Dental treatment method and apparatus

A method for determining the anterior/posterior (A/P) goal position for the maxillary incisor teeth of a patient comprising the following steps:

• freeing the patient's forehead of hair;
• having the patient smile to fully expose the crowns of the maxillary incisor teeth;
• finding a reference position on the patient's forehead;
• imagining a hypothetical line descending from the reference position that parallels the head's estimated midfrontal plane;
• and
• using said line to determine the A/P goal position for the maxillary incisor teeth.

A method for determining the anterior/posterior, (A/P) goal position for the maxillary incisor teeth of a patient comprising the following steps:

• positioning the patient's head at a generally vertical attitude;
• freeing the patient's forehead of hair;
• having the patient smile to fully expose the crowns of the maxillary incisor teeth;
• finding a reference position on the patient's forehead;
• imagining a hypothetical line descending from the reference position that parallels the head's estimated midfrontal plane;
• measuring the cant of the patient's forehead relative to the hypothetical line;
• if the cant is equal to or less than about 7.degree., choosing the A/P goal position as the A/P position of the hypothetical line;
• if the cant is greater than about 7.degree., choosing the A/P goal position as the A/P position of the hypothetical line plus about 0.6 mm anterior for each degree of cant greater than 7.degree.;
• and
• transferring positional information, corresponding to the A/P goal position, to a dental articulator.

A dental articulator comprising:

• an upper part;
• a lower part;
• A hinge joint, corresponding to the TMJ axis of a patient, pivotally coupling the upper and lower parts;
• and
• means for indicating the distance between the anterior/posterior (A/P) position of a chosen point on the patient's forehead and the A/P position of the hinge joint.

A dental articulator comprising:

• an upper part;
• a lower part;
• a hinge joint pivotally coupling the upper and lower parts;
• and
• means for indicating the A/P treatment goal position for the maxillary central incisor teeth of a patient, the indicating means including a series of closely-spaced open areas adapted to vertically secure an elongate indicator to the dental articulator at a series of closely-spaced positions.

A combination of a dental bite fork and a dental verticalizer comprising:

• the dental verticalizer including:
• a leveling member including a level;
• and
• a protractor device mounted to the leveling member, the protractor device including a pivotal part positionable against a patient's forehead for indicating the cant of the patient's forehead at a chosen position when the leveling member is horizontal and the patient's head is at a generally vertical attitude;
• the dental bite for comprising:
• an arch-shaped plate configured for positioning between the maxillary arch and the mandibular arch of a patient;
• a handle extending from the arch-shaped plate;
• and
• an extension extending from a chosen one of the arch-shaped plate and handle, the extension having a contact surface positioned to contact an anterior surface of a maxillary central incisor tooth of the patient when the arch-shaped plate is secured between the maxillary and mandibular arches;
• and
• means for coupling the dental verticalizer to the bite fork.

A dental facebow, for use in conjunction with a dental articulator, comprising:

• a generally U-shaped frame including a base and first and second legs, each said leg having a distal end;
• ear plugs at the distal ends;
• the frame including an estimated axis for a temporomandibular joint (estimated TMJ axis);
• a scale mounted to the frame for measuring the anterior/posterior (A/P) distance from a chosen position on the forehead to the estimated TMJ axis;
• a level mounted to the frame for determining when the frame is horizontal.

A dental facebow comprising:

• a generally U-shaped frame including a base and first and second legs, each said leg having a distal end;
• ear plugs at the distal ends;
• the frame including an estimated axis for a temporomandibular joint (estimated TMJ axis);
• a scale mounted to the frame for measuring anterior/posterior (A/P) distances from the estimated TMJ axis;
• a level mounted to the frame for determining when the frame is horizontal;
• and
• a protractor device including an arm pivotally mounted to the frame for pivoted movement about the estimated TMJ axis.

A dental facebow, verticalizer and bite fork assembly comprising:

• a dental verticalizer comprising:
• a leveling member including a level;
• and
• a protractor device mounted to the leveling member, the protractor device including a pivotal part positionable aganist a patient's forehead for indicating the cant of the patient's forehead at a chosen position when the leveling member is horizontal and the patient's head is at a generally vertical attitude;
• a dental bite fork including:
• an arch-shaped plate configured for positioning between the maxillary arch and the mandibular arch of a patient;
• a handle extending from the arch-shaped plate;
• and
• an extension extending from a chosen one of the arch-shaped plate and handle, the extension having a contact surface positioned to contact an anterior surface of a maxillary central incisor tooth of the patient when the arch-shaped plate is secured between the maxillary and mandibular arches;
• means for coupling the verticalizer to the bite fork;
• and
• a dental facebow including:
• a generally U-shaped frame including a base and first and second legs, each said leg having a distal end;
• ear plugs at the distal ends;
• the frame including an estimated axis for a temporomandibular joint (estimated TMJ axis);
• a scale mounted to the frame for measuring anterior/posterior (A/P) distances from the estimated TMJ axis;
• a level mounted to the frame for determining when the scale is horizontal;
• means for coupling the bite fork to the facebow.

A dental facebow and bite fork assembly comprising:

• a dental bite fork including:
• an arch-shaped plate configured for positioning between the maxillary arch and the mandibular arch of a patient;
• a handle extending from the arch-shaped plate
• an extension extending from a chosen one of the arch-shaped plate and handle, the extension having a contact surface positioned to contact an anterior surface of a maxillary central incisor tooth of the patient when the arch-shaped plate is secured between the maxillary and mandibular arches;
• a dental facebow including:
• a generally U-shaped frame including a base and first and second legs, each said leg having a distal end;
• ear plugs at the distal ends;
• the frame including an estimated axis for a temporomandibular joint (estimated TMJ axis);
• a scale mounted to the frame for measuring anterior/posterior (A/P) distances from the estimated TMJ axis;
• a level mounted to the frame for determining when the scale is horizontal;
• means for coupling the bite fork to the facebow;
• and;
• a protractor device including an arm pivotally mounted to the frame for pivoted movement about the estimated TMJ axis.

A dental verticalizer comprising:

• a leveling member including a level;
• a protractor device mounted to the leveling member, the protractor device including a pivotal part positionable against a patient's forehead for indicating the cant of the patient's forehead at a chosen position when the leveling member is horizontal and the patient's head is at a generally vertical attitude;
• and
• an elongate, vertically oriented locating member pendulously supported from the protractor device to hang along the side of the patient's face.

A dental verticalizer comprising:

• a leveling member including a level;
• a protractor device mounted to the leveling member, the protractor device including a pivotal part positionable against a patient's forehead for indicating the cant of the patient's forehead at a chosen position when the leveling member is horizontal and the patient's head is at a generally vertical attitude;
• means for positioning the protractor device relative to the maxillary central incisor teeth of a patient, the positioning means including a generally vertical member adjustably secured to the leveling member by a coupling element;
• and
• the leveling member including a scale for indicating the position of the coupling element along the leveling member.