f i ange 12 and base porti on 19 so as to def i ne a 1 arg~ ai r breathi ng hol a 34 nec~ssary for sporty appl i cations .
R~f~rring now to Fig. 17 there is i l lustrated a further gmbodim~nt of applianc~ ~5 according to the inv~ntion suitably for use as a dummy or p~ci~Fier for babies or young children.
Again like parts to the previous ~mbodiments have b~en given 1 i ke nom~ral s . In thi s form, the appl i ance 35 i s provi ded wi th an integral handle porti~n 8f> which projects outwardly from the central portion of th~ appliance 85 to be normally locat~d ~0 outside th~ mouth. Preferably, the handle portion 35 includ~s en enlarged h~ad 87 of 2~ny suitable form to faci l itate g~iPping. The handle portion 37 may b~ formed of hard plastics ~n~terial and either as stated above bs form~d int~grally with the main body of the ~ppl lance 35 or secured thereto in any ~5 ~uitabl~ fashion. zt will be appar~pt in this form that the appliance 35 is consid~r~bl~ small~r ~in dimensions than the appli~n~~ described with rifer~nce to Figs" 1 to 15 ~o ss to suit th~ sixg of baby's mouths. ~s with the other type of app ~ i aces , however , th i s app l i ance may be made d i f f ~ r~nt s i yes 8~ so as try sui t a range of mouth si zss .
R~f~ar~°ing now to Figs. 18 to ~2, th~re is illustrated an alt~rnative form of appliance ~0 according to the present invention particularly adapt~d for orthodontic and orthopaedic correction in the facial ar~a of children. The appliance 40 ,~5 has many features i n common wi th th~ appl i ance 1 ~ of Fi gs . 1 to 15 including a base portion 41 of generally aerofoil shape in cross section and inner and outer flange portions 43 and 42 9~V~ 93/0761 PC:T/AU92/00592 respectively. The base portion 41 is generally parabolic in plan viQw to be approximately the shape of the average child's arches. Preferably, the appliance is made in two sizes to accommodate the ages 2 to 5 years and 6 to 11 years with the base porti on 41 pr~ferabl y haul ng a l ength of 30mm and 4~mm .
respectively, the longer length being to acoommodate newly ~rupted molars. The thickest part of the base portion 41 is preferably 2 to 3mm thicker than the thickness of ~.,h~ anterior-posterior parts of the base portion 41.
1~ The outer flange portion 42 includ~s on its inner surface on the upper and lower sides of the base portion 41 r~specti ve ri bs 44 whi ch are spec~d f rom the bas~ porti on 41 and ~xtend inwardly towards the opposite fiang~ portion 4~ and g~neraliy parallel to the base portion 41. Th~se ribs 44 are 9 5 posi ti oned to i i ~ on the 1 abi ai surfaces of the upper and i ower ant~r r 1 or to~th t~ ~ mprov~ th~l r ai 1 gnm~nt a The outer flang~ portion 42 also includ~s on its outer surface and on its lower half, a plurality of outwardly direct~d proj~ctions 45 which serve as bump~rs to discourage ~~ contraction of the mentaiis muscle which lies in us~ proximal to this surface. This muscle is implicated in malocclusion of the low~r front teeth. The thickra~ss and mat~riai flexibility of the out~r flange portion give it the compromise between adaptability to many mouth and tooth sizes and also sufficient ~5 tension to align the t~~rth.
The i nner f 1 ange porti on 43 as bef oa~e i s of comp i ex shape in plan and side view being g~n~rally parabolic in cross section with deep~ning curves towards its distal ~nds. The mi ddi a secti on of th~ upper s~cti on of th~ i nnor f 1 ange porti on ~~ i s formed as b~fore to have a tab 46 whi ch i s thi ck~r that the adjacent sections of th~ fiang~ portion 43 and projects towards th~ tongue in use to provide stimulus to the tongue to position it in a particular manner. As befor~, the cut-away s~ctions 47 on ~ither side of the tab 46 not only defin~ the shape of ~5 th~ tab 46 but also p~rmit th~s applianc~ 40 to adapt to wide ranging arch and tooth sizes without distortion of the central section and thus the entire appliance.
