Patents Assigned to Professional Positioners, Inc.
  • Tooth positioner with harder areas
    Patent number: 4448735
    Abstract: Tooth positioner comprising several integral tooth engaging portions formed of materials having different hardness, the harder portions of which assist in anchoring the tooth positioner in its proper position in the patient's mouth.Further, a method of making such tooth positioners by enclosing dental counterpart of the mold to form a first portion of the positioner, placing at least one other material into the mold in interfacing relation to the first portion to form a second portion of the tooth positioner, and curing the several materials into an integral body before extracting the positioner from the mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1982
    Date of Patent: May 15, 1984
    Assignee: Professional Positioners, Inc.
    Inventor: Gerald W. Huge
  • Tooth positioner with harder areas
    Patent number: 4370129
    Abstract: Tooth positioner comprising several integral tooth engaging portions formed of materials having different hardness, the harder portions of which assist in anchoring the tooth positioner in its proper position in the patient's mouth.Further, a method of making such tooth positioners by enclosing dental counterpart of the mold to form a first portion of the positioner, placing at least one other material into the mold in interfacing relation to the first portion to form a second portion of the tooth positioner, and curing the several materials into an integral body before extracting the positioner from the mold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 1981
    Date of Patent: January 25, 1983
    Assignee: Professional Positioners, Inc.
    Inventor: Gerald W. Huge
  • Intra-oral tooth positioner and process for production thereof
    Patent number: 4055895
    Abstract: One or more prestressed elastic bands is incorporated into a resilient tooth positioner (such as that described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,467,432 and 2,531,222) in such a manner that they bear on the buccal and labial surfaces of one or both arches of a patient's teeth. Such incorporation causes the tooth positioner to tend to contract while in place so that inward pressure is exerted on the teeth of one or both arches, closing spaces between the teeth. Such prestressed elastic bands may be incorporated into resilient tooth positioners by stretching pre-cured elastic bands along the arch of a cast of a patient's teeth (or along an arch-shaped generalized form) and maintaining such tension while molding identical or compatible uncured material around the teeth and bands and while curing such materials to complete the appliance. Such bands may also be attached to existing tooth positioners by various means, and bands having various configuration can be used.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 1976
    Date of Patent: November 1, 1977
    Assignee: Professional Positioners, Inc.
    Inventor: Gerald W. Huge