Orthodontic finishing positioner and method of construction

Claim 2

An orthodontic appliance for maloccluded teeth to which are operatively secured coupling members of the type including portions protruding from the sides of the teeth, said appliance comprising: a monolithic body constructed of an elastomer base material having an arcuate-shaped portion along which is defined a recess for receiving teeth of on dental arch of the patient wherein said teeth include maloccluded teeth to which are secured coupling members of the aforesaid type, the recess having walls defining teeth-engaging surfaces shaped generally]complementary to the surfaces of the teeth of said one arch when the maloccluded teeth thereof are positioned in a predetermined orientation and defining a series of indentations formed in the material of said body and disposed across said teeth-engaging surfaces, each indentation shaped in the material of said body to nestingly accept a corresponding protruding coupling member portion when placed thereabout so that when said appliance body is operatively positioned within the patient's mouth and stretched about the teeth of the one dental arch so that the teeth thereof are accepted by the recess of said arcuate-shaped portion and each protruding coupling member portion is nestingly accepted by a corresponding indentation, the stretched body acts directly against the teeth and the coupling member portion to effectively bias the teeth of said one arch toward the predetermined orientation.

Claim 3

An appliance as defined in claim 1 wherein each indentation is of such a shape in relationship to the shape of the coupling member portion which the indentation is adapted to accept so that when the coupling member portion is nestingly accepted by the indentation, the coupling member portion and indentation coact as male and female couplers for the securement of the body to the teeth.

Claim 4

An appliance as defined in claim 1 wherein each indentation defines an interior surface shaped in general conformity to the shape of the coupling member portion which the indentation is adapted to accept so that when the appliance body is operatively positioned within the patient's mouth, the interior surface of each indentation closely surrounds the corresponding coupling member portion.

Claim 5

An appliance as defined in claim 1 wherein each indentation has an opening for accepting the coupling member portion and said portion-accepting opening is shaped generally in conformity to the projected outline of the coupling member portion which the indentation is adapted to accept so that when the indentation nestingly accepts the coupling member portion, the edge of said portion-accepting opening closely encircles the coupling member portion.

Claim 6

An appliance as defined in claim 1 wherein each indentation has an interior surface for surrounding a corresponding coupling member portion when the coupling member portion is accepted by the indentation and said appliance further comprises means affixed to said appliance body and having relatively rigid portion exposed at the interior surface of at least one indentation for engaging the corresponding coupling member portion when said one indentation is positioned thereabout to enhance the rigidity of the fit-up relationship between the coupling member portion and the interior surface of the indentation and to thereby enhance the securement between the appliance body and the teeth of said one dental arch.

Claim 7

An appliance as defined in claim 1 wherein the walls of said recess further define gum-engaging surfaces shaped generally complementary to the surface of gum tissue adjacent the teeth of said one arch so that when said appliance body is operatively positioned within the patient's mouth, the gum-engaging surface lies comfortably over the gum tissue adjacent the teeth.

Claim 8

An appliance as defined in claim 1 wherein said arcuate-shaped portion defines two opposite sides, the recess is a first recess for receiving teeth of one dental arch and is defined in one side of said arcuate-shaped portion side and said arcuate-shaped portion defines in its other side a second recess for receiving teeth of the other dental arch of the patient, said second recess having walls defining teeth-engaging surfaces shaped generally complementary to the surfaces of the teeth of said other dental arch so that when said appliance body is operatively positioned within the mouth, the teeth in each of the patient's dental arches are closely received by one of the first and second recesses.

Claim 9

An appliance as defined in claim 7 wherein the teeth of said other dental arch include maloccluded teeth to which are secured coupling members of the aforesaid type and the teeth-engaging surfaces of the second recess are shaped complementary to the surfaces of the teeth of said other dental arch when the maloccluded teeth thereof are positioned in a predetermined orientation and the walls of the second recess define a series of indentations disposed across the teeth-engaging surfaces of said second recess, each indentation of said second recess shaped to nestingly accept a corresponding protruding coupling member portion of the other arch so that when said appliance body is operatively positioned within the patient's mouth and stretched about the teeth of both dental arches, the coupling member portions of both dental arches are nestingly accepted by the indentations of said recesses and the maloccluded teeth of both dental arches are biased by the stretched body toward the predetermined orientation.

Claim 10

An appliance as defined in claim 7 wherein said body includes a mid-portion spacing the walls of the first and second recesses from one another so that when the appliance body is operatively positioned within the mouth, the teeth in the patient's dental arches are positioned in an open bite relationship with one another.

