Patent ID: 11963903
Assignee: nan
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 0:
1. An oral appliance having moldable polymeric upper and lower arch-shaped members, the members being U-shaped in cross-section defining troughs configured to friction fit over a user's respective upper and lower dentitions, the upper arch-shaped member including pre-molar region and molar region, and the lower arch-shaped member including pre-molar region and molar region, comprising:
a) the upper arch-shaped member comprising a palate extension having a length ranging from 2 mm to 20 mm, the palate extension configured to extend posteriorly along the user's palate from adjacent a rear of the user's upper central incisors to an arcuate distal edge;
b) the lower arch-shaped member comprises integrally formed right molar extension, right pre-molar extension, left molar extension, and left pre-molar extension, each extension has a first height that increases uniformly from posterior to anterior of the lower arch-shaped member;
c) the upper arch-shaped member comprises integrally formed right molar extension, right pre-molar extension, left molar extension, and left pre-molar extension, each extension has a second height that is constant from posterior to anterior of the upper arch-shaped member;
d) so that when the user bites or clenches, left and right upper molar and pre-molar extensions impinge on left and right lower molar and pre-molar extensions, such impingement defining a gap between anterior portions of the upper and lower arch-shaped members, the gap having a height ranging from 6 mm to 15 mm;
e) the left and right pre-molar extensions and the left and right molar extensions of the lower arch-shaped member are positioned such that each pre-molar extension and each molar extension are angled outwardly from posterior to anterior laterally at angle θ from a longitudinal axis of the pre-molar region and molar region thereof, providing extra lateral space for the user's tongue;
f) the left and right pre-molar extensions and the left and right molar extensions of the upper arch-shaped member are positioned such that each pre-molar extension and each molar extension are angled outwardly from posterior to anterior laterally at angle β from a longitudinal axis of the pre-molar region and molar region thereof, providing extra lateral space for the user's tongue;
g) wherein the angles β and θ independently range from 5 degrees to 30 degrees;
h) wherein the respective pre-molar regions are configured to friction fit over the user's pre-molars, and the respective molar regions are configured to friction fit over the user's molars.