Abstract:
Provided is a jaw retention device and a corresponding method for retaining an individual&#39;s jaw in an open position during dental procedures. In its various embodiments, the device incorporates a mouthpiece and a handhold object which are interconnected by an elongate member. Both the handhold object and the mouthpiece may be moveably disposed about respective first and second end portions of the elongate member to allow the device to be selectively oriented as desired during use.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
       [0001]     A dental appointment is generally not regarded as an enjoyable experience. Irrespective of whether one visits the dentist for a routine check-up such as a teeth cleaning or a more complicated procedure, the experience is often dreaded. This sentiment is shared by many adults and children alike who tend to view dental appointments as a mild form of torture, featuring medical instruments such as probes, forceps, pliers, and drills.  
         [0002]     In order to alleviate these anxieties, dentists, hygienists, and other dental-care professionals do their best to relieve the nagging sense of general discomfort patients feel. These days, dentists strive hard to ease a patient&#39;s pain and distract the patient from the procedure at hand, including performing magic tricks. Industry professionals are also exploring ways of performing more comfortable procedures that require less intimidating medical instruments.  
         [0003]     Throughout most of the duration of one&#39;s visit in the dental chair, it is necessary for the patient to keep his/her mouth in an open position to permit the dentist to have access to the patient&#39;s teeth. This can become quite an arduous task during prolonged dental procedures. This is in part due to the fact that jaw muscles are bio-functional for having strength in closing the mouth as opposed to opening the mouth. Inevitably, the patient&#39;s mouth has a tendency to return to its normally closed position to relieve stress on the jaw muscles for over-extended periods of opening. Unfortunately, this interferes with the dentist&#39;s access to the patient&#39;s mouth and can complicate the dental procedure or even result in unnecessary injury to the patient.  
         [0004]     In the past, dentists have employed rubber inserts that are wedged between the patient&#39;s upper and lower rows of teeth to retain the mouth open. Until removal or repositioning of the inserts, however, the patient is unable to close his/her mouth, even when the dentist isn&#39;t working on the patient&#39;s teeth. The patient begins to feel helpless due to this lack of control over jaw movement. This can be psychologically distressing to many. It is also not uncommon for the patient&#39;s jaws to become quite sore as a result of muscle stress that is exacerbated by the patient&#39;s tendency to clench down on the rubber inserts while dental work is being performed.  
         [0005]     It is believed that a more effective and patient friendly device available to dentists and patients to relieve muscle stress during prolonged procedures is through the use of a jaw retention device, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,030,217. This patent describes a handhold object and a mouthpiece that are interconnected by a flexible member such as string. The mouthpiece engages the patient&#39;s lower teeth so that when tension is applied to the flexible member via the handhold object, the patient&#39;s mouth is urged open. This device is effective and gives control back to the patient.  
         [0006]     There are circumstances where the dentist needs access to different areas of the mouth at different times. For example, during a teeth cleaning procedure the dentist needs to address each tooth for various reasons: scaling, flossing, polishing, inspecting, etc. Accordingly, there is a need for a retention device that, similar to U.S. Pat. No. 6,030,217, can be conveniently repositioned to allow the dentist unfettered access to different areas of the mouth. Coupled with this is an additional need to allow the patient to conveniently re-orient the handhold object, particularly in a manner which does not interfere with the orientation of the mouth piece, thereby providing added flexibility to the patient from a comfort standpoint while at the same time not disrupting the dentist&#39;s procedure. The present invention is directed to meeting these needs, among others.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0007]     In order to alleviate some of the stress and discomfort associated with a visit to the dentist&#39;s office, a jaw retention device is provided that allows a patient to manually maintain his/her jaw in an open position thereby relieving the stress on the jaw muscles. This provides the patient with a sense of control in a situation that can otherwise be intimidating or simply unwelcome.  
         [0008]     The general design of the jaw retention device, which can also be considered as a jaw retraction device, incorporates an elongate member with a first end portion and an opposite second end portion. A handhold object is moveably disposed about the first end portion and the second end portion is configured as a mouthpiece to engage an individual&#39;s teeth. The elongate member, mouthpiece, and handhold object may be constructed of any suitable material such as plastic. The material may be of either a flexible or a rigid nature. In the case of the mouthpiece, a clear plastic has the advantage of allowing the dentist to see the patient&#39;s teeth during dental procedures.  