VV~D 93/~761 1'CH'/A1J9~/1~D59~
~12263~
'the abov~ arrangem~nt is only provided on the upper po rt i on of the app 1 i ance 4~ . At the '! owe r s i d~ , the su rf ace of the inner flange has a double convex curvature to sit against the teeth and provide a forward force on the teeth to position them further forward. 'This force also acts .
antagoni sti cal 1 y to the projecti ng ri bs 4~. on the _inner surface ' of th~ outs r f 1 ange . ~2 . Thi s al 1 oars the A appl ; ance ~ to straighten t~eth without fixed or removable appliances of special construction.
1~ For pr~school usage the appliance ~A.~ may include a handle portion 48 ~s~e Fig. 20) to ~nable easy placgm~nt of the applianc~ within the mouth cavity and removal therefrom.
'typically and ovith reference to Fig. 21 the dim~nsions A, 8, C and ~ for a preschool appl i ance are at the centre of the appliance 8mm, fmm, Smm and Smm r~sp~ctively. For primary school usage thos~ dimensions are typically l2mm, Smm, l0mm and 1~mm r~spectively. For a pr~scho~ol appliance the dim~nsi~ns X and Y i n F i g . 21 are typ i cal 1 y 2mm anti 1 . 5mm or 3rltm and 2 . 5mm for primary sch~o7 children. Suitable the ribs 4.4 have a thi ckness of appr~axi mat~1 y 1 . 5mm and thei r typi cal spaci ng f rom the surface of the base portion 41 of the appliance is betwe~n 3mm and ~.5mm on the upper sid~ and between 2mm and 4mm on the lower side. .
In a further simp7 ifi~d form of the apparatus a single slot or cut-out portion may bg provided on the ~ann~r flange at thg midline, the cutout portion for ~xample being of V-shaped form so as to allow for lat~ra1 adjustm~nt of th~
appliance. .
In use, the appliance 10 is appiied to the mouth of 3~ the user and the effect of the inner and out~r f7ang~ portions 12 and 1~ is ~o promote relaxation of the muscles controlling the lower jaw so as to also r~lax the reciprocal muscles of the head and n~ck . 'th i s i s f a rth~ r f ac i 1 i tat~d by the shape of the base portion 11 which sL'pports the lower jaw and encourag~s the S5 l oeder j aw to assum~ i is anatomi cal l y correct re l ati onshi p wi th 'the upper jaw. ~ Relaxation of the aforesaid muscles in th~ h~ad and neck will d~cr~ase the majority of muscle t~nsion vv~ ~~iog7f~y ~~.°riAtr9xeoos9x ._ 1~
headaches. This will be further apparent from Figs. 14. and 15 where as shown in Fig. 14, the misaligned upp~r jaw 31 and lower jaw 32 come together incorrectly with the lower jaw 32 and t~eth disposed r~arwardly of the upp~r jaw 31 and teeth in a non-perfect bit~ situation, this causing muscle overload and al so the cervi cal vertebrae to be i ncorrec°~t.hc-~ al i~gned thus leading to pain in th~ user.
Where the appliance 10 of the present invention is emp 1 oyed as shown i n sect i ona l v i ~w i n F i g . 15 and when the teeth are closed on the appliance 10 the jaws 31 and 32 are repositioned, the lower jaw 32 moving downwardly and outwardly to the perfect bite position with the t~eth in substantial alignment with the to~th of the top jaw 31 so that stretching of the muscles does not occur which accordingly r~duces the symptoms of muscl~ tension headach~s.
When us~d for h~adache reli~f or r~lief of neck pain, the applianc~ 10 is plat~d into the mouth and th~ t~eth clos~d upon the appliance lightly to move the jaws into a more balanc~d positicsn. It is preferred that a person suffering f rom h~adach~s s i t qu i et 1 y i n a ray 1 axed pos i ti on f or a m i n i mum of on~ hour, whilst assuring t~.he n~ck and head are well supported. The appliance may be used as r~quired wh~n h~adaches ar~ most s~vere.
