Orthodontic Appliance and Method for Class II and Class III Malocclusion and Dental Asymmetric Correction
AssigneeRMO, Inc.
InventorBradford N. Edgren
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An orthodontic correction system is disclosed for correcting Class II malocclusions, Class III malocclusions, dental asymmetries and/or dental related skeletal anomalies wherein the patient's dentition is permanent or near permanent. The correction system attaches to a patient's dentition via a novel orthodontic appliance that is affixed to, e.g., pre-installed upper and lower archwires. The correction system includes one or more adjustable length assemblies each of whose ends pivotally attach to a patient's preinstalled maxillary and mandibular archwires.
Claims11
An orthodontic system for correcting a malocclusion or an asymmetry, comprising:
- a variable length alignment assembly having a piston assembly including a sleeve and a shaft that mate together in a manner that allows a length of the alignment assembly to be adjusted by a clinician;
- a hinge at each of two ends of the alignment assembly, wherein each of the hinges includes an archwire attachment and a pivot shaft upon which an eyelet, of the alignment assembly, pivotally attaches for allowing the archwire attachment to pivot;
- wherein one eyelet is attached to an end of the sleeve and one eyelet is attached to an end of the shaft;
- wherein the archwire attachment includes an archwire slot for providing an archwire therein, and a securing mechanism for fixedly securing the archwire attachment at a desired position along a length of the archwire.
A method for correcting an orthodontic abnormality, comprising:
- determining a corresponding position for attaching an orthodontic correction assembly to each of maxillary archwire and a mandibular archwire installed on a patient's dentition;
- first attaching a first archwire attachment of the correction assembly to the maxillary archwire at the determined corresponding position;
- second attaching a second archwire attachment of the correction assembly to the mandibular archwire at the determined corresponding position;
- adjusting a length of an alignment assembly of the correction assembly to provide the desired orthodontic pressures on the patient's dentition or jaw adjacent the corresponding positions where the first and second archwire attachments are attached;
- attaching a first end of the alignment assembly to the first archwire attachment so that the alignment assembly pivots relative to the first archwire attachment;
- and
- attaching a second end of the alignment assembly to the second archwire attachment so that the alignment assembly pivots relative to the second archwire attachment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.