         [0009]     The mouthpiece can assume a variety of configurations and may be integrally molded with the elongate member or attached with a suitable adhesive. For example, the mouthpiece can have a proximal end joined to the second end portion of the elongate member and extend arcuately from the proximal end to terminate in a distal end portion. Alternatively, the mouthpiece&#39;s proximal end may be flattened and extend toward an arcuate distal end portion. It is preferable that the distal end portion include an edge adapted to engage between the individual&#39;s teeth in order to maintain the mouthpiece in a desired position. In any case, the mouthpiece is adapted to engage the individual&#39;s teeth whereby tension applied to the elongate member acts to urge the individual&#39;s jaw into the open position.  
         [0010]     The handhold object is rotatably disposed about the elongate member such that it can be easily repositioned independently of the mouthpiece and without disturbing the location of the mouthpiece. To this end the mouthpiece may also be rotatably disposed about the elongate member. Advantageously, the handhold object may include at least one opening adapted to receive the individual&#39;s finger(s). In one embodiment of the handhold object, the opening includes a plurality of finger receiving recesses. In addition, the handhold object may be configured to resemble a variety of shapes such as an annulus, an anchor, a heart, or a cardioid.  
         [0011]     A method of retaining an individual&#39;s jaw in an open position is also provided for use with a jaw retention device such as discussed above. According to the method, the individual&#39;s teeth are engaged by the mouthpiece and the handhold object is grasped by the patient. Tension is then applied to the elongate member to urge and retain the jaw open. Conveniently, the handhold object may be rotated independently of the mouthpiece to a desired orientation. Of course, aspects of the broad methodology steps can be performed in any suitable sequence, as will be appreciated from the following description. These and other aspects of the jaw retention device will become more readily appreciated and understood from a consideration of the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments when taken together with the accompanying drawings in which: 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0012]      FIG. 1  is a side view in elevation of an individual supported in a reclined position in a dentist&#39;s chair and showing the individual employing a jaw retention device for urging the individual&#39;s jaw into an open position;  
         [0013]      FIG. 2  is an enlarged view of  FIG. 1  illustrating representative placements of the jaw retention device&#39;s mouthpiece engaged on an individual&#39;s teeth;  
         [0014]      FIG. 3  is an enlarged perspective view of the jaw retention device of  FIG. 1  further illustrating the rotatability of the handhold object;  
         [0015]      FIG. 4A  is an enlarged perspective view of the individual&#39;s right hand grasping the handhold object in a first orientation;  
         [0016]      FIG. 4B  is an enlarged perspective view similar to  FIG. 4A  where the individual is using his index finger to grasp the handhold object in a second orientation where the handhold object is rotated;  
         [0017]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged partial cross-section showing the mounting of the handhold object to the jaw retention device;  
         [0018]     FIGS.  6 A-C illustrate alternative constructions for the jaw retention device handhold object;  
         [0019]      FIG. 7  is a side view in elevation of the mouthpiece illustrating one possible means of attaching the mouthpiece to the elongate member;  
         [0020]      FIG. 8A  is an enlarged perspective view of another embodiment of the jaw retention device being grasped in the individual&#39;s hand;  
         [0021]      FIG. 8B  is an enlarged perspective view similar to  FIG. 8A  where the individual is engaging the handhold object with two forefingers in a rotated orientation;  
         [0022]      FIG. 9  is a perspective view of an embodiment of the jaw retention device where both the handhold object and the mouthpiece are rotatable disposed at opposite ends of the elongate member;  
         [0023]      FIG. 10  is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the distal end portion of the mouthpiece as seen about lines  10 - 10  in  FIG. 9 ;  
         [0024]      FIG. 11  is an enlarged perspective view of the distal end portion of the mouthpiece;  
         [0025]      FIG. 12  is a side view of the jaw retention device of  FIG. 9  illustrating the attachment angle of the mouthpiece to the elongate member; and  
         [0026]      FIG. 13  is a cross-sectional top view of the mouthpiece viewed from about lines  13 - 13  in  FIG. 12 . 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0027]      FIG. 1  shows a jaw retention device  10  according to one embodiment being used by an individual  40  while reclined in a dentist&#39;s chair  50 . The jaw retention device  10  is adapted to be inserted into the patient&#39;s mouth  41  and grasped by the patient&#39;s hand  42  to urge the patient&#39;s jaw  43  into an open position. During certain dental procedures, for instance a teeth cleaning, it may be necessary to relocate the device&#39;s mouthpiece  30  on the patient&#39;s teeth  44  to allow access to different parts of the mouth  41 .  FIG. 2  illustrates in more detail the engagement of a mouthpiece  30  with the individual&#39;s lower teeth  44 . This figure also illustrates (in phantom) relocation of the jaw retention device&#39;s mouthpiece  30  into a central position.  
