DENTAL APPLIANCE FOR TREATMENT OF SNORING AND OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA

Abstract: A dentally retained intra-oral appliance (20) worn at night for treatment of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. The appliance (20) maintains the patient's mandible (22) in an anterior, protruded position to prevent obstruction of the pharyngeal airway (14). The appliance (20) allows a limited degreee of lateral movement of the mandible (22) relative to the upper jaw in the protruded position to prevent aggravation of the patient's tempromandibular joint and associated muscles and ligaments. The appliance (20) preferably consists of an upper bite block (28) conforming to the patient's maxillary dentition (30), a lower bite block (32) conforming to the patient's mandibular dentition (34), and a connecting assembly (40) secured to an anterior region of the upper and lower bite blocks (28, 32) for adjustably coupling the upper and lower bite blocks (28, 32) together.

Description: DENTAL APPLIANCE FOR TREATMENT OF SNORING AND OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA Field of the Invention This application relates to a dentally retained intra-oral appliance worn at night for treatment of snoring and obstructive sleep apnea. The appliance maintains the patient's mandible in an anterior, protruded position to prevent obstruction of the pharyngeal airway. The appli¬ ance allows a limited degree of lateral movement of the mandible relative to the upper jaw in the protruded posi¬ tion to prevent aggravation of the tempromandibular joint and associated muscles and ligaments. Background of the Invention Snoring and obstructive sleep apnea are typically caused by complete or partial obstruction of an individ- ual's pharyngeal airway during sleep. Usually airway obstruction results from the apposition of the rear portion of the tongue or soft palate with the posterior pharyngeal wall. Obstructive sleep apnea is a potentially lethal disorder in which breathing stops during sleep for 10 seconds or more, sometimes up to 300 times per night. Snoring occurs when the pharyngeal airway is partially obstructed, resulting in vibration of the oral tissues during respiration. These sleep disorders tend to become more severe as patients grow older, likely due to a pro- gressive loss of muscle tone in the patient's throat and oral tissues. Habitual snoring and sleep apnea have been associated with other potentially serious medical condi- tions, such as hypertension, ischemic heart disease and strokes. Accordingly, early diagnosis and treatment is recommended. One surgical approach, known as uvulopalato- pharyngoplasty, involves removal of a portion of the soft palate to prevent closure of the pharyngeal airway during sleep. However, this operation is not always effective and may result in undesirable complications, such as nasal regurgitation. A wide variety of non-surgical approaches for treating sleep disorders have also been proposed including the use of oral cavity appliances. It has been previously recognized that movement ' of the mandible (lower jaw) forward relative to the maxilla (upper jaw) can eliminate or reduce sleep apnea and snoring symptoms by causing the pharyngeal air passage to remain open. Several intra-oral dental appliances have been developed which the user wears at night to fix the mandible in an anterior, protruded (i.e. forward) position. Such dental appliances essential- ly consist of acrylic or elastomeric bite blocks, similar to orthodontic retainers or athletic mouthguards, which are custom-fitted to the user's upper and lower teeth and which may be adjusted to vary the degree of anterior protrusion. United States patent No. 4,901,737, which issued to Toone on 20 February, 1990, exemplifies the prior art. Toone discloses an intra-oral appliance for reducing snoring which repositions the mandible in an inferior (open) and anterior (protrusive) position as compared to the normally closed position of the jaw. Once the dentist or physician determines the operative "snore reduction position" for a particular patient, an appropriate mold is taken of the maxillary dentition and of the mandibular dentition for formation of the appliance template. The Toone appliance includes a pair of V-shaped spacer members formed from dental acrylic which extend between the maxill¬ ary and mandibular dentition to form a unitary mouthpiece. In an alternative embodiment of the Toone invention, the spacer members are formed in two pieces and a threaded rod is provided to enable adjustment of the degree of mandibu¬ lar protrusion or retrusion after the mouthpiece is formed. European patent application No. 0,312,368 pub¬ lished April 19, 1989 also discloses an intra-oral device for preventing snoring. This