One-piece customizable dental appliance

• US 6,371,758 B1
• Filed: 12/12/1996
• Issued: 04/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: BITE Tech Incorporated (GF Capital Bite Tech Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: BITE Tech Incorporated (GF Capital Bite Tech Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Kittelsen, Jon D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, Ralph A.
• Application Number:
  US08/763,929
• Time in Patent Office: 1,951 Days
• Field of Search: 433/6, 433/34, 433/37, 433/41, 433/44, 433/45, 128/859, 128/861, 128/862
• US Class Current: 433/6
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 2208/12 specially adapted for children
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/085 Mouth or teeth protectors A63B71/081 takes precedence

Abstract

A one-piece customizable dental appliance for the mouth of an athlete is comprised of an occlusal posterior pad for each side of the posterior teeth engageable with the occlusal surfaces to space apart the teeth and to absorb shock and clenching stress. A band is provided connecting the posterior pads together within the mouth and out of the way of the tongue to maintain the position of the occlusal posterior pads within the mouth during use and to prevent loss of the pads such as by swallowing. Portions of the pads are scored so that they may be easily cut away to customize the appliance for smaller mouths.

Claims

1. A one-piece customizable dental appliance for the mouth of an athlete having an upper jaw with anterior teeth, posterior teeth with occlusal surfaces, a palate and fossae with cartilage forming sockets, a tongue, and a movable lower jaw with anterior teeth, posterior teeth with occlusal surfaces and condyles movably fitted with connective tissue and muscles within the sockets forming the temporomandibular joints through which the auriculotemporalis nerves and supra-temporal arteries pass, the one-piece appliance comprising:

a pair of occlusal posterior pads for extending along the posterior teeth and having a forward portion and a rearward portion engageable with the occlusal surfaces of the posterior teeth of the lower jaw to space apart the teeth, each pad having a base with an inner surface facing the posterior teeth and a labial wall extending downward from the base and the base and labial wall together forming a channel to receive the posterior teeth, the base having a removable portion to customize to the mouth size, the pad adapted to absorb shock and clenching stress otherwise transferred from the connective tissues, the muscles and the lower jaw to the upper jaw, neck and back, to space apart the anterior teeth of the lower jaw from the anterior teeth of the upper jaw to facilitate breathing and speech, and to lessen condylar pressure, force and impact upon the cartilage, and temporomandibular joints, the arteries and nerves; and

a band connected to the posterior pads and having posterior ends connecting the posterior pads together within the mouth extending forwardly and downwardly along the lower jaw anterior teeth and shaped as to lie out of the way of the tongue to maintain the positions of the occlusal posterior pads within the mouth and to prevent loss of the pads such as by swallowing.

2. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the removable portion is formed by a score line along the pad forward portion.

3. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the removable portion is formed by a score line along the pad rearward portion.

4. The appliance of claim 3, further comprising a second removable portion which is formed by a second score line along the pad rearward portion.

5. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the removable portion is formed by a score line along the pad forward portion and further comprising a second removable portion formed by a second score line along the pad rearward portion.

6. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the appliance is made of a thermoplastic.

7. The appliance of claim 6, wherein the thermoplastic is ethylene vinyl acetate.

8. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the appliance is made of an elastomeric rubber.

9. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the posterior pads further comprise a plurality of raised portions on the inner surface of the base.

10. The appliance of claim 9, wherein the raised portions are cone-shaped portions designed to position the posterior pads properly and to maintain a fixed space between the upper and lower jaws.

11. The appliance of claim 1, further comprising cushioning and shock dissipation chambers in the base.

12. The appliance of claim 11, further comprising a cushioning media in the chambers.

13. A one-piece customizable dental appliance for the mouth of an athlete having an upper jaw with anterior teeth, posterior teeth with occlusal surfaces, a palate and fossae with cartilage forming sockets, a tongue, and a movable lower jaw with anterior teeth, posterior teeth with occlusal surfaces and condyles movably fitted with connective tissue and muscles within the sockets forming the temporomandibular joints through which the auriculo-temporalis nerves and supra-temporal arteries pass, the one-piece appliance comprising:

a pair of posterior pads for extending along the posterior teeth and having a forward portion and a rearward portion engageable with the occlusal surfaces of the posterior teeth to space apart the teeth, each pad having a base with an inner surface facing the posterior teeth and a labial wall extending downward from the base and the base and labial wall together forming a channel to receive the posterior teeth, the base having a removable portion to customize to the mouth size, the pad adapted to absorb shock and clenching stress otherwise transferred from the connective tissues, the muscles and the lower jaw to the upper jaw, neck and back, to space apart the anterior teeth of the lower jaw from the anterior teeth of the upper jaw to facilitate breathing and speech, and to lessen condylar pressure, force and impact upon the cartilage, and temporomandibular joints, the arteries and nerves wherein the removable portion is formed by a score line along the pad forward portion; and

a band connected to the posterior pads and having posterior ends connecting the posterior pads together within the mouth extending forwardly and downwardly along the lower jaw anterior teeth and shaped as to lie out of the way of the tongue to maintain the positions of the occlusal posterior pads within the mouth and to prevent loss of the pads such as by swallowing.

14. The appliance of claim 13, further comprising a second removable portion which is formed by a second score line along the pad rearward portion.

15. The appliance of claim 13, wherein the appliance is made of a thermoplastic.

16. The appliance of claim 15, wherein the thermoplastic is ethylene vinyl acetate.

17. The appliance of claim 13, wherein the appliance is made of an elastomeric rubber.

18. The appliance of claim 13, further comprising cushioning and shock dissipation chambers in the base.