Abstract: The present invention is an improved female joint portion (40) for the Stress Breaker Appliance.RTM. (10). It comprises a wedge shaped female socket (40) which will receive the wedge shaped male member (16) of the Stress Breaker Appliance.RTM. (10). The female member (40) has two side walls (42) and a rear wall (44), and has an occlusal opening (50) and a gingival opening (52). It tapers inwardly in a gingival direction. As a result of the taper, the occlusal opening (50) is larger than the gingival opening (52) so that said male member (16) cannot fall below the gingival opening (52) of the female member (40). The two opposing walls (42) have holes (46) through them for retaining a connecting pin (36). The purpose of the pin (36) is to retain the wedge shaped male member (16) within the wedge shaped female member (40) and constrain their movements relative to each other. A flap ( 48) is pierced in the rear wall (44).

Abstract: A concealed, resilient and flexible mouth splint for placing in the mouth of an individual around the upper maxillary posterior teeth to affect the tension of the masticator muscles of the individual is disclosed. The device comprises a right channel (22) and a left channel (24) for fitting over the left first molar and the right first molar, respectively. The top side (30A, 30B) of each channel member is molded to conform with the biting surface of the first molars, and each of the left and right channel members (22, 24) are molded to conform to the interior and exterior lateral surface of the first molar. This is a molded palate member (20) which arches between and integrally joins the two channel members, and which conforms with the roof of the mouth of an individual wearing this splint. The biting portion (28A, 28B) includes sufficient material such that the front upper teeth and the front lower teeth are maintained between two (2) and seven (7) millimeters.

Abstract: A flexible clasp for removable mounting of a partial dental prosthesis to an abutment tooth is disclosed. The clasp includes a retention arm (42) formed to extend around at least a portion of the side of an abutment tooth (27) to retain the prosthesis in an edentulous space (26). In the improved clasp (41), the retention arm (42) is coupled to the prosthesis at a location in the edentulous space, preferably about one tooth width from abutment tooth (27) so as to cantilever support the retention arm (42) for resilient lateral displacement with respect to the abutment tooth. Preferably, a resiliently displaceable tubular member (51) is mounted to the retention arm (42) which is held to the prosthesis by a clip (43) surrounding the tubular member (51) and arm (42).

Abstract: An improved removable partial denture is provided for use in an edentulous space. The denture has a plurality of artificial teeth joined to each other on a base and an attachment means at each of the two ends of the denture for attaching the denture to the wearers abutment teeth. The improvement comprises utilizing an attachment means which includes a cylindrical pin having one end attached to the proximal surface of a crown and the other end removably retained in a hollow tubular member. The hollow tubular member is frictionally and rotatably mounted at one end in the bottom of the base of the denture which holds the artificial tooth adjacent the abutment tooth. The other end of the tubular member has an axial slot in the wall thereof, the slot being of sufficient length and width to permit the passage of the pin into the member with slight flexure of the walls of the slot. The walls of the slot thus retain the pin within the tubular member.

Abstract: A removable partial dental prosthesis is disclosed in which a universal, resiliently displaceable coupling is provided between the abutment tooth from which the prosthesis is stabilized and the base of the prosthesis which rests on the alveolar ridge. The coupling includes an arm cantilevered from an abutment tooth clasp and a resilient tubular member mounted to the arm and secured by a clip to the base. A method for support of the prosthesis in the mouth for limited displacement is disclosed as is a method to manufacture the prosthesis.

Abstract: A first hinge member has a serrated shank affixed to a dental restoration section and a spherical pivot-head at the free end of the shank; a pair of oppositely-open, axially-aligned, hemispherical bearing cups are provided on the pivot head for engagement by hemispherical trunnions provided on the inner wall of a substantially spherical cap forming part of a second hinge member affixed to a clasp section engaging an abutment tooth; a downwardly-open semi-cylindrical stop member is affixed to the cap in overlying relationship with the free end of the shank for engagement thereby to limit relative movement between the restoration section and the endentulous ridge portion of a user's mouth.

Abstract: A two-part stress-reliever employs a first member supporting an upright flange and a second member bifurcated and straddling said flange. An elongated slot in the flange receives a pass-through pivot pin carried by the second member and said slot also includes a resilient body biasing the pivot pin to its normal unstressed position in said slot.