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AssigneeGreat Lakes Orthodontics, Ltd.
InventorsPeter R. Breads, Gerard P. Abbatte, Stephen P. Warunek
Estimating the term…
An orthodontic finishing positioner for maloccluded teeth to which are secured coupling members having portions protruding from the sides thereof, the positioner comprising an arcuate body of elastomer base material positioned about the teeth and coupling member of at least one dental arch and defining a recess for receiving teeth of at least one dental arch. The recess includes walls defining teeth-engaging surfaces shaped generally complementary to the surfaces of the teeth of the one dental arch when the teeth therein are positioned in a predetermined or ideal orientation. A series of indentations in the walls are disposed across the teeth-engaging surfaces, each indentation being shaped to nestingly accept a corresponding coupling member. When the positioner body is positioned within the patient's mouth and stretched about the teeth of the one dental arch so that the teeth thereof are received by the recess of the arcuate-shaped portion and each coupling member is accepted by a corresponding indentation, the stretched body effectively grasps the teeth and acts against the teeth and the coupling member to bias the teeth of the one arch toward the predetermined orientation. The positioner is constructed by forming a model of the teeth and coupling members of the one dental arch, repositioning the teeth-simulating portions of the model to a predetermined orientation and utilizing the model, with its repositioned teeth-simulating portions, as a standard for the formation of the desired positioner.
An orthodontic appliance for maloccluded teeth to which are operatively secured coupling members of the type including portions protruding from the sides of the teeth, said appliance comprising:
An orthodontic finishing positioner for teeth of a patient wherein at least one dental arch of the patient includes maloccluded teeth to which are secured coupling members of the type including portions protruding from the sides of the teeth, said appliance comprising:
In combination with coupling means mounted on the teeth of one dental arch of a patient wherein the coupling means includes a body portion protruding from the sides of the teeth, a tooth positioner including a monolithic body of elastomer base material having an arcuate-shaped portion along which is defined a recess for receiving teeth of the one dental arch, the recess having walls defining teeth-engaging surfaces shaped generally complementary to the surfaces of the teeth of said one dental arch when the teeth thereof are repositioned in a predetermined orientation and defining a series of cuplike indentations in the material of said body and disposed across said teeth-engaging surfaces, each indentation having an interior surface shaped in the material of said body to nestingly accept a corresponding protruding body portion of said coupling means when placed thereabout so that when said positioner body is operatively positioned within the patient's mouth and stretched about the teeth of the one dental arch so that the teeth thereof are accepted by a corresponding indentation, the protruding body portions and indentations coact as male and female couplers to releasably secure the positioner body to the teeth and the stretched body acts directly against the teeth and coupling means to urge the teeth of said one arch toward the predetermined orientation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.