device consists of a U- shaped mouthpiece which conforms to the upper dental arch of the user and includes a sloped, lower ramp for engaging the mandibular dentition. Normal mouth motions, such as the clenching of the jaw, will cause some of the mandibular dentition to engage the underside of the ramp, thereby camming the lower jaw forward to increase the spacing between the base of the tongue and the posterior wall of the pharynx. While prior art dental appliances have proven effective in maintaining the mandible in a protruded position to improve airway patency, they often result in undesirable side effects. One of the most common side effects is aggravation of the tempromandibular joint and related jaw muscles and ligaments, especially in individ¬ uals who have a tendency to grind their teeth during sleep. Aggravation of the tempromandibular joint has been associ¬ ated with a wide variety of physical aliments, including migraine headaches. Accordingly, many individuals suffer¬ ing from sleep apnea and snoring disorders are not able to tolerate existing anti-snoring dental appliances for long periods of time. The need has therefore arisen for a dental appli¬ ance for treatment of snoring and sleep apnea which will maintain the mandible in a preferred anterior position, but which will also allow a limited degree of lateral excursion of the mandible relative to the upper jaw to avoid discom¬ fort to the tempromandibular joint and related muscles and ligaments. Summary of the Invention In accordance with the invention there is pro- vided an intra-oral dental appliance to be worn by a patient during sleep for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea and snoring. The dental appliance includes an upper member conforming to the patient's maxillary dentition, a lower member conforming to the patient's mandibular den- tition, and connecting means for releasably coupling the upper and lower members together. The connecting means adjustably maintains the lower member in an anterior, protruded position relative to the upper member while permitting lateral movement of the lower member relative to the upper member in the protruded position. The upper and lower members are preferably flexible bite blocks formed from elastomeric material. Preferably the connecting means is secured to an anterior region of the upper and lower bite blocks and includes a first element bonded to an undersurface of the upper bite block; a second element bonded to an upper surface of the lower bite block; and an elongated connector for releasably coupling the first and second elements together. Preferably the connector has an upper end which is fixedly connectable to the first element and a lower end which is loosely connectable to the second element to permit a limited degree of movement of the lower bite block relative to the connector. Advantageously, the second element has an internal cavity for capturing the lower end of the connector, the cavity having an opening formed on an upper surface of the second element through which the connector extends. The connector preferably consists of a stylus having a threaded upper portion and an enlarged head formed on its lower end having a diameter exceeding the size of the cavity opening. The upper element preferably consists of a reten¬ tion plate having a plurality of internally threaded apertures formed therein for releasably receiving the threaded portion of the stylus. The threaded apertures are spaced apart at regular intervals to enable incremental adjustment of the degree of anterior protrusion of the lower bite block relative to the upper bite block. The second element preferably consists of a guide box having an upper surface, vertical sidewalls, and an open bottom end, the guide box having a hollow area between the sidewalls comprising the internal cavity and an aper¬ ture formed on the upper surface comprising the cavity opening. The dimensions of the cavity preferably exceed the size of the stylus head and the cavity opening is lat¬ erally elongated to permit a limited degree of lateral movement of the lower bite block relative to the stylus. The guide box further includes a base plate for releasably covering the guide box bottom end, the base plate having an aperture formed therein to permit access to the stylus head captured within the internal cavity. The retention plate and the base plate each further include a plurality of retention apertures spaced around the periphery thereof to enable acrylic to flow through the plates when the plates are initially bonded to the upper and lower bite blocks. Preferably, the upper and lower bite blocks further include a first pair of bite pads formed on the undersurface of the upper bite block and projecting down¬ wardly therefrom and a second pair