Abstract:
A mouth block formed of either cotton, plastic or rubber which is to be placed between the teeth of a mandible and the teeth of a maxilla of a jaw to prevent chewing action. The mouth block has a tapered configuration with the widest part of the taper to be located near the front teeth and the narrowest part of the taper to be located directly adjacent the back teeth. The mouth block my include an attachment that facilitates the connection to a lanyard or a rod for the purpose of removing of the block when such is desired.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   1. Field of the Invention 
   The subject matter of this invention is directed to dental equipment and more particularly to a mouth block that is to be used by dentists and dental specialists to prop open the patient&#39;s mouth to prevent chewing action during the time that the patient is recovering from a local anesthetic. 
   2. Description of the Related Art 
   Dentists and dental specialists commonly inject local anesthetic into the gum area when performing dental procedures. This local anesthetic will numb a significant area of the cheek and the tongue as well as the surrounding tissue. After the dentist or dental specialist has completed the procedure on the patient, it is desirable to not have the patient perform any chewing action. The dentist and dental specialist would prefer the chewing action be terminated for a period of time until the anesthetic wears off. This recovery time normally is one to two hours in duration. If the patient does perform a chewing action, the patient can frequently injure himself or herself in biting the tongue or the cheek. 
   In the past, in order to prevent this chewing action it has been common for dentists and dental specialists to take cotton squares or rolls and insert it within the patient&#39;s mouth. The patient is to keep the cotton squares or roll between their teeth for a desired period of time at which point the patient will remove it and discard such. This means that after the patient has left the dentist or dental specialist&#39;s office and is out in public, the appearance of the cotton in one&#39;s mouth is not exceedingly attractive. Additionally, the cotton becomes impregnated with saliva and frequently becomes crushed to the point to where the patient can almost perform a chewing action even with the cotton in place. 
   It would be desirable to design some type of device that was specifically intended to hold apart the teeth of the mandible from the teeth of the maxilla to prevent a patient from chewing where this device could be reasonably attractive and would not deteriorate in a period of a couple of hours during the time that it is required to be used. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The first basic embodiment of the present invention comprises a mouth block that is to be constructed of cotton which has an outer end and an inner free end. The body is tapered from the inner free end to the outer end with the widest part of the body being at the outer end. An attachment is mounted at the outer end. Whereby the body is to be placed within the mouth and to be located between the teeth of the mandible and the teeth of the maxilla to prevent chewing action. A lanyard is to be connected to the attachment. The lanyard is to facilitate manual removing of the body when removal is desired. 
   A further embodiment of the present invention is where the first basic embodiment is modified by defining that the attachment comprises a string loop. 
   A further embodiment of the present invention is where the first basic embodiment is modified by defining that the cotton body of the mouth block in transverse cross-section is rectangular. 
   A second basic embodiment of the present invention is directed to a rubber or plastic structure having a first outer end and first inner free end. The body is tapered from the first inner free end to the first outer end with the widest part of the body being at the first outer end. An attachment is mounted within the body located directly adjacent the first outer end. An elongated flexible member is attached to the first outer end. This elongated flexible member is to connect with the attachment forming a loop. The body is to be placed within a mouth and to be located between the teeth of a mandible and the teeth of a maxilla to prevent chewing action. The loop is to be manually used to facilitate removal of the body when such is desired. 
   A further embodiment of the present invention is where the second basic embodiment is modified by defining that the attachment comprises a through hole. 
   A further embodiment of the present invention is where the second basic embodiment is modified by defining that the elongated flexible member comprises a rod. 
   A further embodiment of the present invention is where the second basic embodiment is modified by defining that the second outer end includes an annular protuberance with this annular protuberance to produce a snap fit with the hole to permanently secure the rod to the body. 
   A further embodiment of the present invention is where the second basic embodiment is modified by defining that the exterior surface of the body includes a plurality of sawtooth sections which is to come into contact with the teeth. 
   A third basic embodiment of the present invention comprises a mouth block comprising a body constructed of a rubber or plastic and having an outer end and an inner free end, the body having a tapered wall surface that extends from the inner free end to the outer end. The widest part of the body is at the outer end. A through hole is formed in the body located directly adjacent the outer end. The through hole is adapted to be used by a dentist or dental specialist to connect a length of dental floss or similar string. 