For ex~rci.sing the head and n~ck muscles and to improve oxyg~n flow to tt~~ fac~ muscles, the appliance 10 may be used acti vel y bei ng 9~nt1 y chewed for 10 mi notes. Th~ appl i anc~a 10 carp also be worn at night whilst sle~ping to all~viate teeth ~rinding, morning stiffness or morning h~adaches.
F~egular use of the applianc~ of the invention will serv~ to r~program the Oranio--N~~ndibular area and r~train the muscles into functioning as int~nded. Additionally, the applianc~ trains the tongue and muscles associated therewith to fundtroon correctly in th~ manner describ~d above. The shape of th~ ~p~liance and relative dim~nsions make the appliance almost universally adaptable to adult mouths without moulding or adjusting. The appliance additional encourag~s nose breathing by obliterating the oral airways.
W~ 9~/087G1 i'GT/AU92/~592 Preferably, the appliance is formed of silicon rubber or medical PVC material, how~ver, any other flexible synthetic or natural material may be suitable for forming the appliance.
This appliance of Fig. 16 which can b~ mass produced in several s7zes is designed to increase the available strength, in athlet~s gay holding the jaws in their op_ti~mum, strength ., position. The applianc~ which suitably is formed ~f a m~dicinal PVC may be us~d in all sports but specifically for golf, tennis, weightlifting and athl~tics.
1~ The appliance of Fig. 17 is used in a conventional manner as a dummy or pacifier and the inner and outer flange portions 12 and 93 h~lp pacify children and the shape of the flanges promote core~ct tongue position and d~ntal eruption.
Forth~rmore, wh~n ch~w~d, th~ appliance does not have the t5 advsrse orthodontic eff~;cts of conventional dummi~s.
Th~ appliance of Figs. 1t3 to 22 when placed in the mouth and progrgssiv~ly chew~d upon by th~ growing child 'and th~n h~ld passively will encourage the tooth jaw alignment and functional adaption n~c~ssary to normalize a dev~loping 20 r~aiocclusion provided that the appliance is us~d regularly and daily for a minimum of 5 months.
~C
~5
Claims (10)
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. An oral appliance adapted for repositioning the temporomandibular joint, said appliance including a base portion shaped so as to be locatable between the teeth of the upper and lower jaws of a user, and outer and inner flange portions along leading and trailing edges of said base portion and extending to opposite sides thereof so as to form upper and lower channels for accepting the teeth of the upper and lower jaws, said inner flange portion defining a concave recess for receiving the tongue of the user, and said base portion having a cross sectional form adapted to substantially occupy space between said teeth of said upper and lower jaws so as to provide a support for the jaws of the user, wherein said inner flange portion is provided with a pair of spaced slots or cut-away regions disposed substantially symmetrically on opposite sides of a midline of the appliance and the inner flange portion defines a tab between the cut-away regions.
2. An appliance according to Claim 1 wherein the base portion is of generally U-shaped or parabolic plan form and tapers in thickness along the channels on each side of the appliance from regions forwardly of but adjacent to the trailing ends of said appliance towards the leading end thereof.
3. An appliance according to Claim 1 or Claim 2 wherein said base portion tapers in thickness from said regions to the trailing edges of said appliance so as to substantially occupy the space between the upper and lower jaws.
4. An appliance according to Claim 3 wherein said variation in thickness in said base portion is achieved by forming said base portion on opposite sides of the appliance asymmetrically with the top side of the base portion being generally planar or flat.
5. An appliance according to Claim 4 wherein said base portion is formed as an asymmetric aerofoil shape with the asymmetric or curved surface thereof being disposed on the operative lower side of said appliance and the maximum depth of the aerofoil being located at a said region on opposite sides of said appliance.
6. An appliance according to any one of Claims 1 to 5 wherein said tab has an increased thickness relative to the remainder of the flange portion to provide an abutment for the tongue of the user whereby the tongue is encouraged or reminded to adopt a normal position.
