Dental Splint Device and Methods for Making and Using Same

• US 20120028221A1
• Filed: 08/02/2011
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Thomas Williams
• Original Assignee: Thomas Williams
• Inventors: Williams, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 9,662,182 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 433/215
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 5/007 Dental splints; teeth or jaw immobilisation devices; stabilizing retainers bonded to teeth after orthodontic treatments
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 7/00 Orthodontics, i.e. obtaining or maintaining the desired position of teeth, e.g. by straightening, evening, regulating, separating, or by correcting malocclusions

Abstract

A dental splint, a method for fabricating and installing same is disclosed for stabilizing mobile or unstable teeth. The dental splint comprises a one-piece extracoronal component customized to the dentition of a patient, wherein the one-piece extracoronal component is adhered to the lingual aspect of the teeth and substantially non-visible facially. The fabricating of the dental splint for stabilizing mobile or unstable teeth or firmly rooted teeth to prevent orthodontic relapse comprising the steps of: examining patient'"'"'s dental arch to determine if lingual reduction is required; creating a representative model of the patient'"'"'s dental arch; manipulating said representative model to select a group of teeth to be included in the dental splint and to define the height and length of a one-piece extracoronal component customized to the dentition of a patient; fabricating said one-piece extracoronal component; dry fitting the fabricated one-piece extracoronal component to confirm proper fit; and adhering the fabricated one-piece extracoronal component to said mobile or unstable teeth, wherein said one-piece extracoronal component adheres to the lingual aspect of said teeth and appears substantially non-visible facially. In one embodiment, one-piece extracoronal component is bonded to a group of teeth which are all mobile or unstable. An alternative embodiment disclosed herein provides a one-piece extracoronal component bonded to a group of firmly rooted teeth to prevent orthodontic relapse.

Claims

1. A dental splint for stabilizing mobile or unstable teeth comprising:

a one-piece extracoronal component customized to the dentition of a patient,

wherein said one-piece extracoronal component is adhered to the lingual aspect of said teeth and substantially non-visible facially.

2. The dental splint according to claim 1, wherein the one-piece extracoronal component is made from zirconia, alumina (or a material with similar properties).

3. The dental splint according to claim 1, wherein the one-piece extracoronal component functions substantially as a force transfer component.

4. The dental splint according to claim 1, wherein the one-piece extracoronal component is of a consistent thickness of 0.4 mm.

5. The dental splint according to claim 1, wherein the one-piece extracoronal component is of a thickness of 0.7 mm.

6. The dental splint according to claim 1, wherein the one-piece extracoronal component is of a variable thickness in a range from and including 0.3 mm up to and including 1.5 mm, depending upon the location of the dental splint in the mouth and particular purpose or purposes to which the splint would be put.

7. The dental splint according to claim 1, wherein the one-piece extracoronal component is of a consistent thickness in a range from and including 0.3 mm up to and including 1.5 mm, depending upon the location of the dental splint in the mouth and particular purpose or purposes to which the splint would be put.

8. The dental splint according to claim 1, wherein the one-piece extracoronal component is configured to not fully cover each tooth, wherein a portion of the tooth is exposed at the bite edge and above the gingival.

9. The dental splint according to claim 2, wherein the zirconia, alumina (or a material with similar properties) and a bonding agent are color-matched to a patient'"'"'s teeth.

10. The dental splint according to claim 1, wherein the one-piece extracoronal component is installed on a group of two teeth.

11. The dental splint according to claim 1, wherein the one-piece extracoronal component functions bonded to a group of teeth, wherein said group of teeth have firmly rooted teeth at least at one end of the splint.

12. The dental splint according to claim 1, wherein the one-piece extracoronal component is bonded to a group of firmly rooted teeth to prevent orthodontic relapse.

13. The dental splint according to claim 1, wherein the one-piece extracoronal component functions to bonded to a group of teeth, wherein said group of teeth are all mobile or unstable.

14. A method for fabricating a dental splint for stabilizing mobile or unstable teeth comprising the steps of:

examining patient'"'"'s dental arch to determine if lingual reduction is required;

creating a representative model of the patient'"'"'s dental arch;

manipulating said representative model to select a group of teeth to be included in the dental splint and to define the height and length of a one-piece extracoronal component customized to the dentition of a patient;

fabricating said one-piece extracoronal component;

dry fitting the fabricated one-piece extracoronal component to confirm proper fit; and

adhering the fabricated one-piece extracoronal component to said mobile or unstable teeth,

wherein said one-piece extracoronal component adheres to the lingual aspect of said teeth and appears substantially non-visible facially.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of creating a representative model of the patient'"'"'s dental arch further includes the steps of:

selecting an impression tray appropriate to a patient'"'"'s mouth;

pouring an impression material in said selected impression tray;

allowing said impression material to harden in the patient'"'"'s mouth; and

fabricating from plaster or dental stone said representative model.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of creating a representative model of the patient'"'"'s dental arch further includes the steps of:

scanning a three dimensional (3D) image of the patient'"'"'s dental arch with a commercially available scanning device.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the commercially available scanning device further incorporates computer software for generating a virtual model of a patient'"'"'s dentition.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of manipulating said representative model to select a group of teeth to be included in the dental splint and to define the height and length of a one-piece extracoronal component customized to the dentition of a patient further includes the steps of:

adjusting the distance between the bite edge of each said tooth and the edge of the one-piece extracoronal component 1-4 mm from the bite edge and 1 mm above the gum between the tooth and its adjacent tooth.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of fabricating said one-piece extracoronal component further includes the steps of:

milling said one-piece extracoronal component with a thickness of 0.4 mm.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of fabricating said one-piece extracoronal component further includes the steps of:

milling said one-piece extracoronal component with a thickness of 0.7 mm.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of fabricating said one-piece extracoronal component further includes the steps of:

milling said one-piece extracoronal component with a thickness of a range from and including 0.3 mm up to and including 1.5 m, depending upon the location of the dental splint in the mouth and the particular purpose or purposes to which the dental splint would be put.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the sub-step of milling the dental splint is configured for milling a consistent thickness or a variable thickness.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of fabricating said one-piece extracoronal component further includes the step of:

selecting zirconia, alumina (or a material with similar properties) as the material to fabricate said one-piece extracoronal component.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the one-piece extracoronal component functions substantially as a force transfer component.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the sub-step of selecting zirconia, alumina (or a material with similar properties) further includes the step of:

color matching said selected material to the patient'"'"'s teeth.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the one-piece extracoronal component is installed on a group of two teeth.

27. The method of claim 14, wherein the one-piece extracoronal component is bonded to a group of firmly rooted teeth to prevent orthodontic relapse.

28. The dental splint according to claim 14, wherein the one-piece extracoronal component is bonded to a group of teeth, wherein said group of teeth are all mobile or unstable.

29. A method of clinically installing a dental splint for stabilizing mobile or unstable teeth comprising the steps of:

dry-fitting a fabricated one-piece extracoronal component customized to the dentition of a patient to confirm fit and contour;

bonded side the splint, a rescind to the one-piece extracoronal component and bonding agent to adheres to the teeth the splint;

applying a looped floss technique to complete a splint connection between said teeth and said one-piece extracoronal component;

wherein said one-piece extracoronal component is adhered to the lingual aspect of said teeth and substantially non-visible facially.