of bite pads formed on an upper surface of the lower bite block and projecting upwardly therefrom for slidably engaging the first pair of bite pads. The bite pads are located in a posterior region of the bite blocks to limit closure of the patient's jaw. A method of treating snoring and obstructive sleep apnea by adjustably maintaining a patient's mandible in a protruded position is also disclosed comprising the steps of (a) casting an upper bite block by taking a mold of the patient's maxillary dentition; (b) casting a lower bite block by taking a mold of the patient's mandibular dentition; (c) securing a first retention element to the undersurface of the upper bite block in an anterior region thereof; (d) securing a second retention element to an upper surface of the lower bite block in an anterior region thereof, the second element comprising an upwardly pro¬ jecting connector having a lower end loosely captured within a cavity formed in the second element; (e) deter- mining the preferred degree of mandibular protrusion reguired to alleviate the patient's sleep apnea and snoring symptoms; and (f) releasably securing an upper end of the connector to the first retention element at a fixed posi¬ tion corresponding to the patient's preferred degree of mandibular protrusion as determined in step (e) . A connecting assembly for use in an intra-oral dental appliance to be worn by a patient during sleep for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea and snoring is also disclosed, the dental appliance comprising an upper bite block conforming to the patient's maxillary dentition and a lower bite block conforming to the patient's mandibular dentition. The connecting assembly includes a first element securable to an undersurface of said upper bite block in an anterior region thereof; a second element securable to an upper surface of said lower bite block in an anterior region thereof; and an elongated connector for releasably coupling said first and second elements to¬ gether, said connector having an upper end which is fixedly connectable to said first element and a lower end which is loosely connectable to said second element to permit a limited degree of movement of said lower bite block rela¬ tive to said connector. Brief Description of the Drawings In drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a schematic, side elevational view of the upper pharyngeal region of a typical patient suffering from obstructive sleep apnea or snoring. Figure 2 is a schematic, side elevational view of the patient of Figure 1 fitted with the applicant's dental appliance to maintain the patient's mandible in a protruded position, thereby averting obstruction of the pharyngeal airway. Figure 3 is an enlarged, exploded view of the connecting assembly of the applicant's invention for connecting the upper and lower bite blocks shown in dotted outline. Figure 4 is an isometric view of the applicant's dental appliance. Figure 5 is a top, plan view of the dental appliance of Figure 4. Figure 6 is a front, elevational view of the dental appliance of Figure 4. Figure 7 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view taken along section lines 7-7 of Figure 6 and looking in the direction of the arrows. Figure 8 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view taken along section lines 8-8 of Figure 6 and looking in the direction of the arrows. Figure 9 is an enlarged, cross-sectional view taken along section lines 9-9 of Figure 5 and looking in the direction of the arrows. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment Figure 1 is a schematic, side elevational view of the upper pharyngeal region of a typical patient suffering from obstructive sleep apnea or snoring. When the patient is asleep the oral cavity tissues relax and the distal (rear) portion of the tongue 10 tends to slide rearwardly toward the posterior pharyngeal wall 12. This may result in partial or complete occlusion of the pharyngeal airway 14 in the circled region 26. As the volume of airway 14 diminishes, the velocity of the air passing the oral cavity tissues tends to increase. This may result in vibration of the oral cavity tissues, such as the uvula 16 which is a fleshy projection suspended from the soft palate 18 over the root of tongue 10. The vibration of these oral tissues causes the snoring sound. Figure 2 is a schematic, side elevational view of the individual of Figure 1 fitted with the applicant's dental appliance 20. Dental appliance 20 causes the individual's mandible 22 to be moved to an anterior, pro¬ truded position relative to the upper jaw 24. This causes the dorsal surface of the tongue 10 to move forwardly away from the posterior pharyngeal wall 12. This in turn results in an increase in volume of the pharyngeal airway 14 as