   A further embodiment of the present invention is where the third basic embodiment is modified by the tapered wall surface having texturing. 
   A further embodiment of the present invention is where the just previous embodiment is modified by defining the texturing as a plurality of sawtooth sections. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     For a better understanding of the present invention, reference is to be made to the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the precise arrangement shown in the drawings. 
       FIG. 1  is a right side view of the first embodiment of mouth block of the present invention with the left side view being identical; 
       FIG. 2  is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along line  2 — 2  of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 3  is a view similar to  FIG. 1  but showing the mouth block of the present invention inserted between the teeth of the mandible and the teeth of the maxilla within a patient&#39;s mouth; 
       FIG. 4  is a right side view of the second embodiment of mouth block of the present invention which is to be constructed of either rubber or plastic; 
       FIG. 5  is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along line  5 — 5  of  FIG. 4 ; 
       FIG. 6  is a top plan view of the second embodiment of mouth block of the present invention; 
       FIG. 7  is a view similar to  FIG. 4  but showing the mouth block installed between the mandibular teeth and the maxillary teeth within a patient&#39;s mouth and also to where the elongated flexible member that is attached to the mouth block is connected with the attachment of the mouth block forming a loop; 
       FIG. 8  is a view partly in cross-section showing the installation procedure for the elongated flexible member in conjunction with the attachment hole formed within the mouth block of the present invention; 
       FIG. 9  is a view similar to  FIG. 8  but showing the elongated flexible member completely installed in conjunction with the mouth block; 
       FIG. 10  is a side elevational view of a modified form of the present invention where the body does not include any elongated flexible member; 
       FIG. 11  is a top plan view of the present invention taken along line  11 — 11  of  FIG. 10 ; and 
       FIG. 12  is an end elevational view of the present invention taken along line  12 — 12  of  FIG. 11 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
   Referring particularly to the drawings, there is shown in  FIGS. 1–3  the first embodiment  10  of mouth block of this invention. Mouth block  10  is formed of a cotton body  12  in the shape of a block. The cotton body  12  has an inner free end  16  and a first outer end  14 . The body  12  is basically rectangular in transverse cross-section and defines an upper surface  18  and a lower surface  20 . The basic overall configuration of the body  12  is that it is tapered from the inner free end  16  to the first outer end  14 . This tapering is such that the widest dimension of the body  12  is located at the first outer end  14 . The reason for this is that when the body  12  is placed between the mandibular teeth  22  and the maxillary teeth  24  and because of the hinge-like motion of the jaw, the mouth opening will be wider at the front of the mouth than at the rear of the mouth and the tapering of the body  12  is to essentially duplicate the opening that is produced between the mandibular teeth  22  and the maxillary teeth  24 . This is clearly shown in  FIG. 3 . The mandibular teeth  22  are to be pressed against the lower surface  20  and the maxillary teeth  24  are to be pressed against the upper surface  18 . Since the body  12  of this invention is constructed of tightly bound cotton, the teeth  22  and  24  will have a certain resilient action against the body  12 . It is not desired that the body  12  be constructed of a hard material and that it would have a certain resiliency. 
   Secured to the first outer end  14  is an attachment in the form of a string loop  26 . The string loop  26  could be embedded within the body  12  at the first outer end  14 . The normal size of the string loop  26  would normally produce about an opening  28  within the string loop about one-half inch in diameter. A lanyard  30 , which would normally comprise about a ten inch or greater length of string, is to be secured to the string loop  26 . 
   The dentist or dental specialist, prior to installation of the first embodiment  10  of this invention in between the mandibular teeth  22  and the maxillary teeth  24  of the patient, will install the lanyard  30  in position on the string loop  26 . The purpose of the lanyard  30  is that after the body  12  has been installed a short period of time, such as one to two hours and the anesthetic has worn off to which the patient had been subjected, the patient can than grab onto the lanyard  30  and pull the body  12  out of the mouth of the patient and discard such. 
