Back to results
US 2019/0314115 A1Published application
Dental appliance for constraining the tongue
AssigneeTongue Laboratory Limited
InventorClaude Mauclaire
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dental appliance includes an attachment mechanism suited to attach the appliance on the teeth of a patient's upper jaw. The appliance includes a constraining mechanism linked to the attachment mechanism, where the constraining mechanism is suited to limit the movement of a central zone of the tongue and allow the anterior and lateral edges of the patient's tongue to perform movements necessary for speech and swallowing.
Claims20
1-14. (canceled)
A dental appliance comprising:
- an attachment mechanism adapted to attach the dental appliance onto molars of an upper jaw of a patient;
- and
- a constraining mechanism linked to the attachment mechanism, the constraining mechanism including:
- an arch having posterior end portions linked to the attachment mechanism and an anterior portion having an apex at an anterior end;
- and
- an adjustment mechanism to adjust the arch,
- wherein the arch is positioned relative to the attachment mechanism such that, when the attachment mechanism is attached to the molars of the upper jaw of the patient:
- (i) the anterior portion of the arch is maintained spaced apart from a palate of the patient to limit movement of an anterior portion of a central zone of a tongue of the patient toward the palate of the patient;
- (ii) the adjustment mechanism is positioned anterior relative to the attachment mechanism and portions of the arch posterior to the adjustment mechanism and extending anteriorly from the attachment mechanism towards the adjustment mechanism are angled towards an occlusal plane of the patient;
- and
- (iii) the apex of the arch approaches the occlusal plane of the patient relative to the attachment mechanism.
8 more elements
A method comprising:
- fitting a patient having a tongue dysfunction with a dental appliance, the dental appliance including:
- an attachment mechanism adapted to attach the dental appliance onto molars of an upper jaw of a patient;
- and
- a constraining mechanism linked to the attachment mechanism, the constraining mechanism including:
- an arch having posterior end portions linked to the attachment mechanism and an anterior portion having an apex at an anterior end;
- and
- an adjustment mechanism to adjust the arch;
- and
- attaching the dental appliance onto the molars of the upper jaw of the patient such that;
- (i) the anterior portion of the arch is maintained spaced apart from a palate of the patient to limit movement of an anterior portion of a central zone of a tongue of the patient toward the palate of the patient;
- (ii) the adjustment mechanism is positioned anterior relative to the attachment mechanism and portions of the arch posterior to the adjustment mechanism and extending anteriorly from the attachment mechanism towards the adjustment mechanism are angled towards an occlusal plane of the patient;
- and
- (iii) the apex of the arch approaches the occlusal plane of the patient relative to the attachment mechanism;
- and
- maintaining the appliance in place for a period of time sufficient to re-educate the patient's tongue so as to alleviate the dysfunction.
12 more elements
A method comprising:
- fitting a patient having a tongue dysfunction with a dental appliance, the dental appliance including:
- an attachment mechanism adapted to attach the dental appliance onto molars of an upper jaw of a patient;
- and
- a constraining mechanism linked to the attachment mechanism, the constraining mechanism including:
- an arch having posterior end portions linked to the attachment mechanism and an anterior portion having an apex at an anterior end;
- and
- an adjustment mechanism to adjust the arch, the adjustment mechanism including first and second pairs of loops positioned anterior to the posterior end portions;
- attaching the dental appliance onto the molars of the upper jaw of the patient such that;
- (i) the anterior portion of the arch is maintained spaced apart from a palate of the patient to limit movement of an anterior portion of a central zone of a tongue of the patient toward the palate of the patient;
- and
- (ii) the apex of the arch approaches the occlusal plane of the patient relative to the attachment mechanism;
- and
- maintaining the dental appliance attached to the molars of the upper jaw of the patient for at least three months such that the anterior portion of the central zone of the tongue of the patient is blocked from pressing against the palate for at least three months, thereby re-educating the tongue.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.