shown in the circled region 26. It has been shown that maintaining airway 14 substantially open during sleep alleviates the undesirable symptoms associated with ob¬ structive sleep apnea and snoring. Figure 4-6 depict the preferred structure of dental appliance 20 in further detail. Appliance 20 consists of an upper bite block 28 shaped to conform to the maxillary dentition 30 and a lower bite block 32 shaped to conform to the mandibular dentition 34. Bite blocks 28, 32 are preferably constructed from an elastomeric material. Each bite block 28, 32 includes stainless steel dental wires 36 (Figure 5) to stabilize appliance 20 and ensure that it securely engages the wearer's teeth. As best shown in Figures 4 and 6, the posterior region of each bite block 28, 32 includes hard acrylic bite pads 38 which provide a stop to the closure of the jaw and which support the wearer's tempromandibular joint as dis¬ cussed further below. As shown best in Figures 3 and 9, bite blocks 28, 32 are united in an anterior region of appliance 20 by means of a connecting assembly generally designated 40. Assembly 40 includes a maxillary retention plate 42 which is bonded to upper bite block 28 in the anterior palatal region behind the central incisors and a mandibular guide box assembly 44 which is bonded to an anterior region of lower bite block 32. Retention plate 42 and guide box assembly 44 are preferably bonded to respective bite blocks 28,32 with heat-cureable dental acrylic. Retention plate 42 and guide box assembly 44 are connected by means of a stylus 46 as described further below. Stylus 46 preferably comprises a threaded portion 47 and an enlarged head 48. Guide box assembly 44 consists of a guide box 50 having an elongated aperture 52 formed on its upper surface and a milled-out cavity 54 formed beneath aperture 50. Assembly 44 also includes a base plate 56 which may be releasably fastened to guide box 50 with screws 58. Screws 58 extend through apertures 60 formed in plate 56 and are received in internally threaded apertures 62 formed on either side of guide box 50 which are alignable with apertures 60 (Figures 3 and 9) . As shown best in Figure 8, the elongated guide box aperture 52 is preferably kidney-shaped to correspond to the natural range of motion of the patient's jaw. Guide box 50 is positioned so that the convex curvature of aperture 52 faces forwardly. As best shown in Figure 3, the threaded portion 47 of stylus 46 is inserted through guide box aperture 52 before guide box 50 and base plate 56 are fastened together as aforesaid. Since the diameter of the stylus head 48 is larger than aperture 52, the stylus head 48 is effectively captured within the cavity 54 formed in guide box 50. Cavity 54 is sufficiently large to permit stylus head 48 to move vertically and laterally to a limited extent. Base plate 56 has a central aperture 64 to allow access to stylus head 48 (Figure 9) . Accordingly, stylus 46 can be manually turned using a screwdriver or some other suitable tool after guide box 50 and base plate 56 have been fastened together. Base plate 56 also includes a plurality of countersunk, spaced-apart retention apertures 66. Reten- tion apertures 66 are provided to allow dental acrylic to flow upwardly through base plate 56 to facilitate bonding of guide box assembly 44 to the lower bite block 32. Aper¬ tures 66 are countersunk to increase the surface area available for bonding. Preferably, the base plate 56 is larger than guide box 50 so that the dental acrylic flowing through retention apertures 66 will surround the perimeter of guide box 50, as best shown in Figure 7. As best shown in Figures 3, 4 and 7 , maxillary retention plate 42 includes a series of internally threaded apertures 68 which are spaced apart at regular intervals. Apertures 68 are provided for receiving the threaded portion 47 of stylus 46. Maxillary retention plate also includes a plurality of retention apertures 66 to allow the acrylic to flow through plate 42 to facilitate its bonding to upper bite block 28. Preferably maxillary retention plate 40 and guide box assembly 44 are constructed from commercially pure titanium or some other metal which is non-reactive with oral fluids. Stylus 46 and screws 58 are preferably fabricated from stainless steel. Dental appliance 20 is custom-fitted to suit the requirements of each individual patient. Usually the first step in the fitting procedure is for the dentist or phys- ician to assess the natural range of motion of the pa¬ tient's jaw and the likely degree of pharyngeal occlusion. This may be determined by physical examinations, sleep studies, x-rays and the like. Molds of the patient's existing maxillary and mandibular dentition 30, 34 are then taken to enable casting of U-shaped bite blocks 28, 32. As indicated