Method and Apparatus for Treating Malocclusions and Teeth Alignment

An orthodontic appliance which cooperates with both an upper and a lower dental arch of a patient to achieve a predetermined orthodontic treatment, comprising:

• a pair of archwires each having a longitudinal axis, and which are individually releasably attached to a multiplicity of teeth, and which further, collectively, form the respective upper and lower dental arches of a patient undergoing orthodontic treatment;
• a pair of archwire couplers which are individually releasably attached to each of the respective archwires, and which further defines an internal cavity, a first passageway, a second passageway and a recess/void;
• a pair of fasteners which individually releasably cooperate with each archwire coupler, and which further forcibly frictionally engage one of the archwires within the internal cavity of the respective archwire couplers, and at least partially force a deformation of the archwire into the recess/void;
• an outer, cylindrically shaped tube having opposite first and second ends, and which further defines an internal cavity which extends between the first and second ends thereof;
• a first attachment member defining an aperture, and which is made integral with the outer, cylindrically shaped tube, and wherein one of fasteners passes through the aperture, and the first attachment member rotates freely about the fastener;
• a first, intermediate tube which has opposite first and second ends, and an internal cavity which extends between the first and second ends thereof, and which further is telescopingly received within the internal cavity which is defined by the outer, cylindrically shaped tube, and is reciprocally moveable relative thereto;
• a second, intermediate tube which has opposite first and second ends, and an internal cavity extending between the first and second ends thereof, and which further is telescopingly received within the internal cavity of the first, intermediate tube, and is reciprocally moveable relative thereto;
• an inner, elongated rod which has opposite first and second ends, and which is telescopingly received within the internal cavity of the second, intermediate tube, and is further reciprocally moveable relative thereto;
• a second attachment member defining an aperture, and which is affixed to the second end of the inner elongated rod, and wherein another of the fasteners passes through the aperture which is defined by the second attachment member, and the second attachment member further freely rotates about the fastener, and wherein the first and second attachment members are individually rotatably affixed to one of the pair of archwires by way of the respective archwire couplers, and individual cooperating fasteners;
• and
• a compression spring which is received, at least in part, within the internal cavity which is defined by the outer, cylindrically shaped tube, and wherein a movement of the lower dental arch from an open position, where the lower dental arch is spaced from the upper dental arch, to a closed position, and where the lower dental arch is located in a closely adjacent orientation relative to the upper dental arch, and which defines an occlusal plane, is effective in imparting telescoping, reciprocal movement to the respective inner elongated rod, and first and second intermediate tubes relative to the outer, cylindrically shaped tube, along a course of travel from a first, extended position, where the inner elongated rod, and first and second intermediate tubes are located longitudinally, outwardly relative to the outer, cylindrically shaped tube, and in a distally displaced orientation;
• and to a second, retracted position, and where the inner elongated rod, and the first and second cylindrically shaped tubes are substantially telescopingly received, and enclosed within the internal cavity as defined by the outer, cylindrically shaped tube, and wherein at least a portion of this telescoping, reciprocal motion between the first and second positions is effected without a biasing force being imparted by the compression spring to cause the telescoping, reciprocal movement between the first, extended position, and the second, retracted position, and wherein the biasing force of the compression spring effects the movement of the upper and lower dental arches, in opposite directions, one relative to the other, only when the elongated rod, and the first and second cylindrically shaped tubes are located substantially in the second, retracted position.

A method for moving a lower dental arch relative to an upper dental arch while simultaneously moving malpositioned teeth relative to the upper and lower dental arches, comprising:

• releasably attaching individual orthodontic brackets to a multiplicity of teeth which form the respective upper and lower dental arches of the patient, and wherein the lower and upper dental arches form an occlusal plane when the respective dental arches are closed;
• providing a pair of individual archwires each having a longitudinal axis, and which are individually releasably attached to the individual orthodontic brackets, and initiating movement of the malpositioned teeth with the respective archwires;
• after the step of releasably attaching the individual archwires, the method further comprises providing a first and second archwire coupler, each of the first and second archwire couplers having a main body having a first end portion and a second end portion and each main body defining an internal cavity with a first passageway and a second passageway, and a recess/void axially aligned with the first passageway;
• attaching the first archwire coupler in a predetermined position on the archwire which is located on the upper dental arch of the patient, and attaching a second archwire coupler in a predetermined position on the archwire which is located on the lower dental arch of the patient, by placing the respective archwires within the internal cavity of the respective archwire coupler without detaching the individual archwires from the individual orthodontic brackets adhered to the teeth forming the upper and lower dental arches of the patient undergoing orthodontic treatment;
• providing first and second fasteners which individually releasably cooperate with the first passageway defined by the first and second archwire coupler, and orienting the respective fasteners so that a distal end portion of each fastener forcibly frictionally engages an anterior facing surface of the archwire carried within the second passageway of the respective first and second archwire couplers, and the engagement of the distal end of the fastener with the archwire causes an inward dimpling of the archwire on the anterior facing surface and creates an outward protruding deformation on a posterior facing surface of the archwire, and the outward protruding deformation is accommodated within the void/recess defined in the archwire coupler internal cavity;
• providing an outer, cylindrically shaped tube having opposite, first and second ends, and which further defines an internal cavity which extends between the first and second ends thereof;
• providing a first attachment member defining an aperture, and which is made integral with the outer, cylindrically shaped tube, and passing the first fastener through the aperture defined by the first attachment member, and rendering the first attachment member, and the outer, cylindrically shaped tube freely rotatable about the first fastener;
• providing a first, intermediate tube which has opposite, first and second ends, and an internal cavity which extends between the first and second ends thereof, and telescopingly positioning the first intermediate tube within the internal cavity defined by the outer, cylindrically shaped tube;
• providing a second, intermediate tube which has opposite, first and second ends, and an internal cavity extending between the first and second ends thereof, and telescopingly positioning the second, intermediate tube within the internal cavity of the first, intermediate tube;
• providing an inner, elongated rod which has opposite, first and second ends, and telescopingly positioning the inner, elongated rod within the internal cavity of the second, intermediate tube;
• providing a second attachment member defining an aperture, and affixing the second attachment member to the second end of the inner elongated rod, and passing the second fastener through the aperture defined by the second attachment member, and wherein the second fastener cooperates with the second archwire coupler which is affixed to the archwire, and which is located along the lower dental arch of the patient, and wherein the second fastener renders the second attachment member, and the inner, elongated rod freely rotatable about the second fastener;
• providing a compression spring and orienting the compression spring, at least in part within the internal cavity of the outer, cylindrically shaped tube;
• and
• moving the lower dental arch from an open position, where the lower dental arch is spaced, and in a non-parallel relationship relative to the upper dental arch, to a closed position, and where the lower dental arch is located in a closely adjacent, and substantially parallel orientation relative to the upper dental arch, and along an occlusal plane, and wherein the movement of the lower dental arch, by the patient, from the open position to the closed position is effective in imparting telescoping, reciprocal movement, along a course of travel, to the respective inner elongated rod, and first and second intermediate tubes relative to the outer, cylindrically shaped tube, from a first, extended position, and where the inner elongated rod, and first and second intermediate tubes are extended longitudinally outwardly relative to the outer, cylindrically shaped tube, and in a distally displaced orientation relative to the outer, cylindrically shaped tube;
• and to a second, retracted position, and where the inner elongated rod, and first and second cylindrically shaped tubes are substantially telescopingly received, and enclosed within, the internal cavity which is defined by the outer, cylindrically shaped tube, and wherein a preponderance of the telescoping, reciprocal motion of the inner, elongated rod, and first and second intermediate tubes relative to the outer, cylindrically shaped tube, and between the first extended position, and the second, retracted position is caused without a biasing force being imparted by the compression spring to effect the telescoping, reciprocal movement, and wherein the biasing force exerted by the compression spring is effective, when the dental arches of the patient are in a closed position, to move the upper dental arch in a rearward direction while simultaneously causing the lower arch to move in a forward direction, and without simultaneously interfering with the movement of the malpositioned teeth in the upper and lower dental arches and which is caused by the presence of the upper and lower archwires.