Abstract: An oral appliance and method for reducing snoring including upper and lower mouthpiece portion, each of which having a rigid structural core and a relatively soft outer portion which may be conformed to fit the upper teeth of the user. The upper and lower mouthpiece portions are first mounted on a holder with the upper mouthpiece portion positioned forward a desired offset amount from the lower mouthpiece portion (preferably about 3.0 mm). The entire assembly is then heated and the outer soft material of the upper and lower mouthpiece portions softens and may be placed in the mouth to permit the mouthpiece portions to be conformed to the upper and lower teeth. Once the upper and lower mouthpiece portions have been properly fitted, the assembly is removed from the mouth and allowed to set into a permanent state. The upper and lower mouthpiece portions are then removed from the holder and attached directly to one another without any offset therebetween forming the full mouthpiece.

Abstract: An athletic mouthguard adapted for use by athletes and other persons engaged in physical activities which might result in occlusal or craniofacial stress. In one embodiment, the athletic mouthguard is a unitary structure which comprises a mouthpiece and an elongated strap adapted for attachment to the face mask of a helmet or the like. The mouthpiece, which is designed for use over the upper set of teeth of the wearer, includes an inner peripheral wall, an outer peripheral wall, and a connecting wall, the inner surfaces of which define a channel. The occlusal surface of the channel is more narrow in the anterior region and becomes more broad as one moves posteriorly so as to accommodate the non-uniform widths of the various teeth. In addition, the occlusal surface of the channel becomes progressively more concavely-shaped as one moves posteriorly from the first bicuspid tooth to accommodate the increasing convexity of the posterior teeth.

Abstract: A bite plate is provided to protect a user's teeth from damage due to teeth grinding and/or long term interdigitating pressure, as during cervical traction. The device defines a trench for receiving at least some of the upper teeth of a user and is self fitting to accommodate both narrow and wide dental arches. Once inserted into the mouth the device snugly engages the front teeth and remains positioned, keeping the teeth of the upper and lower jaws from directly engaging and being damaged.

Abstract: A dental orthosis is provided for use in the treatment of snoring. The upper portion of the device defines a trough for receiving some of the upper teeth of the patient. The rear wall of the trough is truncated so that the device can accommodate both narrow and wide dental arches so that one size of the device can accommodate substantially all users. Once inserted into the mouth the device snugly engages the upper teeth, particularly the front teeth, and remains positioned independent of natural motions of the lower jaw. The lower portion of the device is formed into a ramp structure whereby natural jaw motions result in the engagement of the lower teeth with the ramp, which will cam the lower jaw into a more forward position.

Abstract: A mouthpiece for use in diving or medical equipment, among others made of moldable resilient material having an offset between upper and lower jaw, a bite plane which is tapered with the bite plane formed by wings which have varying thickness to create the taper in which the wing members have substantially vertical surfaces on either side thereof for contacting the lateral surfaces of the user's cuspids and bicuspids and in which the main body portion has upper and lower apron and eminence skirts for avoiding contact with the user's frenum and cuspid eminences and in which the internal wing members have a range in size, at the cuspid, from about 6 to about 12 mm in width, from about 14 to about 40 mm in length and from about 2 mm to about 8 mm in thickness. The greater the offset, the shorter the length of the internal wing members.

Abstract: During radiotherapy for malignant conditions, healthy tissues can suffer from radiation damage. Traditional radiation shields designed to protect healthy tissues are prepared by a lengthy, multi-step complex procedure. Materials are described for preparation of a radiation shield for use during radiation therapy, especially therapy of the head and neck, where the material comprises a composite of non-radioactive, non-toxic high atomic density metal or metal alloy spherical particles dispersed in a manually moldable elastomeric material. Custom radiation shields are formulated of this material without the need for use of impressions or molds. Healthy tissues may then be shielded during radiation therapy by positioning the custom-fitted radiation shield in the desired location on the patient's body.

