JP7585054B2 - Orthodontic appliances - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a dental alignment (tooth alignment) correction device, and in particular to a Bimmler device equipped with an occlusal table to ensure the proper occlusal position of the teeth in the oral cavity.

As is well known, a variety of appliances have been developed and are used to straighten teeth.

For example, the multi-bracket method is a commonly used orthodontic treatment. This method involves attaching brackets to the surfaces of the teeth to be moved, connecting an arch-shaped wire to each bracket, and moving the teeth to align them. This method has the disadvantage that, because the brackets are bonded to the teeth, the device cannot be removed until orthodontic treatment is complete, and dirt accumulates. In addition, because the teeth are forcibly moved by gradually tightening the wire to correct the alignment, the teeth feel uncomfortable while wearing the device, and in the worst case, pain and itching may occur. Furthermore, when brackets are attached to the outer surfaces of the teeth, the brackets and wires are visible from the outside, which creates the problem of poor appearance when worn.

Orthodontics using the Bimler appliance is also known as a bracket-free orthodontic method. This method uses the functional strength of the oral muscles and tongue to improve the jaw relationship by fitting the appliance inside the mouth, while at the same time using the elasticity of the wire to move the teeth. It is considered to be particularly effective for orthodontic treatment of children whose jaws are still growing.

The use of this Bimmler appliance makes it easy to carry out orthodontic treatment while sleeping or going about your daily life. Moreover, because it can be easily attached and removed from the mouth, there is no problem with dirt accumulating, and this has the great advantage of causing little resistance or discomfort to the patient. However, there are still some shortcomings in terms of sustained use while maintaining a natural and normal occlusal position.

As a technique for solving such problems, the invention proposed in JP 2018-000720 A. This invention is an orthodontic device consisting of a Bimmler device that is removably installed in the oral cavity and a molar cap that is attached near the Bimmler device.
JP 2018-000720 A

The invention of JP 2018-000720 requires two devices: a Bimler appliance and a molar cap. A lot of time and money is required to prepare the two appliances, and they are not necessarily easy for patients (mostly children) to use. For example, in one case, an X-ray was taken and an impression of the oral cavity was taken, and then a molar cap was attached two to four weeks later, and another impression was taken about one month later, and then a Bimler appliance was attached two to four weeks later.

The present invention is an orthodontic device developed in consideration of the above problems. In particular, the purpose of the invention is to save time and money by integrating an occlusal table, which replaces the molar cap, into the Bimmler device, while achieving the same or better results as the above-mentioned conventional inventions.

To achieve the above objective, the present invention provides a novel orthodontic device for use while being worn in the oral cavity.

This orthodontic device is for use while being attached to the oral cavity, and comprises a Bimmler device that is removably installed in the oral cavity, and an occlusal table connected to the Bimmler device, the Bimmler device having a pair of U-shaped orthodontic devices in which an upper jaw orthodontic section and a lower jaw orthodontic section are integrally formed by a wire, and a base that is held in contact with the patient's teeth, and the occlusal table is formed by integrally extending the base of the Bimmler device, and is placed in a flat plate shape so as to cover the occlusal surfaces of any of the patient's left, right, upper and lower molars.

Preferably, the base and the occlusal table are made of resin. The resin may be an acrylic resin for denture bases.

The occlusal table may be flat and simply placed on the occlusal surface, or it may be hollow on the inside and three-dimensional, covering not only the occlusal surface of the molar but also at least partially covering the sides of the molar.

When using a flat occlusal table, it is formed to have a height of approximately 1 to 4 mm, preferably approximately 1 to 2 mm, above the occlusal surface to suit the symptoms of each patient.

When using a three-dimensional occlusal table, it is not only formed to have a height of about 1 to 4 mm, preferably about 1 to 2 mm, above the occlusal surface, but also to extend from the occlusal surface of the molar along the side of the molar toward the jaw by about 1 to 4 mm, preferably about 2 to 3 mm.