above, bite blocks 28, 32 are preferably formed of an elastomeric material. Dental wires 36 are embedded in bite blocks 28, 32 to provide structural stability. Opposing pairs of bite pads 38 are formed on the undersurface of upper bite block 28 and the upper surface of lower bite block 32 in a posterior region of appliance 20 (Figures 3 and 5) . Bite pads 38 are constructed from hard dental acrylic and are provided to limit closure of the patient's jaw and prevent overerup ion of the posterior teeth. After bite blocks 28, 32 have been fabricated as aforesaid, they are united by means of connector assembly 40 (Figure 3) . Guide box 44 and stylus 46 of assembly 40 are loosely coupled together as described above so that the threaded portion 47 of stylus 46 protrudes upwardly through the elongated aperture 52 formed in guide box 50 (Figure 3). Retention plate 42 is bonded to the undersurface of upper bite block 28 and guide box assembly 44 is bonded to the upper surface of bite block 32 by means of heat- cureable dental acrylic. The soft acrylic flows through retention apertures 66 formed on retention plate 42 and base plate 56 to ensure that connecting assembly 40 is securely set in place as the acrylic hardens. As explained above, retention apertures 66 are countersunk to increase the surface area available for bonding to the dental acrylic. After dental appliance 20 has been fabricated as described above, bite blocks 28, 32 are releasably coupled together by inserting the threaded portion 47 of stylus 46, which extends upwardly from guide box 50, into one of the mating apertures 68 formed in maxillary retention plate 42 (Figures 3, 7 and 9). Apertures 68 are spaced approximate¬ ly 0.5 mm apart to allow the dentist or physician to make small adjustments in the relative position of bite blocks 28, 32 and hence the degree of anterior protrusion of the patient's mandible 22. Preferably apertures 68 should be spaced to allow for a total adjustment range of approxi¬ mately 7 mm. The inferior position of mandible 22 (i.e. the degree of opening of the jaw) may also be incrementally adjusted by varying the extent to which stylus 46 is screwed within a selected aperture 68. Stylus 46 may be turned with a screwdriver or other suitable tool insertable through base plate aperture 64 to engage stylus head 48. In practice, appliance 20 is easily insertable within the mouth of a patient for wear during sleep. Appliance 20 is initially adjusted to advance mandible 22 between 25% and 75% of the patient's maximum protrusive capability. Typically approximately 5-8 millimetres of mandibular protrusion and approximately 4-6 millimetres of inferior opening are initially provided (Figure 2) . This is in contrast to some prior dental appliances where an in¬ ferior opening in the range of 10-20 millimetres is recom- mended. The inventor's studies suggest that in many patients the tongue 10 has a greater tendency to slide posteriorly as the degree of jaw opening increases. Displacement of the tempromandibular joint is also more likely if the jaw is fixed in a wide open position for long periods of time. Accordingly, dental appliance 20 is set to open the jaw the minimum amount possible while still allowing the patient to breathe comfortably through the mouth. Opposed bite pads 38 formed on bite blocks 28, 32 provide a stop to complete closure of the jaw as best shown in Figures 4 and 6. This prevents overeruption of the posterior teeth during the wearing of appliance 20 and provides support to the tempromandibular joint and associ- ated ligaments and muscles. After the patient has been fitted with dental appliance 20 he or she is carefully monitored to determine if further adjustments are required. For example, if the patient's snoring or apnea episodes have not been complete¬ ly eliminated, then the degree of mandibular protrusion may be incrementally increased by unscrewing stylus 46 from its initial setting, advancing lower bite block 32 forwardly, and inserting stylus 46 into an adjacent aperture 68 formed on maxillary retention plate 42 (Figure 7) . The degree of inferior opening of the mandible 22 can also be readily adjusted to suit the needs of a particular patient by altering the extent to which the threaded portion 47 of stylus 46 is screwed within a selected aperture 68. If the patient experiences discomfort from wearing appliance 20, then the dentist or physician can readily adjust the lower bite block 28 to a more retruded and/or a less inferior position. A key feature o ' f the applicant's invention is that connecting assembly 40 allows a limited degree of lateral movement of the patient's mandible 20 relative to the upper jaw 24 while still maintaining mandible 20 in the preferred protruded position. While the upper threaded portion 