   Referring particularly to  FIGS. 4–9  of the drawings, there is shown the second embodiment  32  of mouth block of the present invention. The second embodiment  32  defines a basically tapered shaped body  34  which is to be typically constructed of a plastic or rubber material. The body  34  has an inner free end  38  and an outer end  36 . The body  34  has an upper surface  40  and a lower surface  42 . Formed within the upper surface  40  is a sawtooth section  44 . Formed within the lower section  42  is a sawtooth section  46 . Sawtooth sections  44  and  46  are to be considered a form of a textured surface and other hiatused surfaces could be used. Flat surfaces could also be substituted for the sawtooth sections  44  and  46 . The sawtooth section  44  is adapted to be located against the maxillary teeth  48  of the jaw, while the sawtooth section  46  is adapted to be located against the mandibular teeth  50  of the jaw. Again, the general tapering configuration of the body  34  of the second embodiment  32  is to essentially duplicate the configuration of the opening between the maxillary teeth  48  and the mandibular teeth  50 . 
   Formed through the body  34  directly adjacent the second outer end  36  is a hole  52 . The wall of the hole  52  includes an inwardly extending protrusion  54 . The protrusion  54  is basically annular. Fixedly secured to the outer end  36  is an elongated flexible member  56  which is again basically constructed of rubber or plastic. Typically, this elongated flexible member  56  will be six to ten inches in length. Near the outer end of this elongated flexible member  56  is located an annular protrusion  58 . This annular protrusion  58  has an exterior configuration and is basically in the shape of a truncated cone. At the widest diameter portion of the protrusion  58  there is formed a shoulder  60  which extends from the elongated flexible member  56 . 
   The dentist or dental specialist prior to installation of the second embodiment  32  in position within the mouth of the patient, will grasp the elongated flexible member  56  and insert the outer end of such into hole  52 . This insertion is to be sufficient until the shoulder  60  passes beyond the protrusion  54  and upon doing such will be snappingly installed in place not permitting withdrawal of the elongated flexible  56  member as it is now permanently installed. The elongated flexible member  56  now forms a loop  62 . The loop  62  can be used to insert a user&#39;s finger there within and exert a pulling action on the elongated flexible member to withdraw the second embodiment  32  of mouth block of this invention after the local anesthetic has worn off. After the second embodiment  32  has been removed from the patient&#39;s mouth, the second embodiment  32  is to be discarded. 
   In a further embodiment of the present invention, which is shown in  FIGS. 10–12 , there is a structure of body  64  which has a tapered sidewall that extends from an outer end  66  and an inner free end  68 . A tapered sidewall of the body  64  that extends from outer end  66  to inner free end  68  is to be textured by including sawtooth sections  70  and  72 . However, it is considered to be within the scope of this invention that the tapered sidewall could be flat. Formed within the body  64  directly adjacent the outer end  66  is a through hole  74 . The wall surface of the through hole  74  is smoothly contoured and basically cylindrical, as is clearly shown in  FIG. 11 . There is no need for the annular protrusion  54 . The user can attach their own lanyard in the form of a length of dental floss (or similar string) to the body  64  by using hole  74 . This string is not shown. 
   The discussion included in this patent is intended to serve as a basic description. The reader should be aware that the specific discussion may not explicitly describe all embodiments possible and alternatives are implicit. Also, this discussion may not fully explain the generic nature of the invention and may not explicitly show how each feature or element can actually be representative of a broader function or of a great variety of alternative or equivalent elements. Again, these are implicitly included in this disclosure. Where the invention is described in device-oriented terminology, each element of the device implicitly performs a function. It should also be understood that a variety of changes may be made without departing from the essence of the invention. Such changes are also implicitly included in the description. These changes still fall within the scope of this invention. 
   Further, each of the various elements of the invention and claims may also be achieved in a variety of manners. This disclosure should be understood to encompass each such variation. Particularly, it should be understood that as the disclosure relates to elements of the invention, the words for each element may be expressed by equivalent apparatus terms or method terms—even if only the function or result is the same. Such equivalent, broader, or even more generic terms should be considered to be encompassed in the description of each element or action. Such terms can be substituted where desired to make explicit the implicitly broad coverage to which this invention is entitled. It should be understood that all actions may be expressed as a means for taking that action or as an element which causes that action. Similarly, each physical element disclosed should be understood to encompass a disclosure of the action which that physical element facilitates. Such changes and alternative terms are to be understood to be explicitly included in the description.