Orthodontic occlusion prevention system

Claim 1

An orthodontic device, comprising in combination: plate means mounted over selected upper anterior teeth for preventing contact between said upper anterior teeth and the opposed lower anterior teeth, and wire means connected to said plate means and to selected upper posterior teeth for anchoring said plate means to said upper posterior teeth, said selected upper anterior teeth including lateral and central incisors, said selected upper posterior teeth including the first molars, said plate means including substantially parallel top and bottom walls intersected by a vertical rear wall that extends substantially at right angles to the mesial of the mouth and a generally C-shaped front wall configured in accordance with said upper anterior incisors, said wire means including a pair of strands each having one end connected to said plate at said rear wall and the other end being folded back into a double strand position including a folded distal end and a strand end positioned between said folded end and said plate, said orthodontic device further including jackets mounted around each of said upper first molars and sheaths connected to the upper walls of said jackets, each said double strand portion being slidably mounted to said sheaths, said sheaths being disposed between said folded distal ends and said strand ends, said folded distal ends being bent inwardly and said strand ends are bent upwardly, whereby said folded distal ends and said strand ends form stops adapted to prevent said double strand portions from sliding in said sheaths, whereby said plate is prevented from sliding, said folded distal portions extending approximately 5 to 7 millimeters past said sheaths and said strand ends extending approximately 2 to 3 millimeters upward, said pair of strands having down bends between said rear wall of said plate to the level of said sheaths, said down bends being closely spread to said rear wall, said pair of strands extending upwardly from said plate spaced from the inner wall of the upper cuspid teeth to said sheaths, said pair of strands being disposed within and bonded to said plate and further being joined in said late to form a single strand.