The molars to which the occlusal table is attached may be baby molars, premolars, or molars. In the case of premolars, it is preferable to attach two on each side, but in the case of molars, one on each side is sufficient. Both premolars and molars can also be used. The point is to use them according to the shape of the patient's mouth and the symptoms of the dentition.

The present invention has the above detailed configuration, and therefore provides the following effects:

- Conventional methods using only the Bimmler appliance tend to focus on horizontal correction, and are insufficient in terms of vertical correction. However, the appliance of the present invention uses an occlusal table, which is expected to have an effect in the vertical direction. In other words, the occlusal table raises the molars in occlusion, so the upper and lower jaw positions can be adjusted to guide the patient toward normal occlusion.

- Compared to the conventional method of using both a Bimmler appliance and a molar cap, this appliance is a single appliance, so it reduces the time and cost required for installation. Therefore, it can be used for a wide range of purposes, from the primary dentition to the mixed dentition and permanent dentition, and can be used for a wide range of ages, from children to adults.

- Orthodontic treatment using this device can be used for a variety of cases. For example, it can be used to treat cases where the relationship between the upper and lower jaws is improper (e.g. mandibular prognathism (underbite), maxillary prognathism (protruding teeth), deep bite (deep bite), crossbite (improper alignment of the upper and lower teeth), etc.

- Conventional Bimler appliances use steel wires to raise the bite, which can result in tooth wear. With this invention, the base and occlusal table are made from resin, which means treatment is possible without wearing down the teeth, making it gentler on the teeth. In particular, treatment is possible without wearing down the occlusal surfaces of the upper and lower jaws of the first molars (sixth teeth), which are important in bite.

- This device is detachable and can be removed. As a result, you can flexibly choose when to use it, such as during daytime activities or while sleeping.

- This device can be removed when eating, so it does not interfere with daily life other than eating.

- This device is washable and can be maintained hygienically, reducing the risk of tooth decay.

1 is a front view showing the state of an oral cavity with an orthodontic device according to an embodiment of the present invention attached thereto, with the mouth virtually open. FIG. This is the first embodiment of the present invention in which two occlusal tables are provided on each of the left and right premolars. This is a second embodiment of the present invention in which an occlusal table is provided for each of the left and right molars. FIG. 13A is a side view of a flat occlusal table of the type used in the first and second embodiments, and FIG. 13B is a side view of a three-dimensional occlusal table of the type used in the third embodiment.

Below, an embodiment of the orthodontic device according to the present invention will be described based on the embodiment shown in the attached drawings.

As shown in Figure 1, the orthodontic device 1 according to the present invention comprises a Bimler device 2 and an occlusal table 3 which is inseparably integrated with the base 21 of the Bimler device 2. In this specification, "occlusal table" refers to an appliance that can cover the occlusal surface of one or more molars (baby molars, premolars, and/or molars) for the purpose of ensuring the proper occlusal position of the teeth in the oral cavity.

The Bimmler device 2 of this orthodontic device 1 is almost the same as the Bimmler device that has been used conventionally, except for the improvements made by this invention, and is often used while worn in the mouth mainly while sleeping. However, because the Bimmler device is designed so that it does not interfere with daily life other than eating, it can of course be worn while sleeping as well as during daytime activities, making it possible to achieve a greater orthodontic effect.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the Bimmler device 2 is an integrated upper jaw correction unit 22 and lower jaw correction unit 23, and by attaching each unit to the correct position in the oral cavity, the position of the upper and lower jaws can be adjusted while achieving orthodontic treatment.

The Bimmler device is basically constructed using wires, with the wires 24, 25 of the upper jaw correction section 22 and the lower jaw correction section 23 being integrally formed. Simply put, an oval-shaped wire is folded to form a pair of U-shaped correction members, one above the other.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the maxillary orthodontic section 22, which is made of a U-shaped wire 24 on the maxillary side, has two resin plates 21 on the left and right sides of the maxillary side at the positions of the milk molars, premolars, and molars. As will be described in detail later, this is integrated with the occlusal table 3. The plates 21 are provided with grooves 26 (Fig. 2), which fit into the premolars 50a and molars 50b on the maxillary side at two locations on the left and right sides, thereby firmly fixing the Bimmler device 1 in the oral cavity. Although not shown, plates can be provided not only for the molars 50 but also for the canines 51 and central incisors 52, depending on the shape of the patient's oral cavity and the symptoms of the dental alignment.