7. An appliance according to Claim 6 wherein the junction between the base portion and the inner flange portion on opposite sides of the appliance is thickened or enlarged so that the appliance is adapted to the shape of the teeth of the user.
8. An oral appliance according to claim 1, wherein said outer flange portion includes rib means on its inner surface on opposite sides of and spaced from said base portion, said rib means extending generally parallel to said base portion and adapted to in use engage the teeth of the user.
9. An appliance according to Claim 8 wherein an integral enlargement is formed at the junction of the inner flange portion and base portion on both sides thereof so that the teeth of the user are positioned in use between said enlargements and said rib means on the inner surface of the outer flange portion.
10. An appliance according to Claim 8 wherein said outer flange portion further includes at least in its lower half a series of protrusions for engaging the mentalis muscle in use.
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002458350A CA2458350C (en) | 1992-11-02 | 1992-11-02 | An oral appliance |
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUPK922091 | 1991-10-31 | ||
| AUPK9220 | 1991-10-31 | ||
| PCT/AU1992/000592 WO1993008761A1 (en) | 1990-09-06 | 1992-11-02 | An oral appliance |
Related Child Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002458350A Division CA2458350C (en) | 1992-11-02 | 1992-11-02 | An oral appliance |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2122634A1 CA2122634A1 (en) | 1993-05-13 |
| CA2122634C true CA2122634C (en) | 2004-08-31 |
Family
ID=3775790
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002122634A Expired - Lifetime CA2122634C (en) | 1991-10-31 | 1992-11-02 | An oral appliance |
Country Status (2)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| JP (1) | JP3244272B2 (en) |
| CA (1) | CA2122634C (en) |
Families Citing this family (13)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JPH10174697A (en) * | 1996-12-16 | 1998-06-30 | Itaru Watanabe | Snore preventing tool |
| JP2004073628A (en) * | 2002-08-21 | 2004-03-11 | Jeimu:Kk | Lower jaw orthodontic appliance |
| AU2004202518A1 (en) * | 2003-06-13 | 2005-01-06 | Christopher John Farrell | Oral appliance |
| EA010998B1 (en) * | 2004-10-14 | 2008-12-30 | Кристофер Джон Фэррелл | Orthodontic appliance |
| JP2015015968A (en) * | 2011-10-21 | 2015-01-29 | 光郎 猪狩 | Mouthpiece for smile and health exercise of mouth and tongue |
| JP5564079B2 (en) * | 2012-07-26 | 2014-07-30 | 淳 大塚 | Orthodontic appliance |
| JP5623472B2 (en) * | 2012-07-26 | 2014-11-12 | 大塚 淳 | Orthodontic appliance |
| US9517113B2 (en) * | 2013-09-17 | 2016-12-13 | Ortho-Tain, Inc. | Oral appliance, system and method for correcting class III problems of mandibular prognathism |
| JP2018183367A (en) * | 2017-04-25 | 2018-11-22 | 大塚 淳 | Snoring suppression device |
| JP6265298B1 (en) * | 2017-10-03 | 2018-01-24 | 株式会社Ｇｓ商事 | Oral appliance |
| JP6963855B1 (en) * | 2021-01-25 | 2021-11-10 | ＳｈｅｅｐＭｅｄｉｃａｌ株式会社 | Orthodontics |
| JP7020727B1 (en) * | 2021-01-25 | 2022-02-16 | ＳｈｅｅｐＭｅｄｉｃａｌ株式会社 | Orthodontics |
| KR102566018B1 (en) * | 2021-01-25 | 2023-08-09 | 이현서 | Orthodintic retainer for preventing bruxism |
-
1992
- 1992-11-02 JP JP50804393A patent/JP3244272B2/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1992-11-02 CA CA002122634A patent/CA2122634C/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| JP3244272B2 (en) | 2002-01-07 |
| JPH07500517A (en) | 1995-01-19 |
| CA2122634A1 (en) | 1993-05-13 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| EEER | Examination request | ||
| MKEX | Expiry |