Dentistry – Apparatus – Jaw – cheek – lip – or tongue positioner
Reexamination Certificate
2002-08-13
2004-04-06
Shaver, Kevin (Department: 3732)
Dentistry
Apparatus
Jaw, cheek, lip, or tongue positioner
C600S240000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06716029
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the field of dental bite block systems used in maintaining the mouth of a patient in an open position during a dental procedure and tongue suppressors used in combination with bite blocks.
2. Relevant Technology
When a dentist performs a dental procedure, it is often helpful for the patient's mouth to be held open to provide access to the patient's teeth. Some procedures, such as a simple examination or teeth cleaning, the patient may be able to open his mouth wide and long enough for the dentist or hygienist to perform the dental procedure. However, in longer and more complex procedures, the patient may tire from holding his or her mouth open or, in the alternative, be unable to hold his or her mouth open due to the pain of the dental procedure or numbness resulting from the anesthesia. In these types of procedures, dental mouth props may be used by a dentist in an effort to mechanically maintain the patient's mouth in the open position.
As appreciated by those skilled in the art, dental mouth props may function in a variety of ways. For example, some prior art dental mouth props incorporate a tubular frame inserted between the cheek and gum of a patient's mouth. Dental mouth props of this general nature generally mask the outer surface of the teeth, thereby making it difficult to view, drill, fill and/or perform other dental procedures on the teeth. Moreover, the dental mouth prop is usually positioned on both sides of the mouth, thus having the effect of obscuring the dentist's view and access from all angles within the patient's mouth.
Other dental mouth props have been developed by those skilled in the art which engage the teeth of a patient. These prior art dental mouth props are typically inserted between the upper and lower molars on one side of the mouth allowing a dentist to view and have working access to a larger area of the patient's mouth. However, these devices have no provisions for patient comfort and may cut or irritate the patient's mouth, gums and cheeks. Often these types of dental mouth prop devices are small and could be accidentally swallowed by a patient causing severe injury to the patient.
As appreciated by those skilled in the art, a patient's tongue may also interfere with a dental procedure by interfering with the dentist's visibility and by interrupting the limited available work space within the patient's mouth. Traditionally, dentists have used a variety of implements in an effort to suppress the tongue during a dental procedure. For example, dentists have used hand-held suppressors to hold the tongue in place. However, the use of hand-held tongue suppressors restricts the dentist to the use of only one hand or requires a dental assistant to hold the suppressor in place. Hand-held suppressors can therefore crowd the available working space within the mouth and prevent a clear view of the targeted work area.
In view of the foregoing, efforts have been made to integrate into a single device the ability to prop open the patient's mouth while suppressing the tongue. An example is U.S. Pat. No. 6,244,866 to Campbell, which issued Jun. 12, 2001, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein. The Campbell device includes a bite block sized and configured to engage the patient's teeth in order to thereby maintain the mouth in the desired propped-open orientation and a tongue suppressor that extends laterally from the side of the bite block. The tongue suppressor is sized and configured so as to be slidably disposed within a corresponding slot within the bite block so as to provide lateral adjustment of the tongue suppressor relative to the bite block.
Whereas the Campbell device represents an improvement over previous dental mouth props and tongue suppressors, it is limited in the range of adjustability of the tongue suppressor relative to the bite block. In view of the tremendous variability in the size and shape of the patient's mouths, dental arches, teeth and tongues, the adjustability feature provided by the Campbell device may not adequately cover all such variations in an optimal manner.
Moreover, the Campbell device is of the “one-size-fits-all” variety that is not customizable to account for variations in the size and shape of individual patient dentition. It also does not always reliably or comfortably remain in place or suppress the patient's tongue during dental procedures.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a bite block/tongue suppressor having greater adjustability so as to accommodate any and all differences in the sizes and shapes of one or more of a patients' mouths, dental arches, teeth and tongues and/or to more reliably or comfortably suppress the patient's tongue during the dental procedure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In one aspect, the invention comprises a customizable dental bite block that can be customized to include an impression of a patient's teeth for use in maintaining the mouth of a patient in an open position. The customized bite block results in greater patient comfort, and it assists in keeping the bite block from slipping out of the patient's mouth during use. In another aspect, the invention comprises anatomical tongue suppressors, and bite blocks incorporating such tongue suppressors, that more reliably or comfortably suppress the patient's tongue. In another aspect, a tongue-suppressing bite block is provided that includes an adjustable tongue suppressor adjustably connected to the bite block.
In one embodiment of the invention, the bite block includes one or more slots configured to receive therein a corresponding portion of the tongue suppressor in an adjustable fashion. The one or more slots provide or allow for at least two modes of adjustment of the tongue suppressor relative to the bite block. The first mode of adjustment allows for lateral movement of the tongue suppressor relative to the bite block, thereby providing the ability to extend or retract the tongue suppressor in order to effectively adjust the length thereof. In this way, the position of the tongue suppressor can be adjusted in order to account for varying tongue widths among different people. This adjustment is particularly advantageous for those embodiments in which the tongue suppressor includes a flange feature that engages a side of the tongue distal to the bite block, and particularly those that wrap around and also engage a portion of the underside of the tongue.
The second mode of adjustment allows for vertical movement of the tongue suppressor relative to the bite block, thereby providing the ability to raise or lower the tongue suppressor relative to the bite block and the patient's teeth. In this way, the position of the tongue suppressor can be adjusted upwardly or downwardly in order to account for varying tongue thicknesses among different people, tooth heights, or other variations that result in variability between the relative heights of the tongue and tooth surfaces within different people.
Other, optional modes of adjustment are also within the scope of the invention, including but not limited to, adjustments that allow for one or more angular movements of the tongue suppressor relative to the bite block (e.g., lateral, axial or both).
The bite block and tongue suppressor can be of any desired design and material. In general, the tongue suppressor includes a retention arm that extends from its engagement with the bite block across the top of the tongue. The retention arm is the primary feature of the tongue suppressor that holds the tongue and prevents it from obstructing access to the patient's teeth. The tongue suppressor may optionally include a flange or other projection at an end distal to the bite block that projects or curves downward into the inferior aspect of the oral cavity (e.g., the bottom cavity of the mouth). This flange or other projection can engage a side of the tongue opposite to the bite block in order to provide an
Fischer Dan E.
McLean Bruce S.
Bumgarner Melba
Shaver Kevin
Ultradent Products Inc.
Workman Nydegger
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