Custom tray for delivering medication to oral structures
Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorPaul A. Burgio
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A dental tray for delivery medication to oral structure is custom-made to closely match the configuration of the oral structure. A lingual wall of the tray includes a lingual edge section having an outer edge that is spaced in a gingival direction from the patient's gingival margin a certain distance in order to reduce the possibility of adverse effects as might be caused by movement of the patient's tongue. A buccolabial wall of the tray has an outer edge that is closely adjacent the patient's gingival margin in order to increase patient comfort, reduce gingival irritation and improve patient compliance during the course of treatment.
Claims17
A custom-made medication delivery tray for delivering medication to tooth structure of a dental patient comprising:
- a body having a base, a buccolabial wall and a lingual wall, wherein the base, the buccolabial wall and the lingual wall present a channel generally complemental in configuration to the patient's tooth structure, wherein the buccolabial wall is adapted to extend at least in part along the gingival margin of the buccolabial side of the tooth structure without contacting the gingiva and wherein the lingual wall is adapted to extend along a line that is spaced at least in part at least 4 mm. in a gingival direction from the gingival margin of the tooth structure on a lingual side of the tooth structure.
A method of making a medication delivery tray for delivering medication to dental structure of a patient comprising the acts of:
- providing a model of at least a portion of a dental arch;
- forming a sheet member over at least part of the model;
- and
- trimming the sheet member to make the tray, wherein the act of trimming the sheet member includes the act of trimming the sheet member along a path corresponding to a line spaced no greater than 1.0 mm in an occlusal direction from a the gingival margin of the model on a buccolabial side of the model and also includes the act of trimming the sheet member along a path corresponding to a line that is spaced at least in part at least 4 mm. in a gingival direction from the gingival margin of the model on a lingual side of the model.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.