Abstract: A pacifier, a system and a method for maintaining proper dentitions in a child are provided. The pacifier may have a bulb which is connected to an external shield by an isthmus. A child may suck on the bulb when the pacifier is worn in the mouth. The isthmus connecting the bulb and the external shield may be flat. Moreover, the isthmus may have a thickness which may be less than a thickness of known connectors, and may be wider from side-to-side than connectors associated with known pacifiers which connect a bulb and an external shield. As a result, the pacifier may prevent the child from developing, for example, an open bite or other malocclusion. The pacifier may or may not incorporate a thickened pillow to aid in the reduction of pain associated with teething.

Abstract: A system of dental appliances having various sizes and types and a method for treating malocclusions of patients of various ages without adjustments or appointments are provided. The dental appliances may be sized to treat, for example, patients in age ranges of less than six years; six years to twelve years; and twelve or more years. The dental appliances may have preformed and/or customized sockets and/or slots for more than one tooth, such as incisors and/or canines and/or molars and/or premolars and/or deciduous molars and/or adult molars. The dental appliances may be one-size-fits-all type dental appliances. The dental appliances may be used to treat a malocclusion, such as, for example, an overbite, an overjet, crowding, spacing, or temporomandibular joint problems, and may be distributed in an over-the-counter manner.

Abstract: Dental appliances and systems and methods for treating malocclusions are provided. The dental appliances may have an upper shell and a lower shell which receive upper teeth and lower teeth, respectively, of a user. In addition, the upper shell and the lower shell may be attached by a fastening device, such as, for example, snaps, magnets, or the like. By attaching the upper shell and the lower shell, the dental appliance may treat malocclusions, such as, for example, overjet or overbite. The upper shell and/or the lower shell may be constructed from a hard material and a softer material, respectively. In an embodiment, the upper shell and the lower shell may be connected by, for example, a spring or a hinge.

Abstract: A dental appliance and a method for correcting the arch shape and/or size of a patient by utilizing existing tooth shapes and sizes are provided. A method for correcting the position of the arch and/or teeth of a person is also provided either by a computer program or manually. Also provided is a method for correcting the position of teeth in the mouth, erupting teeth and/or teeth expected to erupt by utilizing existing tooth shapes and sizes and/or group standards. The dental appliance may be formed manually from altered models of the patient or may be formed from models made by stereolithography from a computer image. Further, the dental appliance may be made directly from laser-scanned models by stereolithography. Further, the dental appliances may have teeth sockets which may accept either a single tooth or multiple teeth. The teeth sockets may be formed to match the corresponding tooth of the patient identically or may be formed to correct the position of the tooth into the proper location.

Abstract: Dental appliances and systems and methods for distributing dental appliances are provided. The dental appliances may be worn within a mouth of a patient to treat a dental condition. The dental appliances may be distributed to the patient through various venues. The venues range from those in which the patient has direct contact with a care provider to those in which the patient is able to independently determine an appropriate dental appliance to treat the dental condition. As a result, the amount of interaction between the patient and a care provider is significantly reduced, as well as an overall cost of treatment. The time necessary for appointments, if any, is also reduced and/or eliminated.

Abstract: An apparatus, a system and a method are provided for automatic tooth straightening. An appliance may be placed on teeth to straighten teeth. The appliance may be fabricated manually or by stereolithography using a computer program that formulates a three-dimensional digital model. The appliance or series of appliances may be made to fit a particular patient wherein a portion of the appliance may be attached to fully erupted teeth that are substantially straight. The appliance may fit onto the teeth that do not require straightening using a section that may be made from relatively stiff material. The appliance may remain in the mouth in a relative constant position. The erupted teeth that require straightening may be straightened with a softer more resilient material so that fewer appliances may be required than if a stiffer material were used.

Abstract: An orthodontic appliance is provided which includes an upper tooth receiving trough and a lower tooth receiving trough which are hinged together at a posterior portion of the appliance. The hinge is constructed so that the appliance is self opening to cause the troughs to maintain contact with the teeth when the patient's mouth is open. The appliance is formed of a soft and sticky plastic material so that it will adhere closely to the patient's teeth. Surface features are provided on opposing surfaces of the troughs to prevent the troughs from sticking to one another when the appliance is closed. An interference area is provided at the hinges to prevent the hinges from completely closing to assist in self opening of the appliance.

Abstract: An apparatus, a system and a method are provided for providing a dental diagnosis and/or a dental appliance to a user by examining a portion of a mouth of the user. To this end, the apparatus, system and method may evaluate images whether digital, still, video, digital x-ray or the like, of the portion of the mouth to determine if a medical condition may be cured and/or corrected by a dental appliance stored within a machine and capable of being dispensed from the machine. In addition, the system may provide a wafer or tray which the user may position in his mouth to make an impression. The wafer or tray, or an image of the wafer or tray, may then be sent to an individual and/or a central processing unit. Also, a user may position a film within his mouth and transmit the film or an image of the film to an individual and/or a central processing unit.

