# US 10,945,818 B1 · Dental appliance and method for adjusting and holding the position of a user's jaw to a relaxed position of the jaw > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,945,818 B1 - Document ID: US10945818B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 15/724,089 - Filed: 2017-10-03 - Granted: 2021-03-16 - Earliest claimed: 2016-10-03 - Assignees: Myohealth Technologies LLC - Applicants: Maryam M. Motlagh; Martin E. Burbano - Inventors: Maryam M. Motlagh; Martin E. Burbano - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10945818B1 ## CPC - A61C 7/36: Devices acting between upper and lower teeth - A61C 7/08: Mouthpiece-type retainers {or positioners, e.g. for both the lower and upper arch (arch-shaped medicament applicators for teeth or gums A61C19/063; mouthguards for protecting the teeth of sportsmen A63B71/085)} - A61C 19/05: for determining occlusion - A61F 5/566: {Intra-oral devices} - A61F 2005/563: {Anti-bruxisme} - A61C: DENTISTRY; APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR ORAL OR DENTAL HYGIENE (non-driven toothbrushes A46B; {tongue scrapers A61B17/24;} preparations for dentistry A61K6/00; preparations for cleaning the teeth or mouth A61K8/00, A61Q11/00) - A61F: FILTERS IMPLANTABLE INTO BLOOD VESSELS; PROSTHESES; DEVICES PROVIDING PATENCY TO, OR PREVENTING COLLAPSING OF, TUBULAR STRUCTURES OF THE BODY, e.g. STENTS; ORTHOPAEDIC, NURSING OR CONTRACEPTIVE DEVICES; FOMENTATION; TREATMENT OR PROTECTION OF EYES OR EARS; BANDAGES, DRESSINGS OR ABSORBENT PADS; FIRST-AID KITS (dental prosthetics A61C) ## Abstract The disclosed dental appliance is a functional daytime and nighttime anatomical removable dental appliance that is designed to overlay the existing natural dentition of the user. In desirable embodiments, the appliance can be held in place without any alterations to the user's existing dentition. The appliance is a plural piece or plural section intra-oral removable appliance with occlusal surface portions that have been built up to occupy the measured intra-occlusal spaces that exist between pairs of upper and lower teeth when the mandible is in a relaxed or rest position. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A dental appliance for occupying the intra-occlusal space between opposed upper and lower pairs of teeth of a user of the dental appliance, the intra-occlusal space being the space or distance between the opposed upper and lower teeth measured when the user's mandible is in a relaxed position, minus a freeway space, the dental appliance comprising: a first dental appliance component comprising a lateral body that defines teeth receiving pockets that are adapted to receive and engage one of upper and lower posterior teeth of the user at a first side of the user's mouth to retain the lateral body in place, the lateral body comprising a lateral body occlusal portion having a thickness selectively dimensioned to substantially equal to the intra-occlusal space between the upper and lower posterior teeth at the first side of the user's mouth and a lateral body exterior occlusal surface that is shaped to contact and conform to opposing natural teeth; first and second lateral body end portions, wherein a first of the teeth receiving pockets at the first lateral body end portion is shaped to resiliently engage a first posterior tooth at the first side of the user's mouth and a second of the teeth receiving pockets at the second lateral body end portion is shaped to resiliently engage a second posterior tooth at the first side of the user's mouth, thereby retaining the lateral body in place by snap-fit mechanical retention; a lateral body apical portion extending apically from the lateral body occlusal portion, the lateral body apical portion extending apically at least past a height of a contour of a respective crown thereof for each of the engaged teeth, the apical portion having a buccal wall with a buccal wall interior surface that resiliently engages buccal facial surfaces of the engaged teeth and an opposed buccal wall exterior surface shaped to mimic natural teeth anatomy, and a lingual wall with a lingual wall interior surface that resiliently engages lingual surfaces of the engaged teeth and an opposed lingual wall exterior surface shaped to mimic natural teeth anatomy, wherein the lingual wall has a lingual wall thickness of 0.3 mm to 0.6 mm to preserve tongue space within the user's dental arch; and a second dental appliance component separately removable relative to the first appliance component, the second appliance component having a front body that defines teeth receiving pockets adapted to resiliently engage one or more of the upper or lower anterior teeth of the user to retain the second appliance component in place, the front body comprising a front body occlusal portion having a thickness that is substantially equal to the intra-occlusal space between the upper and lower anterior teeth of the user and a front body exterior occlusal surface shaped to contact and conform to opposing natural teeth, wherein the first and second dental appliance components are functional when worn by the user, permitting movement and occlusal contacts between the lateral body exterior occlusal surface and the opposing natural teeth, and between the front body exterior occlusal surface and the opposing natural teeth, respectively, to enable functional occlusion allowing speech, mastication and swallowing. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The dental appliance of claim 1, wherein the lateral body apical portion extends apically to a gingival line for each of the engaged teeth. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The dental appliance of claim 1, wherein the lateral body apical portion is shaped to contact and conform to a gingival line for each of the engaged teeth. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The dental appliance of claim 1, wherein ends of the lateral body apical portion ends are scalloped shaped to follow a gingival line for each of the engaged teeth. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The dental appliance of claim 1, wherein the lateral body comprises a middle portion positioned between the first and second end portions, and wherein the middle portion comprises at least a third pocket shaped to resiliently engage a third posterior tooth. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The dental appliance of claim 1, wherein the lateral body comprises a middle portion positioned between the first and second end portions, wherein the middle portion is shaped to fill a space of at least one missing natural tooth between the first posterior tooth and the second posterior tooth. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The dental appliance of claim 1, wherein the lingual wall thickness is 0.4 mm to 0.6 mm. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The dental appliance of claim 1, wherein the buccal wall has a buccal wall thickness of 0.3 mm to 0.6 mm. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The dental appliance of claim 8, wherein the buccal wall thickness is 0.4 mm to 0.6 mm. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The dental appliance of claim 1 wherein at least one of the lingual wall and the buccal wall has a varying thickness. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The dental appliance of claim 1, wherein the second appliance component extends apically to a gingival line for each of the engaged teeth of the second appliance component. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The dental appliance of claim 1, further comprising a third dental appliance component that is separately removable relative to the first and second dental appliance components, the third appliance component having a functional lateral body that defines teeth receiving pockets adapted to resiliently engage one or more of the upper or lower posterior teeth of the user at a second side of the user's mouth opposite to the first side to retain the third appliance component in place, the lateral body of the third appliance component comprising an occlusal portion having a thickness that is substantially equal to the intra-occlusal space between the upper and lower anterior teeth on the second side and a lateral body exterior occlusal surface shaped to contact and conform to opposing natural teeth. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The dental appliance of claim 12, wherein the second appliance component and the third appliance component each extend apically to a gingival line for each of the engaged teeth of the second appliance component and the third appliance component, respectively. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The dental appliance of claim 12, wherein at least two of the first appliance component, the second appliance component and the third appliance component are formed to have respective lines of draw that are different from each other based on differing inclinations of the respective engaged teeth. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The dental appliance of claim 1, wherein the lateral body exterior occlusal surface and the buccal wall are joined to each other at a smoothly curving transition to mimic natural tooth anatomy. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The dental appliance of claim 1, wherein the lateral body exterior occlusal surface and the lingual wall are joined to each other at a smoothly curving transition to preserve tongue space. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The dental appliance of claim 1, wherein the teeth receiving pockets are sized to provide the snap-fit mechanical retention without requiring alteration of shapes of the engaged teeth. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The dental appliance of claim 1, wherein the lateral body apical portion extends apically by a distance sufficient to engage an undercut portion of the engaged teeth.