Dentistry – Method or material for testing – treating – restoring – or...
Patent
1996-04-03
1998-05-19
Lucchesi, Nicholas D.
Dentistry
Method or material for testing, treating, restoring, or...
433 68, 433 72, 73760, 73774, 33514, A61C 500
Patent
active
057528322
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to a method and also to an apparatus for measuring the tightness between two contiguous bodies. The invention is particularly useful for measuring the tightness of contiguous dental bodies, such as dental teeth, and are therefore described below with respect to this application, it being understood that the method and instrument according to the present invention is not limited to dental applications.
In the fields of orthodontics, periodontics and oral rehabilitation, there are many instances where it is desirable to measure the tightness (including looseness or spacing) between two contiguous teeth. For example at the end of an orthodontic treatment, removable retentive appliances are placed in the mouth to maintain the accomplished result. The wearing time of the retentive appliances is successively reduced until a steady state of the oral tissue is achieved. However, the extent of this recovery process is individual, and therefore if the recovery process is not monitored, there is a danger of a relapse to or towards the original condition which was to be corrected. A similar situation arises when a crown installed over a metal implant embedded in the alveolar bone, since an excessively tight contact point between a crown linked to the implant and an adjacent tooth can lead to a collapse of the bony bearing system.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,571,181, and 4,664,627 describe mechanical type dental thickness gauges for measuring the spacing between teeth, but such mechanical gauges are relatively inaccurate and generally unsuitable for use in continuously monitoring a recovery process, such as described above. A publication by Thomas E. Southard et al., entitled "Anterior Component of Occlusal Force, Part 1--Measurement and Distribution, Am. J. Orthod. Dentofac. Orthop., December 1989, pp. 439-500, describes, for this purpose, the use of a stainless steel strip slipped between the two teeth and withdrawn by the use of a digital tension transducer to measure the frictional force resisting the withdrawal of the strip.
An object of the present invention is to provide another method and instrument for measuring the tightness of two contiguous bodies, particularly dental teeth.
According to the present invention, there is provided a method of measuring the tightness of two contiguous bodies by forcibly inserting an insertion element of predetermined thickness between the two bodies; and simultaneously measuring the insertion force, preferably including the peak of the insertion force. As indicated earlier, the novel method is particularly useful for measuring the tightness of dental teeth, e.g., to permit continuous monitoring of the recovery process of an orthodontic treatment. The invention thus provides a diagnostic tool to predict hazardous side effects such as tissue relapse.
According to further features in the described preferred embodiment, the insertion element is forcibly inserted between the two teeth by attaching the opposite ends of the insertion element to a holder, and manually forcing the holder, with the insertion element attached thereto, inwardly between the two teeth towards the gingiva. In addition, the insertion element is a strip of predetermined thickness, preferably of stainless steel.
The peak of the insertion force is preferably measured by one or more strain gauges. It is possible, however, to measure the peak insertion force by measuring displacement by an optical system, a piezoelectric device, capacitance, inductance, potentiometer, or by pneumatic device, a manometer pressure device, or by the Hall effect.
It will thus be seen that the novel method of the present invention distinguishes over that in the Southard et al. publication in a number of important respects. Thus, the technique proposed by Southard et al. (Southard, T. E., Behrents, R. G., Tolley, E. A., The Anterior Component of Occlusal Force, Part 2, Relationship with Dental Malalignment, Am. J. Orthod. Dentofac. Orthop. 97; 41-4, 1990), is based on the insertion of a stainless steel strip between two
REFERENCES:
patent: 984040 (1911-02-01), Siverling
patent: 1233131 (1917-07-01), Schwartz
patent: 4649752 (1987-03-01), Turner
patent: 4664627 (1987-05-01), Kyotani et al.
Southard, T.S. et al, "The Anterior Component of Occusal Force, Part 1. Measurement and Distribution", Am J. Orthod. Dentofac. Orthop. (1989); 96 pp. 493-500.
Southard, T.S. et al, "The Anterior Component of Occusal Force, Part 2. Relationship With Dental Malalignment", Am J. Orthod. Dentofac. Orthop. (1990); 97 pp. 41-44.
Brosh Tamar
Labeeb Mousa
Vardimon Alexander
Friedman Mark M.
Lucchesi Nicholas D.
Ramot University Authority for Applied Research & Industrial Dev
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