47 of stylus 46 is fixed in a selected aperture 68 formed in maxillary retention plate 42, the stylus head 48 is not fixed relative to lower bite block 32. Rather, stylus head 48 is loosely captured within cavity 54 formed in guide box 50, as best shown in Figures 7-9. This allows lower bite block 32 and hence mandible 22 to travel in a lateral excursion relative to stylus 46 (i.e. in the direction of the arrows shown in Figures 6, 8 and 9) . The extent of lateral travel of mandible 22 is restricted by the size of aperture 52 formed on the upper surface of guide box 50 and also the size of guide box cavity 54 (Figure 8) . As best shown in Figures 3 and 8 and as discussed above, guide box aperture 52 is preferably kidney-shaped to correspond to the natural range of motion of the patient's jaw joint. In one embodiment of the invention, the size and shape of aperture 52 could be customized to suit the anatomy of each particular patient, such as by performing gothic arch tracings to determine the natural range of motion of the patient's jaw anatomy. Prior art intra-oral devices which maintain mandible 22 in a fixed, protruded position can lead to serious side effects, particularly in patients prone to nocturnal bruxism (teeth grinding) . Such prior art devices may result in displacement or aggravation of the patient's tempromandibular joint and associated muscles and liga¬ ments. The applicant's dental appliance 20 effectively overcomes this problem by allowing a predetermined degree of lateral movement of mandible 22 in the protruded posi¬ tion, while still maintaining acceptable airway patency. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art in the light of the foregoing disclosure, many alterations and modifications are possible in the practice of this invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof. For example, more than one connecting assembly 40 could be provided. Further, the connecting assembly or assemblies 40 could be mounted in a posterior rather than an anterior region of dental appliance 20. In another alternative embodiment, guide box assembly 44 could be inverted so that elongate aperture 52 is formed on a top plate covering the open upper end of a guide box defining internal cavity 54. Other equivalent means for loosely coupling stylus 46 to lower bite block 32 may also be envisaged. Accordingly, the scope of the invention is to be construed in accordance with the substance defined by the following claims.

Claims: WHAT IS CLAIMED IS: 1. An intra-oral dental appliance (20) to be worn by a patient during sleep for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea and snoring comprising: (a) an upper member conforming to the patient's maxillary dentition (30) ; (b) a lower member conforming to the patient's mandibular dentition (34) ; and (c) connecting means for releasably coupling said upper and lower members together, wherein said connecting means adjustably maintains said lower member in an anterior, protruded position relative to said upper member while permitting lateral movement of said lower member relative to said upper member in said protruded position. 2. The dental appliance (20) of claim 1, wherein said connecting means is secured to an anterior region of said upper and lower members. 3. The dental appliance (20) of claim 2, wherein said upper and lower members are flexible bite blocks (28,32) . 4. The dental appliance (20) of claim 3, wherein said connecting means comprises: (a) a first element bonded to an undersurface of said upper bite block (28) ; (b) a second element bonded to an upper surface of said lower bite block (32) ; and (c) an elongated connector for releasably coupling said first and second elements together. 5. The dental appliance (20) of claim 4, wherein said connector further comprises an upper end which is fixedly connectable to said first element and a lower end which is loosely connectable to said second element to permit a limited degree of movement of said lower bite block (32) relative to said connector. 6. The dental appliance (20) of claim 5, wherein said second element comprises an internal cavity (54) for capturing said lower end of said connector. 7. The dental appliance (20) of claim 5, wherein said second element comprises an internal cavity (54) for capturing said lower end of said connector, said cavity (54) having an opening (52) formed on an upper surface of said second element through which said connector extends. 8. The dental appliance (20) of claim 7, wherein said connector comprises a stylus (46) having a threaded portion (47) comprising said connector upper end and an enlarged head (48) comprising said connector lower end, said stylus head (48) having a diameter exceeding the size of said cavity opening (52) . 