Claim 11

An appliance as defined in claim 9 wherein said mid-portion defines at least one opening therethrough to facilitate breathing through the mouth when the appliance is operatively positioned with the patient's mouth.

Claim 12

An orthodontic finishing positioner for teeth of a patient wherein at least one dental arch of the patient includes maloccluded teeth to which are secured coupling members of the type including portions protruding from the sides of the teeth, said appliance comprising: means defining a first monolithic body portion constructed of an elastomer base material, said first body portion being arcuate in shape and having an arcuate-shaped portion having a side along which is defined a first recess for receiving teeth of the one dental arch of the patient wherein said teeth of the one dental arch include maloccluded teeth to which are secured coupling members of the aforesaid type, said first recess having walls defining teeth-engaging surfaces shaped in conformity to the shape of the teeth of said one dental arch when the maloccluded teeth thereof are positioned in a predetermined orientation and defining a plurality of indentations formed in the material of said body portion and disposed across said teeth-engaging surfaces of said first recesses, each indentation of said first recess being shaped in the material of said body portion to nestingly accept a corresponding protruding coupling member portion of said one dental arch so that when said first body portion is operatively positioned within the patient's mouth and stretched about the teeth of said one dental arch so that the teeth thereof are operatively accepted by said first recesses and each protruding coupling member portion of said one dental arch is nestingly accepted by a corresponding one of said indentations of said first recess, the maloccluded teeth of said one dental arch are effectively directly grasped by said first body portion and biased toward the predetermined orientation as a result of the stretched condition of said first body portion; and means defining a second monolithic body portion constructed of an elastomer base material, said second body portion being arcuate in shape and having an arcuate-shaped portion having a side along which is defined a second recess for receiving teeth of the other dental arch of the patient wherein said teeth of the other dental arch include maloccluded teeth to which are secured coupling members of the aforedescribed type, said second recess having walls defining teeth-engaging surfaces shaped in conformity to the shape of the teeth of said other dental arch when the maloccluded teeth thereof are positioned in a preselected orientation and defining a plurality of indentations formed in the material of said body portion and disposed across said teeth-engaging surfaces of said second recess, each indentation of said second recess being shaped in the material of said body portion to nestingly accept a corresponding protruding coupling member portion of said other dental arch so that when the second body portion is operatively positioned within the patient's mouth and stretched about the teeth of said other dental arch so that the teeth thereof are operatively accepted by said second recess and each protruding coupling member portion of said other dental arch is nestingly accepted by a corresponding one of said indentations of said second recess, the maloccluded teeth of said other dental arch are effectively directly grasped by said second body portion and biased toward the preselected orientation as a result of the stretched condition of said second body portion.

Claim 13

An orthodontic finishing positioner for teeth of a patient wherein at least one dental arch of the patient includes maloccluded teeth to which are secured coupling members of the type including portions protruding from the sides of the teeth, said appliance comprising: means defining a first monolithic body portion constructed of an elastomer base material, said first body portion being arcuate in shape and having an arcuate-shaped portion having a side along which is defined a first recess for receiving teeth of the one dental arch of the patient wherein said teeth of the one dental arch include maloccluded teeth to which are secured coupling members of the aforesaid type, said first recess having walls defining teeth-engaging surfaces shaped in conformity to the shape of the teeth of said one dental arch when the maloccluded teeth thereof are positioned in a predetermined orientation and defining a plurality of indentations formed in the material of said body portion and disposed across said teeth-engaging surfaces of said first recesses, each indentation of said first recess being shaped in the material of said body portion to nestingly accept a corresponding protruding coupling member portion of said one dental arch so that when said first body portion is operatively positioned within the patient's mouth and stretched about the teeth of said one dental arch so that the teeth thereof are operatively accepted by said first recesses and each protruding coupling member portion of said one dental arch is nestingly accepted by a corresponding one of said indentations of said first recess, the maloccluded teeth of said one dental arch are effectively directly grasped by said first body portion and biased toward the predetermined orientation as a result of the stretched condition of said first body portion; and means defining a second monolithic body portion constructed of an elastomer base material, said second body portion being arcuate in shape and having an arcuate-shaped portion having a side along which is defined a second recess for receiving teeth of the other dental arch of the patient wherein said teeth of the other dental arch include maloccluded teeth to which are secured coupling members of the aforedescribed type, said second recess having walls defining teeth-engaging surfaces shaped in conformity to the shape of the teeth of said other dental arch when the maloccluded teeth thereof are positioned in a preselected orientation and defining a plurality of indentations formed in the material of said body portion and disposed across said teeth-engaging surfaces of said second recess, each indentation of said second recess being shaped in the material of said body portion to nestingly accept a corresponding protruding coupling member portion of said other dental arch so that when the second body portion is operatively positioned within the patient's mouth and stretched about the teeth of said other dental arch so that the teeth thereof are operatively accepted by said second recess and each protruding coupling member portion of said other dental arch is nestingly accepted by a corresponding one of said indentations of said second recess, the maloccluded teeth of said other dental arch are effectively directly grasped by said second body portion and biased toward the preselected orientation as a result of the stretched condition of said second body portion.

