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Intra-oral light-therapy apparatuses and methods for their use

  • US 10,729,524 B2
  • Filed: 12/29/2017
  • Issued: 08/04/2020
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2013
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method for accelerating orthodontic movement, comprising:

  • installing a first orthodontic appliance on a set of teeth of a first jaw of a patient, the first orthodontic appliance configured to subject a tooth of the set of teeth of the first jaw to a first applied force;

    administering, within a first time period subsequent to, prior to or during the installing of the first orthodontic appliance, light via a light emitter of an intraoral light therapy apparatus to an alveolus of the tooth of the first jaw, the light therapy apparatus comprising a mouthpiece, the light emitter being embedded in a flange of the mouthpiece, the administering occurring (i) for from about 2 minutes to about 20 minutes and (ii) when the mouthpiece is disposed in an upright position within a mouth of the patient such that the flange is in contact with alveolar mucosa of the first jaw and disposed between buccal mucosa of the first jaw and the alveolar mucosa of the first jaw;

    installing a second orthodontic appliance on a set of teeth of a second jaw of the patient, the second orthodontic appliance configured to subject a tooth of the set of teeth of the second jaw to a second applied force;

    rotating the intraoral light therapy apparatus to an inverted position; and

    administering, within a second time period subsequent to, prior to or during the installing of the second orthodontic appliance, light via the light emitter of the intraoral light therapy apparatus to an alveolus of the tooth of the set of teeth of the of a second jaw of the patient, the administering, within the second time period, occurring when the mouthpiece is disposed in the inverted position within the mouth such that the flange is in contact with alveolar mucosa of the second jaw and disposed between buccal mucosa of the second jaw and the alveolar mucosa of the second jaw, whereinthe light emitter is disposed over the alveolar mucosa and alveolus of the first jaw when the flange is disposed between the alveolar mucosa and the buccal mucosa of the first jaw and disposed over the alveolar mucosa and alveolus of the second jaw when the flange is disposed between the alveolar mucosa and the buccal mucosa of the second jaw, andthe light emitted by the light emitter has a wavelength within a range of from about 620 nm to about 1000 nm, passes through the alveolar mucosa of the first jaw and second jaw and reaches the alveolus of the tooth of the first jaw and the alveolus of the tooth of the second jaw, the light that reaches the alveolus of the tooth of the first jaw and the alveolus of the tooth of the second jaw having an intensity of about 1 mW/cm2 to about 100 mW/cm2.

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