Oral appliance for maintaining stability of one or more aspects of a user's masticatory system

A method of constructing an oral appliance, comprising:

• forming a first arch adapted to receive at least some of a user's teeth, the first arch comprising an anterior substantially planar region;
• and
• forming a second arch adapted to receive at least some of the user's teeth, the second arch comprising an anterior bearing point operable to contact the anterior substantially planar region of the first arch when the user bites down with the oral appliance inserted in the user's mouth and the user's temporomandibular joint in its proper natural position;
• the constructed oral appliance comprising the first and second arches.

A method of monitoring positioning of a user's temporomandibular joint, comprising:

• providing an oral appliance comprising a first arch and a second arch each adapted to receive at least some of the user's teeth, the first arch operable to contact the second arch at only a single bearing point when the user bites down with the oral appliance inserted in the user's mouth and the user's temporomandibular joint in its proper natural position;
• inserting the oral appliance into the user's mouth;
• introducing an impression material between the first and second arches;
• creating a first impression record using the impression material, indicating that the first arch is operable to contact the second arch at only the single bearing point when the user bites down with the oral appliance inserted in the user's mouth and the user's temporomandibular joint in its proper natural position;
• again inserting the oral appliance into the user's mouth;
• again introducing an impression material between the first and second arches;
• creating a second impression record using the impression material, indicating whether the first arch is operable to contact the second arch at only the single bearing point when the user bites down with the oral appliance inserted in the user's mouth and the user's temporomandibular joint in its proper natural position;
• comparing the second impression record to the first impression record;
• and
• if the second impression record matches the first impression record, then determining that one or more aspects of the user's masticatory system have remained stable over a period of time between creation of the first and second impression records.