The mandibular correction section 23 is configured with a mandibular contact section 27 made of resin at the end of a U-shaped wire. When the Bimmler device 1 is attached, this mandibular contact section 27 presses the central incisor 52 on the mandibular side from the inside.

This Bimmler device 1 improves the temporomandibular joint by utilizing the functional power of the oral muscles and tongue. At the same time, the elasticity of the wires 24, 25 exerts inward pressure on the maxillary central incisors 52, moving the maxillary central incisors 52 backwards. As a result, the mandibular contact portion 27 is pushed forward, pressing against the mandibular central incisors 52 from the inside of the oral cavity, promoting forward growth of the mandible. This allows for proper occlusion and achieves orthodontic treatment.

As mentioned above, two plates 21 are provided on the left and right sides of the upper jaw at the positions of the molars 50 (and canines 51, if necessary). Up to this point, it is the same as the conventional example, but in this embodiment, the plate 21 is further expanded and extended from there to form an occlusal table 3 that almost covers the occlusal surfaces of the two premolars 50a on the left and right.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4(a), the occlusal table 3 is formed to have a height of about 1 to 2 mm above the occlusal surface in accordance with the symptoms of each patient. Its shape is almost flat, but the lower surface on the tooth side has slight irregularities to fit the shape of the upper surface of the molar.

The occlusal table 3 is simply placed on the premolar 50a and is not fixed with adhesive or the like. If it were fixed, it would be difficult to remove and it would be difficult to remove it frequently.

The base 21 and the occlusal table 3 are preferably made of resin. An acrylic resin for denture bases can be used as the resin.

These orthodontic devices are individually manufactured to fit each patient's oral shape and symptoms.

The orthodontic device of Example 2 shown in Figure 3 differs from Example 1 in that the occlusal table 3A is positioned on each of the left and right molars. Since the rest of the device is the same as Example 1, the reference numeral of Example 1 is followed by "A" and detailed description is omitted.

The occlusal table 3B of Example 3 shown in Figure 4(b) is hollow on the inside and is three-dimensional, not only covering the occlusal surface of the molar, but also partially covering the side of the molar. Not only does it have a height of about 1 to 2 mm above the occlusal surface, but it is also formed to extend from the occlusal surface of the molar along the side of the molar toward the jaw by about 1 to 2 mm. If the occlusal table 3B covered the side any deeper, it would be difficult to remove, and frequent removal would be impossible.

Reference Signs List 1 Orthodontic appliance 2 Bimmler appliance 21 Plate 22 Upper jaw orthodontic part 23 Lower jaw orthodontic part 24, 25 Wire 26 Groove 27 Lower jaw contact part 3 Occlusal table 50 Molar 50a Premolar 50b Molar 51 Canine 52 Central incisor

Claims (2)

An orthodontic appliance (1) for use in a state where it is worn in the oral cavity,
The orthodontic device (1) comprises a Bimmler appliance (2) that is removably installed in the oral cavity, and an occlusal table (3) connected to the Bimmler appliance (2),
The Bimmler appliance (2) has a pair of U-shaped orthodontic appliances in which an upper jaw orthodontic part (22) and a lower jaw orthodontic part (23) are integrally formed by wires (24, 25), and a base (21) that is held in contact with the patient's teeth.
The occlusal table (3) is formed by integrally extending the base (21) of the Bimmler appliance (2) and is placed in a flat plate shape so as to cover the occlusal surfaces of any of the left, right, upper and lower molars (50) of the patient.
An orthodontic device characterized by: 2. The orthodontic appliance according to claim 1, wherein the base (21) and the occlusal table (3) are made of resin.

Images