Method and apparatus for dental treatment

Claim 1

A method for treating jaw and tooth malformations, said method being directed at moving one or more of the patient's teeth and making use of an apparatus made of a soft, resilient material and having upper and lower compartments which are generally U-shaped so as to conform upwardly and the lower compartment opening downwardly so as to receive a patient's teeth, each compartment having side walls and a connecting wall joining the side walls and a plurality of flexible protrusion members extending from the walls into the interior of the compartments so as to contact the patient's teeth when the device is worn, said method comprising the steps of selecting a device in which the protrusion members in the vicinity of the teeth to be moved and on a surface of the teeth which is to be moved away from said protrusion members are one of longer and thicker than the protrusion members contacting the other surfaces of said teeth, placing the device in the mouth of a patient so that the upper and lower teeth are received in the upper and lower compartments of the device respectively, and retaining the device within the patient's mouth for a predetermined period of time, during a substantial portion of which the patient is at rest.

Claim 2

A method for treating jaw and tooth malformations, said method being directed at moving one or more of the patient's teeth and making use of an apparatus made of a soft, resilient material and having upper and lower compartments which are generally U-shaped so as to conform upwardly and the lower compartment opening downwardly so as to receive a patient's teeth, each compartment having side walls and a connecting wall joining the side walls and a plurality of flexible protrusion members extending from the walls into the interior of the compartments so as to contact the patient's teeth when the device is worn, said method comprising the steps of selecting a device in which the protrusion members in the vicinity of the teeth to be moved and on a surface of the teeth which is to be moved away from said protrusion members are one of longer and thicker than the protrusion members contacting the other surfaces of said teeth, placing the device in the mouth of a patient so that the upper and lower teeth are received in the upper and lower compartments of the device respectively, and retaining the device within the patient's mouth for a predetermined period of time, during a substantial portion of which the patient is at rest.

Claim 5

A method for treating jaw and tooth malformations, said method making use of an apparatus made of a soft, resilient material and having upper and lower compartments which are generally U-shaped so as to conform generally to a patient's teeth, the upper compartment opening upwardly and the lower compartment opening downwardly so as to receive a patient's teeth, each compartment having side walls and a connecting wall joining the side walls and a plurality of flexible protrusion members extending from the walls into the interior of the compartments so as to contact the patient's teeth when the device is worn, members being substantially equal in length and thickness, said method being directed at moving at least one tooth, said method comprising the steps of foreshortening the protrusion members in contact with the surface of said at least one tooth which is to be moved towards an opposed wall of said device, placing the device in the mouth of a patient so that the upper and lower teeth are received in the upper and lower compartments of the device respectively, and retaining the device within the patient's mouth for a predetermined period of time, during a substantial portion of which the patient is at rest.

Claim 6

A method for treating jaw and tooth malformations, said method making use of an apparatus made of a soft, resilient material and having upper and lower compartments which are generally U-shaped so as to conform generally to a patient's teeth, the upper compartment opening upwardly and the lower compartment opening downwardly so as to receive a patient's teeth, each compartment having side walls and a connecting wall joining the side walls and a plurality of flexible protrusion members extending from the walls into the interior of the compartments so as to contact the patient's teeth when the device is worn, members being substantially equal in length and thickness, said method being directed at moving at least one tooth, said method comprising the steps of foreshortening the protrusion members in contact with the surface of said at least one tooth which is to be moved towards an opposed wall of said device, placing the device in the mouth of a patient so that the upper and lower teeth are received in the upper and lower compartments of the device respectively, and retaining the device within the patient's mouth for a predetermined period of time, during a substantial portion of which the patient is at rest.

Claim 9

An apparatus for treating jaw and tooth malformations, a main body made of a soft, resilient material and having upper and, lower compartments which are generally U-shaped so as to conform generally to a patient's teeth, the upper compartment opening upwardly and the lower compartment opening downwardly so as to receive a patient's teeth, each compartment having side walls and a connecting wall joining the side walls and a plurality of flexible protrusion members extending from the walls into the interior of the compartments so as to contact the patient's teeth when the device is worn, certain of said protrusion members positioned to contact a first surface of selected teeth being foreshortened in comparison with those positioned to contact another surface of said teeth, to achieving gradual movement of said teeth towards said foreshortened protrusion members when said apparatus is worn by a patient.

Claim 10

An apparatus for treating jaw and tooth malformations, a main body made of a soft, resilient material and having upper and, lower compartments which are generally U-shaped so as to conform generally to a patient's teeth, the upper compartment opening upwardly and the lower compartment opening downwardly so as to receive a patient's teeth, each compartment having side walls and a connecting wall joining the side walls and a plurality of flexible protrusion members extending from the walls into the interior of the compartments so as to contact the patient's teeth when the device is worn, certain of said protrusion members positioned to contact a first surface of selected teeth being foreshortened in comparison with those positioned to contact another surface of said teeth, to achieving gradual movement of said teeth towards said foreshortened protrusion members when said apparatus is worn by a patient.

Claim 12

An apparatus for treating jaw and tooth malformations, a main body made of a soft, resilient material and having upper and lower compartments which are generally U-shaped so as to conform generally to a patient's teeth, the upper compartment opening upwardly and the lower compartment opening downwardly so as to receive a patient's teeth, each compartment having side walls and a connecting wall joining the side walls and a plurality of flexible protrusion members extending from the walls into the interior of the compartments so as to contact the patient's teeth when the device is worn, certain of said protrusion members positioned to contact a first surface of selected teeth being one of longer than and thicker than those positioned to contact another surface of said teeth, to achieving gradual movement of said teeth away from said certain protrusion members when said apparatus is worn by a patient.

Claim 13

An apparatus for treating jaw and tooth malformations, a main body made of a soft, resilient material and having upper and lower compartments which are generally U-shaped so as to conform generally to a patient's teeth, the upper compartment opening upwardly and the lower compartment opening downwardly so as to receive a patient's teeth, each compartment having side walls and a connecting wall joining the side walls and a plurality of flexible protrusion members extending from the walls into the interior of the compartments so as to contact the patient's teeth when the device is worn, certain of said protrusion members positioned to contact a first surface of selected teeth being one of longer than and thicker than those positioned to contact another surface of said teeth, to achieving gradual movement of said teeth away from said certain protrusion members when said apparatus is worn by a patient.