9. The dental appliance (20) of claim 8, wherein said first element comprises a retention plate (42) having a plurality of internally threaded apertures (68) formed therein for releasably receiving said threaded portion (47) of said stylus (46) . 10. The dental appliance (20) of claim 9, wherein said threaded apertures (68) are spaced apart at regular intervals to enable incremental adjustment of the degree of anterior protrusion of said lower bite block (32) relative to said upper bite block (28) . 11. The dental appliance (20) of claim 9, wherein the dimensions of said cavity (54) formed in said second element exceed the size of said stylus head (48) and wherein said cavity opening (52) is laterally elongated to permit a limited degree of' lateral movement of said lower bite block (32) relative to said stylus lower end. 12 The dental appliance (20) of claim 11, wherein said cavity opening (52) is kidney-shaped. 13. The dental appliance (20) of claim 11, wherein said second element comprises: (a) a guide box (50) having an upper surface, vertical sidewalls, and an open bottom end, said guide box (50) having a hollow area between said sidewalls comprising said internal cavity (54) and an aperture formed on said upper surface comprising said cavity opening (52) ; and (b) a base plate (56) for releasably covering said guide box bottom end, said base plate (56) having an aperture (64) formed therein to permit access to said stylus head (48) captured within said internal cavity (54) . 14. The dental appliance (20) of claim 13, wherein said base plate (56) has a surface area exceeding the dimensions of said guide box upper surface. 15. The dental appliance (20) of claim 11, wherein said second element comprises: (a) a guide box having a bottom surface, verti¬ cal sidewalls and an open upper end, said guide box having a hollow area between said sidewalls comprising said internal cavity (54) ; and (b) a top plate for releasably covering said guide box upper end, said top plate having an aperture formed ' 'therein comprising said cavity opening (52) . 16. The dental appliance (20) of claim 15, wherein said guide box bottom surface has an aperture formed therein to permit access to said stylus head (48) captured within said cavity (54) . 17. The dental appliance (20) of claim 13, wherein said bite blocks (28,32) are formed from an elastomeric material and wherein said retention plate (42) and said base plate (56) are bonded to said upper and lower bite blocks (28,32) respectively with heat-cureable acrylic. 18. The dental appliance (20) of claim 17, wherein said retention plate (42) and said base plate (56) each further comprise a plurality of retention apertures (66) spaced around the periphery thereof to enable said acrylic to flow therethrough when said plates (42,56) are initially bonded to said upper and lower bite blocks (28,32) respect¬ ively. 19. The dental appliance (20) of claim 18, wherein said retention apertures (66) are countersunk to increase the surface area available for bonding to said acrylic. 20. The dental appliance (20) of claim 4, wherein said first and second elements are constructed from tita¬ nium. 21. The dental appliance (20) of claim 4, wherein said upper and lower bite blocks (28,32) further comprise: (a) a first pair of bite pads (38) formed on the undersurface of said upper bite block (28) and projecting downwardly therefrom; and (b) a second pair of bite pads (38) formed on an upper surface of said lower bite block (32) and projecting upwardly therefrom for slidably engaging said first bite pads (38) , wherein said first and second bite pads (38) are located in a posterior region of said bite blocks (28,32) to limit closure of the patient's jaw. 22. The dental appliance (20) of claim 21, wherein said first and second bite pads (38) are formed from rigid acrylic. 23. An intra-oral dental appliance (20) to be worn by a patient during sleep for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea and snoring comprising: (a) an upper elastomeric bite block (28) con¬ forming to the patient's maxillary dentition (30); (b) a lower elastomeric bite block (32) conform- ing to the patient's mandibular dentition (34); and (c) connecting means secured to an anterior region of said upper and lower bite blocks for releasably coupling said upper and lower bite blocks (28,32) together, wherein said connecting means adjustably maintains said lower bite block (32) in an anterior, protruded position relative to said upper bite block (28) while permitting a limited degree of movement of said lower bite block (32) relative to said upper bite block (28) in said protruded position. 