Dental mask
OwnerJeffrey A. Jenkinsoninventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dental mask (A) is disclosed for protecting the facial area of a dental patient during dental work. The mask includes a mask frame (B) and a protective sheet (C). Latex (24) is used for protective sheet (C) having a medial opening (36) which fits about cheek retractors (12, 14) of mask frame (B). Support arms (26, 28, 30, and 20) support protective sheet (C) in a generally taut condition when the cheek retractors are inserted and retract the cheeks to expose an oral cavity (22) of the patient during dental work. Protective sheet (C) protects the surrounding facial area of the oral cavity, is inclined to provide proper breathing through the nose, and shields the eye area (42) against airborne contaminant particles which are likewise prevented from being deposited on the facial area of the patient.
Claims19
A dental mask device adapted for insertion in the oral cavity of a dental patient for supporting a protective sheet covering a surrounding facial area of the patient for protection against contact by airbone contaminant particles and the like resulting from dental work while retracting the patient's cheeks, said device comprising:
- a flexible mask frame;
- a pair of cheek retractors carried by said mask frame which are pivotable within said oral cavity;
- and
- support means Carried by said mask frame for attaching said protective sheet to said mask frame in a position that said patient's oral cavity is open for said dental work and the patient's nose is unobstructed for proper breathing while said facial area of said patient surrounding said open oral cavity is covered by the protective sheet to protect against deposition of said contaminant particles discharged from the oral cavity during dental work.
A dental mask device adapted for insertion in the oral cavity of a dental patient for supporting a protective sheet covering a surrounding facial area of the patient for protection against contact by airborne contaminant particles and the like resulting from dental work while retracting the patient's cheek, said device comprising:
- a flexible mask frame which is open at a portion of the frame defining a first free end and a second free end;
- a pair of cheek retractors carried by said flexible frame for retracting the left cheek and right cheek of the dental patient;
- retaining means carried by said cheek retractors about which an aperture in a portion of said protective sheet is fitted leaving said oral cavity open and exposed for said dental work while said protective sheet protects said surrounding facial area;
- lateral support means carried by the sides of said mask frame for attaching and supporting opposing sides of said protective sheet to cover said facial area of the patient in a generally taut condition;
- upper support means for supporting an upper side of said protective sheet in said taut condition;
- lower support means for supporting a lower side of said protective sheet in said generally taut condition;
- and
- attachment means carried by each said support means for attaching said protective sheet to said flexible mask frame.
A dental mask device adapted for insertion in the oral cavity of a dental patient for supporting a protective sheet covering a surrounding facial area of the patient for protection while retracting the patient's cheeks, said device comprising:
- a dental mask frame;
- a pair of moveable cheek retractors carried by said frame in a manner that said cheek retractors may be inserted into said oral cavity of the patient and be retained in said oral cavity with said cheeks of patient being retracted while supporting said mask frame over the facial area of said patient;
- support means carried by said dental mask frame for supporting a protective sheet to cover said facial area of said patient;
- upper support means for supporting an upper edge of said protective sheet above the oral cavity and adjacent the nose;
- and
- said upper support means supporting said protective sheet inclined outwardly from a plane of said dental mask frame for supporting said protective sheet at an inclination to the facial area for an unobstructed nose and proper breathing and to provide a shield for deflecting airborne contaminants and particles from the eyes of the patient during dental work.
A method of protecting a surrounding area of an oral cavity of a dental patient against contact by airborne contaminant particles and the like during dental work comprising:
- using a cheek retractor to retract the cheeks of said patient during said dental work;
- and
- supporting a protective sheet having a medial aperture covering the facial area of the dental patient on a frame common and integral with the cheek retractors so that the frame and protective sheet are held in place while the cheek retractor is inserted in the oral cavity properly positioning said protective sheet for covering said facial area while leaving said oral cavity open and exposed through said apertures for dental work.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.