         [0028]     The construction of jaw retention device  10  according to the first embodiment may be better appreciated with initial reference to  FIG. 3 . This embodiment of a jaw retention device is broadly comprised of an elongate member  12 , a handhold object  20 , and mouthpiece  30 . The elongate member  12  extends along an axis “A” between a first end portion, generally  14 , and an opposite second end portion, generally  16 . The handhold object  20  is disposed on first end portion  14  and is rotatable about axis “A”. Handhold object  20  is adapted to be grasped by the patient during use. The mouthpiece  30  extends from, and may be integrally molded with end portion  16  so that it is adapted for insertion into the patient&#39;s mouth  41 . As such, when tension is applied to the elongate member  12  the patient&#39;s jaw  43  is urged into the open position, as is shown in  FIGS. 1 and 2 . Both the mouthpiece  30  and the handhold object  20  may be made of any suitable material such as plastic, and preferably a clear polycarbonate plastic. A preferred material is known in the industry by the trade name Lucite®.  
         [0029]     The mouthpiece  30  extends arcuately from a proximal end  31 , that is attached to the second end portion  16 , to terminate in a distal end portion  32 . The mouthpiece may be attached to the elongate member in a variety of ways. For example,  FIG. 7  shows the mouthpiece  30  attached to an elongate member  12 ′ by the use of a suitable bonding adhesive  33 , such as methyl ethyl ketone or cyanoacrylate.  
         [0030]     The elongate member  12  may be constructed of any suitable material, for example plastic, and preferably acrylonitrile styrene acrylester. Furthermore, the elongate member  12  can be flexible or rigid. Preferably, it is sufficiently rigid to allow the patient to reposition the mouthpiece  30  on the patient&#39;s lower teeth  44  as shown in  FIG. 2  by manipulating the handhold object  20 . At the same time, it is advantageous to have some flexibility in the elongate member  12  in order to allow the dentist to conveniently move the mouthpiece  30  during dental procedures to various locations to permit access to different areas of the patient&#39;s mouth without necessarily relying on the patient to either move the mouthpiece or the handhold object.  
         [0031]     Referring again to  FIG. 3 , the rotatability of handhold object  20  about the elongate member  12  and axis “A” allows the patient  40  to reposition his/her hand  42  to a comfortable position without disturbing the positioning of the mouthpiece  30 . The rotatability of the handhold object  20  facilitates various grasping positions, two of which are illustrated in  FIGS. 4   a  and  4   b  for representative purposes. In these figures, as in earlier figures, the handhold object  20  is configured generally as an annular member having a central opening  24 .  FIG. 4   a  illustrates the patient grasping the handhold object  20  by placing the thumb  45  of the right hand  42  through opening  24 .  FIG. 4   b , on the other hand, shows another grasping position in which the patient has inserted his/her index finger  47  through opening  24  causing the handhold object to rotate about the first end portion  14  to an equilibrium position.  