Abstract: An apparatus, a system and a method are provided for providing a dental diagnosis and/or a dental appliance to a user by examining a portion of a mouth of the user. To this end, the apparatus, system and method evaluate images whether digital, still, video, digital x-ray or the like, of the portion of the mouth to determine if a medical condition may be cured and/or corrected by a dental appliance stored within a machine and capable of being dispensed from the machine. The apparatus, system and method may evaluate the condition of a user from images of a single tooth. Moreover, evaluation of the images may be performed by the central processing unit of the apparatus or by an outside source, by having the images transmitted via, for example, the internet, electronic mail, telephony, satellite, or other means, to another computer or individual. The user may also take images of his mouth while positioning a ruler or other measuring device adjacent to the mouth.

Abstract: An intra-oral appliance is disclosed for repositioning the user's mandible anterior to the user's maxillary teeth thus opening the user's oral and pharyngeal passageway and preventing snoring and sleep apnea. The appliance is two U-shaped plates joined to form a hinge. The upper plate has a labial-buccal wall but no lingual wall, which allows anterior positioning of the tongue. The lower plate has both a labial-buccal wall and a lingual wall. The walls are pliable to reduce pressure on the user's teeth and vary in height and thickness. Lingual tabs are employed to help position the appliance. A method for using the intra-oral appliance is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for diagnosing orthodontic conditions of an individual. The apparatus includes an outer case and a user interface disposed on the outer case for communicating with the individual. The apparatus further has diagnostic hardware including at least one digital camera carried within the case adapted to take a plurality of video images of the teeth and mouth of the individual. The apparatus further has electronic circuitry which is preprogrammed with statistical data for comparison to actual data collected by the diagnostic hardware and transmitted to the electronic circuitry. The circuitry is further adapted to diagnose whether the individual has correctable orthodontic conditions. The apparatus is further adapted to dispense instructions to the individual for receiving proper corrective orthodontic care. The method of the invention includes providing an apparatus adapted to take various digital images of the individual's teeth and mouth.

Abstract: An orthodontic appliance for assisting in properly positioning teeth within the mouth of an individual which is capable of fitting various mouth and tooth sizes. The appliance includes a labial-buccal flange, a lingual flange spaced from the labial-buccal flange, both of which define a generally U-shaped configuration in the occlusal view, and an isthmus interconnecting the two flanges. At least one tooth trough is defined between the labial-buccal flange and the lingual flange for receiving either an upper or a lower row of the individual's teeth. The appliance includes no individual tooth sockets but instead utilizes pressure applied by the labial-buccal flange, the lingual flange, and the relative angles and material thicknesses to properly position the teeth. The appliance is capable of fitting mouths and teeth of various sizes because it includes no individual tooth sockets. The appliance is also useful as a device for preventing sleep apnea, snoring and bruxism as well as an athletic mouth guard.

Abstract: An orthodontic appliance of the type which is generally U-shaped in plan view and includes a tooth receiving trough formed between lingual and labial/buccal side flanges in at least one of the upper or lower sides thereof is provided for use by Caucasoid, Mongoloid and Negroid patients. The trough includes tooth receiving depressions for receiving and positioning teeth from central and lateral incisors to and including a molar. The appliance preferably is preformed in a range of different sizes to accommodate different sized mouths and stages of dentition. The troughs, when two are provided, may be vertically fixed relative to one another in that the appliance is a single body device or may be movable relative to one another and joined at a pair of posterior hinges.

Abstract: A tooth positioner which is formed out of molded plastic to conform about arches defined by upper and lower rows of teeth, the positioner being generally U-shaped in plan and H-shaped in cross-section, the positioner having troughs sized and shaped to conform to the arches, the troughs being defined by lingual and labial-buccal flanges joined together by an isthmus including a wire embedded in the lingual flange to alter the shape of at least one of the arches.

Abstract: A human detention appliance or pacifier device or anti-thumb sucking device is made by a method of injection molding whereby a charge of fluoridating material is admixed with a high-temperature solvent, and then tumbled with a base thermoplastic molding material to form a pre-fluoridated mixture stable which is stable within the temperatures necessary to melt the mixture and the high-temperature limit of the high-temperature solvent, and physically embodied in the molding so that when used, the fluoridating material will leach out of the appliance and become mixed with fluids in the mouth at the buccal, labial, lingual and occlusal surfaces of the teeth which come in contact with the appliance.