Appliance and method for assisting a patient in maintaining a forward-moving force on the patient's mandibular jaw

A method of assisting a patient to maintain a forward-moving force on the patient's mandibular jaw, comprising the steps of:

• mounting a first member on a tooth on one of the maxillary or mandibular jaws, said first member including an abutment/obstruction element having an abutment surface, an obstruction surface and a mounting section including a stem, said first member further including a mounting element for mounting said first member to a tooth on one of the maxillary or mandibular jaws, said stem being slidingly engageable with said mounting element;
• and
• mounting a second member on a tooth on the other one of the maxillary or mandibular jaws, said second member including a buccally extending projection and a mounting member for mounting said second member to a tooth on the other one of the maxillary or mandibular jaws, said second member being free of a permanent connection with said first member,
• said first and second members mounted so as to place said obstruction surface in generally vertical alignment with said buccally extending projection when the mandibular jaw is in its uncorrected position, causing said obstruction surface and buccally extending projection to strike each other when the patient attempts to close the mandibular and maxillary jaws with the mandibular jaw in its uncorrected position, thereby preventing complete closure of the mandibular and maxillary jaws unless the mandibular jaw is advanced in a forward direction from its uncorrected position sufficient to enable said buccally extending projection to clear said obstruction surface, at which point the patient may close the maxillary and mandibular jaws and bring said buccally extending projection into contact with said abutment surface so as to enable said buccally extending projection and said abutment surface to assist in maintaining a forward moving force on the patient's mandibular jaw.

A method of assisting a patient to maintain a forward moving force on the patient's jaw, comprising the steps of:

• mounting a first member on a tooth on one of the maxillary or mandibular jaws, said first member including an abutment/obstruction element having an abutment surface, an obstruction surface and a mounting section comprising a stem having a track member, said first member further including a mounting element for mounting said first member to a tooth on one of the maxillary or mandibular jaws, said mounting element including a complementary mounting section having a cooperative track member for engaging said track member;
• and
• mounting a second member on a tooth on the other one of the maxillary or mandibular jaws, said second member including a buccally extending projection having a mounting section including a track member, said second member further including a mounting member having a complementary mounting section including a cooperative track member for engaging said track member,
• said first and second members mounted so as to place said obstruction surface in generally vertical alignment with said buccally extending projection when the mandibular jaw is in its uncorrected position, causing said obstruction surface and buccally extending projection to strike each other when the patient attempts to close the mandibular and maxillary jaws with the mandibular jaw in its uncorrected position, thereby preventing complete closure of the mandibular and maxillary jaws unless the mandibular jaw is advanced in a forward direction from its uncorrected position sufficient to enable said buccally extending projection to clear said obstruction surface, at which point the patient may close the maxillary and mandibular jaws and bring said buccally extending projection into contact with said abutment surface so as to enable said buccally extending projection and said abutment surface to assist in maintaining a forward moving force on the patient's mandibular jaw.