Dental appliance apparatus and respiration enhancement
AssigneeDental Choice Holdings LLC
InventorDena P. Garner
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A dental appliance apparatus is disclosed herein. In various aspects, the dental appliance may include a body removably attachable to one or more teeth selected from premolars and molars, and a flange extending forth from lingual portions of the body to contact a tongue at one or more locations proximate the premolars and the molars in order to cause a contraction of the genioglossus that positions the tongue anteriorly and downward toward the mandible by stimulation of the hypoglossal nerve. The dental appliance may include a connector connected to the body. The connector may define an anterior flange to stimulate the hypoglossal nerve proximate a tip of the tongue in order to cause contraction of the genioglossus to position the tongue anteriorly and downward toward the mandible.
Claims21
A dental appliance, comprising:
- a first body having a first occlusal pad and a first bite pad located at said first occlusal pad;
- a first flange disposed on a lingual side of said first body;
- a second body having a second occlusal pad and a second bite pad located at said second occlusal pad;
- a second flange disposed on a lingual side of said second body, said second flange spaced apart from said first flange;
- said first and second flanges being planar and configured for engagement by a user's tongue;
- a connector extending between said first body and said second body, a portion of the connector at a lingual side of said connector defining an anterior flange;
- wherein said user's tongue is prompted by contact with said anterior flange of said connector to move anteriorly and downwardly to dilate a pharyngeal airway.
A method for enhancing respiratory efficiency with a dental appliance comprising:
- a. attaching removably the dental appliance to lower teeth within a mouth of a user, the dental appliance having a first occlusal pad, a second occlusal pad and a connector, a portion of the connector extending lingually from a posterior side of the teeth at a medial line in the mouth defining an anterior flange;
- b. stimulating nerves of a tongue by touching the anterior flange of the connector with a tip of the tongue;
- c. stimulating a nerve of the tongue by touching said tongue on a flange defined by a lower portion of said first occlusal pad or said second occlusal pad;
- d. prompting by said stimulating forward contraction of the tongue positioning the tongue anteriorly and mandibularly downward;
- and,
- e. dilating a pharyngeal airway.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.