         [0032]      FIG. 5  details one possible construction for rotatably attaching the handhold object  20  relative to the first end portion  14 . In this embodiment the first end portion  14  is inserted through a bore  21  formed through handhold object  20 . Retainers  22 ( 1 ) and  22 ( 2 ) are respectively disposed interiorly  24  and exteriorly  25  of the handhold object  20  in a sandwiched arrangement such that the elongate member is held in place axially yet allowed to rotate about the elongate member  12 . The retainers  22 ( 1 ) and  22 ( 2 ) can be mounted in various ways, such as by gluing or melting them to the elongate member&#39;s first end portion  14 . To this end the retainers  22 ( 1 ) and  22 ( 2 ) are also preferably constructed from a suitable plastic material.  
         [0033]     The artisan will appreciate that there may be many ways to rotatably attach the handhold  20  to the elongate member  12  beyond the manner illustrated for example in  FIG.5 . For example, the retainers could be integrally molded with the elongate member  12  such that the handhold  20  is configured to have separable wings  29 ( 1 ) and  29 ( 2 ) so that it can be snapped over the retainer  22 ( 2 ) to prohibit axial movement, while still allowing rotation. The retainers could also be integrally molded where retainer  22 ( 2 ) is formed with a taper whereby retainer  22 ( 2 ) could be snapped through the handhold object&#39;s, bore  21 . The handhold object could also be attached with a ball and socket joint or a universal joint. Regardless of the particular construction adopted, though, it is desirable that the handhold object  20  be mounted in a manner that permits it to freely rotate independently of the elongate member  12 , and particularly the first end portion  14  thereof.  
         [0034]     The handhold object can, of course, assume a variety of different shapes other than the annular shape best shown in the embodiments of  FIGS. 1 and 3 - 5 .  FIGS. 6   a - 6   c  illustrate various other handhold configurations that incorporate finger recesses, generally  123 .  FIG. 6   a , for example, shows a heart or cardioid shaped handhold object  120  that includes two finger receiving regions  123 ( 1 ) and  123 ( 2 ) formed from lobed portions  126 ( 1 ) and  126 ( 2 ), respectively, of the surrounding sidewall  127 .  FIG. 6   b  illustrates an alternative construction wherein the handhold object  120 ′ may have any suitable number of finger receiving regions  123 ( 1 )- 123 ( n ) formed by lobes  126 ( 1 )- 126 ( n ) respectively. As is illustrated in  FIG. 6   c  the handhold object  120 ″, in this case an anchor configuration, need not have an opening in order to provide finger receiving regions  123 . The anchor handhold  120 ″ includes an eye  160 , a central shank  161 , and a pair of arms  162 ( 1 ) and  162 ( 2 ). The arms  162 ( 1 ) and  1   62 ( 2 ) extend in opposite directions on both sides of the shank  161  and preferably include upwardly diverging extensions  163 ( 1 ) and  163 ( 2 ) for generally defining the finger receiving regions  123 ( 1 ) and  123 ( 2 ).  
         [0035]     It is contemplated that an alternative embodiment for a jaw retention device could be constructed to provide visual guidance (via illumination) to the dentist during dental procedures. To this end, the jaw retention device could incorporate a light source which projects light through the mouthpiece to illuminate a region of the patient&#39;s mouth. As a representative example, although not by way of limitation, the light source (e.g., a battery powered bulb or LED) could be incorporated as part of the handhold object. The light could then be communicated through the elongate member itself, such as where the elongate member is a fiber optic cable or is formed to include a light receiving channel for transmitting the light from the handhold object to the mouthpiece. Similarly, the mouthpiece could be formed of an optically conductive material or include a channel that directs the light where desired.  
         [0036]      FIGS. 8   a  and  8   b  illustrate another exemplary embodiment for a jaw retention device  110 , here the handhold object  120  is heart shaped, as in  FIG. 6   a , providing two finger recesses  123 ( 1 ) and  123 ( 2 ) and the mouthpiece  130  may be constructed similar to that described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,030,217 which is incorporated herein by reference. FIG.  8   b  illustrates one way of grasping the handhold object  120  by inserting two forefingers  48 ( 1 ) and  48 ( 2 ) through opening  124  and engaging the two finger recesses  123 ( 1 ) and  123 ( 2 ).  