Claim 14

A positioner as defined in claim 11 wherein each of said means defining said first body portion and said means defining said second body portion is in the form of a unitary mass of elastomer base material.

Claim 15

A positioner as defined in claim 11 comprised of a single mass of elastomer base material wherein said first body portion and said second body portion are arranged in relationship to one another so that the recesses defined therein are positioned on opposite sides of said single mass.

Claim 16

A positioner as defined in claim 13 wherein said single mass includes a mid-portion sandwiched between so as to space the first and second recesses from one another and said mid-portion defines at least one through-aperture to facilitate breathing through the mouth when the positioner is operatively worn.

Claim 17

In combination with coupling means mounted on the teeth of one dental arch of a patient wherein the coupling means includes a body portion protruding from the sides of the teeth, a tooth positioner including a monolithic body of elastomer base material having an arcuate-shaped portion along which is defined a recess for receiving teeth of the one dental arch, the recess having walls defining teeth-engaging surfaces shaped generally complementary to the surfaces of the teeth of said one dental arch when the teeth thereof are repositioned in a predetermined orientation and defining a series of cuplike indentations in the material of said body and disposed across said teeth-engaging surfaces, each indentation having an interior surface shaped in the material of said body to nestingly accept a corresponding protruding body portion of said coupling means when placed thereabout so that when said positioner body is operatively positioned within the patient's mouth and stretched about the teeth of the one dental arch so that the teeth thereof are accepted by a corresponding indentation, the protruding body portions and indentations coact as male and female couplers to releasably secure the positioner body to the teeth and the stretched body acts directly against the teeth and coupling means to urge the teeth of said one arch toward the predetermined orientation.

Claim 18

In combination with coupling means mounted on the teeth of one dental arch of a patient wherein the coupling means includes a body portion protruding from the sides of the teeth, a tooth positioner including a monolithic body of elastomer base material having an arcuate-shaped portion along which is defined a recess for receiving teeth of the one dental arch, the recess having walls defining teeth-engaging surfaces shaped generally complementary to the surfaces of the teeth of said one dental arch when the teeth thereof are repositioned in a predetermined orientation and defining a series of cuplike indentations in the material of said body and disposed across said teeth-engaging surfaces, each indentation having an interior surface shaped in the material of said body to nestingly accept a corresponding protruding body portion of said coupling means when placed thereabout so that when said positioner body is operatively positioned within the patient's mouth and stretched about the teeth of the one dental arch so that the teeth thereof are accepted by a corresponding indentation, the protruding body portions and indentations coact as male and female couplers to releasably secure the positioner body to the teeth and the stretched body acts directly against the teeth and coupling means to urge the teeth of said one arch toward the predetermined orientation.

Claim 19

The combination of claim 15 wherein the interior surface of each indentation is shaped in general conformity to the shape of the protruding body portion of said coupling means which the indentation is adapted to accept so that when the positioner body is operatively positioned within the patient's mouth, the interior surface of each indentation closely surrounds the corresponding coupling member portion.

Claim 20

The combination of claim 15 wherein said positioner further includes means affixed to said positioner body and having a relatively rigid portion exposed at the interior surface of at least one indentation for engaging the corresponding protruding body portion of said coupling means when said one indentation is positioned thereabout to enhance the rigidity of the fit-up relationship between said protruding body portion and the interior surface of the indentation and to thereby enhance the securement between the positioner body and the teeth of said one dental arch.

Claim 21

The combination of claim 15 wherein said coupling means include retaining brackets of the type commonly used in connection with arch wires and said protruding body portions of said coupling means are provided by the bodies of said retaining brackets.