24. A method of treating snoring and obstructive sleep apnea by adjustably maintaining a patient's mandible (22) in a protruded position comprising the steps of: (a) casting an upper bite block (28) by taking a mold of the patient's maxillary dentition (30) ; (b) casting a lower bite block (32) by taking a mold of the patient's mandibular dentition (34); (c) securing a first retention element to an undersurface of said upper bite block (28) in an anterior region thereof; (d) securing a second retention element to an upper surface of said lower bite block (32) in an anterior region thereof, said second element comprising an upwardly projecting connector having a lower end loosely captured within a cavity (54) formed in said second element; (e) determining the preferred degree of mandibu¬ lar protrusion required to alleviate the pa- tient's sleep apnea and snoring symptoms; and (f) releasably securing an upper end of said connector to said first retention element at a fixed position corresponding to the patient's preferred degree of mandibular protrusion as determined in step (e) . 25. The method of claim 24, further comprising the steps of: (a) tracing the natural range of motion of the patient's jaw anatomy; and (b) forming an aperture (52) in said second element having a size and shape corresponding to said tracing, said aperture (52) providing an opening for said cavity through which said connector projects, said aperture (52) enabling a limited degree of lateral movement of said lower bite block (32) relative to said upper bite block (28) in said protruded position. 26. A connecting assembly (40) for use in an intra- oral dental appliance (20) to be worn by a patient during sleep for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea and snoring, the dental appliance (20) comprising an upper bite block (28) conforming to the patient's maxillary dentition (30) and a lower bite block (32) conforming to the patient's mandibular dentition (34) , said connecting assembly (40) comprising: (a) a first element securable to an undersurface of said upper bite block (28) in an anterior region thereof; (b) a second element securable to an upper surface of said lower bite block (32) in an anterior region thereof; and (c) an elongated connector for releasably coupling said first and second elements together, said connector having an upper end which is fixedly connectable to said first element and a lower end which is loosely connectable to said second element to adjustably maintain said lower bite block (32) in an anterior, protruded posi¬ tion relative to said upper bite block (28) while permitting lateral movement of said lower bite block (32) relative to said upper bite block (28) . 27. The connecting assembly of claim 26, wherein said connector comprises a stylus (46) having a threaded portion (47) located at said upper end and an enlarged head (48) located at said lower end; said first element comprises a retention plate (42) having a plurality of spaced-apart internally threaded apertures (68) for adjustably receiving said stylus threaded portion (47) ; and said second element comprises an internal cavity (54) for capturing said stylus head (48) , said cavity (54) having an elongated opening (52) formed on an upper portion of said second element through which said stylus (46) extends. 28. The connecting assembly of claim 27, wherein said second element comprises: (a) a guide box (50) having an upper surface, vertical sidewalls, and an open bottom end, said guide box having a hollow area between said sidewalls comprising said internal cavity (54) and an aperture formed on said upper surface comprising said cavity opening (52) ; and (b) a base plate (56) for releasably covering said guide box bottom end, said base plate having an aperture (64) formed therein to permit access to said stylus head (48) captured within said internal cavity (54) . 29. The connecting assembly of claim 28, wherein said cavity opening (52) is kidney-shaped. 30. The connecting assembly of claim 28, wherein said retention plate (42) and said base plate (56) further comprise a plurality of retention apertures (66) spaced around the periphery thereof to facilitate bonding of said plates to said said dental appliance bite blocks (28,32). 31. The dental appliance (20) of claim 1, wherein said connecting means is rigid. 32. The connecting assembly (40) of claim 26, wherein said elongated connector is rigid. 33. The dental appliance (20) of claim 1, wherein a first end of said connecting means is fixedly connectable to an undersurface of said upper member at one of a plural¬ ity of positions and a second end of said connecting means is loosely connectable to an upper surface of said lower member located directly opposite said undersurface.

Inventors: HALSTROM LEONARD WAYNE, HALSTROM, LEONARD, WAYNE
Applicants: HALSTROM LEONARD WAYNE, HALSTROM, LEONARD, WAYNE
Application year: 1993
Main classification: A61F5
IPC codes: A61F5