         [0037]      FIG. 9  shows another exemplary embodiment  210  of a jaw retention device including alternate constructions of the handhold object and mouthpiece. The handhold object is of a heart shape similar to  FIG. 6   a  with an additional aperture  228  for alternatively permitting a string or the like to be tied to the handhold object (as in U.S. Pat. No. 6,030,217), so that the handhold object is rotatable with the first end portion. In  FIG. 9  it can be appreciated that the handhold object  220  may otherwise be retained on the elongate member  212  by forming a protuberance  217  on the first end portion  214  after insertion through bore  221  formed through sidewall  227 . The protuberance  217  may be formed by pressing the elongate member  212  against an anvil that is heated to a temperature sufficient to melt the elongate member&#39;s first end or by other suitable means. The resulting protuberance  217  is larger in diameter than the bore  221  thereby retaining the handhold object  220  on the elongate member by prohibiting it to pass back through the bore.  
         [0038]     Similar to U.S. Pat. No.6,030,217, the particular construction of mouthpiece  230  in this embodiment has a flattened proximal end portion  276  joined to the second end portion  216  of the elongate member  212 . Included on the flattened proximal end portion  276  is a bearing boss  275  with a bore  234  formed therethrough. As is illustrated in  FIG. 12  the mouthpiece  230  is attached at an acute angle “a” to the elongate member  212 . Angle “a”, which in the preferred construction shown is approximately 3-10°, is defined as the angle between the elongate member  212  and a plane “p” which contains a lower surface  239  of the flattened proximal end portion  276 .  
         [0039]     The mouthpiece  230  may be rotatably disposed about the second end portion  216  of the elongate member  212  by inserting the second end portion through bore  234  and forming a protuberance  218  thereon, thereby attaching the mouthpiece  230  to the elongate member  212  in a similar fashion as that employed in attaching the handhold object  220 . Alternatively, the mouthpiece could be immovable relative to the elongate member  212  via gluing or the like.  
         [0040]     The mouthpiece  230  arcuately extends from the flattened proximal end portion  276  towards a distal end portion  232 . As is illustrated in more detail in  FIGS. 10, 11  and  13 , the arcuate distal end portion  232  has a generally rectangular cross-section  235  ( FIG. 10 ) transitioning to a generally triangular cross-section  236  ( FIG. 13 ) and finally terminating in a distal end  274  of rectangular cross-section ( FIG. 11 ). The first rectangular cross-section portion  235  provides a comfortable surface  238  suitable to rest against the patient&#39;s lip during a dental procedure. The triangular cross-section portion  236  is formed by walls  270  and  271  which converge toward an edge  237  that can be seated between the patient&#39;s teeth thereby maintaining the desired position of the mouthpiece  230  against the patient&#39;s teeth. The second rectangular cross-section of the mouthpiece&#39;s distal end portion  273  provides a stop to help prevent the mouthpiece from slipping off of the patient&#39;s teeth during use, while also providing a blunt distal end  274  to prevent injury or discomfort to the patient.  
         [0041]     To provide additional comfort to patients such as those with chipped or sensitive teeth, the arcuate distal end portion  232  may be formed of a material that is relatively soft when compared to the material of the flattened proximal end portion  276 . Alternatively, the distal end portion  232  may be covered with a relatively soft material that is configured as a sleeve adapted to be removeably disposed over the distal end portion  232 . Alternatively, or additionally, edge  237  may be appropriately rounded to help prevent any aggravation of patients&#39; sensitive teeth.  
         [0042]     With the above description in mind, it should be appreciated, among other advantages, that the jaw retention device can be used to retain an individual&#39;s jaw in an open position by engaging the individual&#39;s teeth with the mouthpiece. After engaging the individual&#39;s teeth the handhold object can be grasped where tension is applied along the elongate member thereby urging the individual&#39;s jaw into an open position. The handhold object can then be rotated independently of the mouthpiece to a desired orientation. Finally, the individual&#39;s jaw can be retained in the open position simply by maintaining the applied tension.  
         [0043]     Accordingly, the jaw retention device has been described with some degree of particularity directed to the exemplary embodiment of the device. It should be appreciated, though, that the jaw retention device is defined by the following claims construed in light of the prior art so that modifications or changes may be made to the exemplary embodiments of the jaw retention device without departing from the inventive concepts contained herein.