Dentistry – Orthodontics – Means to transmit or apply force to tooth
Reexamination Certificate
2003-02-07
2004-04-20
O'Connor, Cary E. (Department: 3732)
Dentistry
Orthodontics
Means to transmit or apply force to tooth
C433S173000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06722879
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
As shown in
FIG. 1
, in a conventional orthodontic treatment process, after part of the maxilla (or mandible)
10
is cut off or a tooth
12
is pulled out (usually not the incisor), the tooth
12
or the maxilla. (or mandible)
10
is pulled and dragged by a orthodontic archwire
13
after the operation for helping the maxilla (or mandible)
10
to heal over or correcting the position of the tooth
12
. In order to maintain the position of the orthodontic archwire
13
relative to the tooth
12
, it is usually to apply several orthodontic brackets
14
adhered onto the tooth
12
, and each orthodontic bracket
14
is arranged with slot
141
for providing an accommodation for the orthodontic archwire
13
. The width and the depth of the slot
141
must be slightly larger than the diameter of the orthodontic archwire
13
such that, not only may the orthodontic archwire
13
be appropriately glided along the extensive direction of the slot
141
, but also may the orthodontic archwire
13
be kept from being dropped out of the slot
141
.
As known in the prior arts, in order to provide a pulling-and-dragging force to the orthodontic archwire
13
, a screw
20
is screwed on a maxilla (or mandible)
10
at the adjacency of a molar
121
, then a spring
15
or rubber band is further connected between the screw
20
and the end of the orthodontic archwire
13
for providing an appropriate pulling-and-dragging force. Since the end of this kind of spring
15
used specially for orthodontic treatment in current market is all arranged with a hook ring
151
so, for the connection between the spring
15
and the end of the orthodontic archwire
13
, the end of the orthodontic archwire
13
just may be bent into a hook structure
131
, then it can be easy to fit the hook ring
151
of the spring
15
into the hook structure
131
of the end of the orthodontic archwire
13
, such that both connection is completed. Relatively, the connection between the spring
15
and the screw
20
is more difficult relatively.
As shown in FIG.
2
and
FIG. 3
, since the screw
20
currently applied for orthodontic treatment is all belonged to the common screw
20
as shown in FIG.
2
and
FIG. 3
, so the materials used for the screw
20
, orthodontic bracket
14
, and orthodontic archwire
13
are usually pure titanium alloy or stainless steel, those which are harmless to the human body. The screw
20
is commonly comprised of two parts: the head part
21
and the screw-body part
22
. A general screw head groove
211
is then arranged on the head part
21
for providing a securing operation for a screwdriver (not shown in the figure). Usually, the dimension of the head part
21
is the widest part along the entire screw
20
. Further, the diameter of the head part
21
is usually larger than the inner diameter of the hook ring
151
of the end of the spring
15
, such that it is impossible for the spring to be hooked and hanged on the screw
20
directly. Therefore, for the current prior arts, an additional ligature wire
16
is used for tying the end of the spring
15
onto the screw-body part of the screw
20
. However, such kind of method has caused several shortcomings as follows:
(1) It is difficult to operate. Since the head part
21
of the screw
20
is larger than the hook ring
151
of the spring
15
, so it is impossible for the spring to be hooked and hanged on the screw
20
but, if the diameter of the head part
21
of this prior screw
20
is designed to be smaller than the hook ring
151
of the spring
15
, then it will be much more easier for the spring
15
to be dropped off from the screw
20
to cause further inconvenience. Therefore, the prior arts that still use additional ligature wire
16
for tying the spring
15
and the screw
20
not only cause inconvenient in operation, but also cause difficulties for a less-experienced doctor to approach such kind of operation.
(2) It is easy for the spring
15
and the ligature wire
16
to impinge the gingiva
11
. Since the ligature wire
16
is tied on the screw-body part
22
of the screw
20
, so the ligature wire
16
and the spring
15
will be sometimes abutted against the gingiva
11
and irritate it. Not only will the user feel uncomfortable, but also may it sometimes hurt the gingiva
11
or reduce the healing-over speed of the wounds after operation.
(3) It is easy loosening for the screw
20
. Since the screw-body part
22
of the screw
20
has a partial length that must be left in advance for tying the ligature wire
16
so, when the screw
20
is being driven tightly, it is impossible to screw the screw-body part
22
of the screw
20
completely into the maxilla (or mandible)
10
to make its head part
21
abutted smoothly against the maxilla (or mandible)
10
. Contrarily, the head part
21
of the screw
20
must be kept an appropriate distance with the maxilla (or mandible)
10
for proceeding the operation of tying the ligature wire
16
. In such way, the pulling-and-dragging force between the spring
15
and the ligature wire
16
will create a torque to the head part
21
of the screw
20
, so it is easy to cause the screw
20
to loosen or even to drop off and break off.
(4) The gingiva
11
will be ugly after being healed over. Since the tissue of the gingiva
11
will be sometimes abutted against the screw
20
to grow during the healing procedure and there is a lack of appropriate guidance and restriction, so the surface of the gingiva
11
is uneven and ugly after being healing over.
(5) It only has a single function. This kind of prior screw
20
only can be applied in tying the ligature wire
16
for connecting the spring
15
, neither does it have any other function, nor is it possible for providing an accommodation for the orthodontic archwire
13
.
As known from above description, the prior arts that are used for orthodontic treatment currently still has many shortcomings to be further improved urgently.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The main objective of the invention is to provide an improvement for a screw device for orthodontic treatment. The invention has an easy operation for providing the spring to be hooked and hanged directly without worrying about being dropped off. It is also unnecessary to use additional ligature wire for tying the spring, so the spring may be propped up an appropriate height to have the advantage for avoiding any gingival irritation.
Another objective of the invention is to provide a screw device for orthodontic treatment to be able to screw the screw-body part of the screw completely into the maxilla (or mandible) for avoiding any looseness and the invention may further provide a side plane for guiding the gingiva's tissue to grow smoothly, such that the surface of the gingiva will be more beautiful after being healed over.
The further objective of the invention is to provide a screw device for orthodontic treatment to be able to further form a slot on the head part of the screw for providing an accommodation for the orthodontic archwire, such that the screw of the invention not only may provide the spring to be hooked and hanged, but also may have the function for supporting the orthodontic archwire in similarity to the orthodontic bracket.
In order to achieve above-mentioned objectives, in a preferred embodiment for the screw device for orthodontic treatment according to the invention, it is mainly to additionally arrange a platform part that has a relatively large dimension in radial width between the screw-body part and the head part of the screw and a neck part is also formed between the platform part and the head part. The radial width of the neck part is smaller than the head part, which is further smaller than the inner diameter of the hook ring of the spring. Therefore, the hook ring of the spring may be fitted directly into the head part and be positioned at the neck part without worrying about being loosened off. The thickness of the platform part may prop the spring up the gingiva for avoiding any irritation. By screwing the scre
O'Connor Cary E.
Troxell Law Office PLLC
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