Abstract: A mouthguard that possesses a number of unique features including: a two part main body in which the two parts are exactly identical so that they can be fabricated by the same mold; the main body has internal pockets that provide for the placement of a lower durometer material within the main body, particularly the molar regions; the main body is constructed in two parts to provide for the inclusion of air/saliva ducts and the attachment of a separate attaching strap; the relative thicknesses of the liner material and the main body material can be varied in particular ways at the occlusal wall; the buccal wall has pocketry containing different durometer material; a bite locator is provided; and the liner forms a significant portion of the buccal wall as a smooth rounded edge.

Abstract: A snore inhibiting device comprises a moulding of resilient yieldable material formed to be complementary to the shape of the teeth of the upper arch of a user, so as to have a plurality of interconnected pockets to closely engage the teeth of the upper arch, and also having a depending flange which is co-operable with the lower lip of a user, so as to obstruct the air flow passage through the mouth to the lungs, the depth of the flange being such that the passage opens upon wide opening of the mouth, and is such that the mouth can be closed with comfort.

Abstract: A direct-formed mouthguard is provided. The mouthguard is formed from a blank which includes an inner layer, a rigid core disposed adjacent to and coextensively with the inner layer and an outer layer disposed adjacent to and coextensively with the core. Impressions of the user's intra-oral structures are made in the inner and outer layers by heating the blank to a predetermined temperature range and subjecting the blank to bite pressure. The impressions are set and the finished mouthguard is formed by cooling the blank below the predetermined temperature range. The core is formed from a material having a softening temperature above the predetermined temperature range and therefore provides structural support for the inner and outer layers when the blank is heated to the predetermined temperature range and after the blank is cooled to form the finished mouthguard.

Abstract: A pressure sensitive mouth piece has a pressure detector-sound unit assembly mounted on or embedded in the molded bite guard. When a patient clenches or bruxes his teeth, the pressure detector senses that condition and activates the sound unit to emit a tone audible to the patient. The patient is thereby alerted that he is clenching or bruxing his teeth so he can stop. Alternatively, a mechanical clicker can be embedded in the mouth piece and will emit an audible tone when the patient clenches or bruxes his teeth.

Abstract: A mouthguard that has a body having upper and lower troughs conforming generally to the upper and lower arches. Liners of impression material are disposed in the respective troughs for conformance to the actual impressions of the teeth of the arches. The body has an occlusal wall that contains a series of spaced-apart air/saliva ducts extending in a lingual/buccal sense to establish lingual/buccal fluid communication. The liners are mechanically interlocked to the mouthguard body by interlocking material that extend along the edges of the respective troughs and also by integral connections which extend through the occlusal wall between the two troughs in bridging portions of the occlusal wall that separate the air/saliva ducts.

Abstract: A mouthpiece comprising an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer having a vinyl acetate content of from 12 to 33 wt %, and the process for producing the same comprising the steps of:preparing a thermoplastic elastic sheet material formed to be increased in thickness from one end to the other end;preparing a teeth impression cast of a user who is going to use a mouthpiece to be produced; andpressing said teeth impression cast against said thermoplastic elastic sheet material in a softened state so as to transfer a shape of said teeth of said user onto said thermoplastic elastic sheet material to thereby obtain a mouthpiece which is set to be thicker at a portion corresponding to a front teeth position than at a portion corresponding to a molar teeth position.

Abstract: A preformed pattern for forming an occlusal splint comprises a U-shaped member composed of material that is form-stable at room temperature and sufficiently pliable at an elevated temperature to be conformed to the bits of a person's jaw or to a model of such person's jaw.

Abstract: An improved protective mouthguard blank is adapted for in situ custom-fitting by an athlete/patient. A method for in situ custom-fitting is disclosed. The resulting in situ custom-fitted mouthpiece provides superior retention and protective characteristics. The protective mouthguard blank has a generally V-shaped channel corresponding to a normal dental arch and is formed from thermoplastic substances which have a softening, moldable temperature in the range of 120-160 degrees F. The protective mouthguard blank has outer side walls which are longer than the labial vestibule and the buccal vestivules of the athlete/patient. The resulting in situ custom-formed protective mouthguard consequently has an outer side wall which substantially entirely fills the athlete/patient's buccal vestibules and labial vestibule.