Patent Abstract:
Apparatus supported on the brow beam of protective eye glasses worn by a dental patient provides a moveably positionable holder arm depending spacedly forward of a user&#39;s nose and spacedly below the user&#39;s mouth. The holder arm carries marking film holding structure for vertically adjustable frictional motion thereon. The marking film holding structure provides two pivotally interconnected holder arms extending toward the patient&#39;s mouth for adjustable frictional motion in a horizontal plane through the patient&#39;s mouth and substantially perpendicular to the holder arm. The holder arms releasably carry dental marking film structures having dental marking film supported by a rigid back releasably carried by the holder arms to allow marking of contact points of teeth of the opposed dental arches upon appropriate manipulation.

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
       RELATED APPLICATIONS  
         [0001]    There are no applications related hereto heretofore filed in this or any foreign country.  
           [0002]    1. Field of Invention  
           [0003]    My invention relates generally to dental apparatus and more particularly to apparatus that is supported on patient safety eye glasses to depend therefrom and carry dental marking film for adjustable extension into a patient&#39;s oral cavity and positional maintenance therein for use.  
           [0004]    2. Background and Description of Prior Art  
           [0005]    In the practice of dentistry it is often necessary to determine the occlusional contact of the teeth of the upper and lower dental arches for diagnosis or treatment. This determination is made by imprinting in present day dentistry and is commonly made by use of articulating film comprising a thin flexible base material carrying transferrable dye on one or both sides. Such articulating film commonly is commercially provided in the form of small rectilineal strips having peripheral dimensions of approximately 0.75×2.50 inches and, when formed of metal foil or mylar plastic, having a thickness ranging from about 0.003 to 0.0008 inch (7.62 to 2.032 microns). This articulating film commonly has been supported in a patient&#39;s mouth between the dental arches by reusable, long nosed forceps commonly known as “Miller forceps” and in more recent times by single use disposable forceps or supports that are rigid interconnected elongate holding elements such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,849 issued to Callne.  
           [0006]    The use of either Miller forceps or non-metallic single use support generally has required two people to accomplish the marking process. A first person, usually a dental assistant, positionally maintains articulating film in proper position in a patient&#39;s mouth and a second person, usually a dentist, moves the patient&#39;s mandible to cause marking on the immediately adjacent surfaces of the opposed dental arches at contact points.  
           [0007]    This procedure has various drawbacks which the instant invention seeks to remedy or do away with by providing an apparatus carried by the bridge beam of commercially available patient safety glasses to depend forwardly of a patient&#39;s face to moveably and adjustably support and positionally maintain one or more single use dental marking films between the patient&#39;s dental arches to allow occlusional contact marking by only one person, without the aid of an assistant.  
           [0008]    The instant holder, in doing away with need for a dental assistant, provides more working space around the patient&#39;s mouth and makes that working space more convenient of use by the dentist. With my holder only two hands rather than four are in the space about the patient&#39;s head and mouth.  
           [0009]    During times of unexpected short staffing in dental offices as a result of a vacation, sickness or the like, skilled and trained assistants might not be available to hold articulating films and the treatment efficiency of the dentist may decrease as he or she may have to stop treatment to find help to hold marking films.  
           [0010]    The manual placement of articulating film by dental assistants is technique sensitive and requires training and practice to correctly and precisely position and positionally maintain the films between all relevant teeth while the patient&#39;s jaw is being manipulated. This manual holding and positioning of articulating film is an under utilization of highly trained and skilled assistants and the patient in such procedure is often intimidated and cannot relax with the obtrusion of four hands into the space about his or her face and mouth while the obtrusion of only two hands, and especially those of the dentist, is less disruptive of the patient&#39;s psyche.  
           [0011]    Miller forceps are still widely used in present day dental practice and present additional problems over the instant holder. Such forceps usually are made of stainless steel and require sterilization between uses. Loading these forceps with articulating film often requires touching the film in positioning it between the opposed grasping jaws of the forceps. This touching tends to transfer marking dye on the films to the user&#39;s fingers or gloves or to the film grasping forceps. The jaws of reusable forceps are difficult to clean by reason of oil and dye which stick between the marking film and adjacent forcep surfaces, which commonly are serrated or cross-hatched to aid grasping the smooth, relatively thin marking film.  
           [0012]    In prior marking processes using an assistant, the assistant&#39;s hands necessarily must be spacedly adjacent to the patient&#39;s mouth to accomplish their purpose. This hand positioning tends to block the view of marking film placement within the patient&#39;s mouth, not only to make the film placement difficult but also to prevent confirmation of proper film placement so that the film may not cover all teeth desired to be covered and marks may be inadvertently missed with resulting diagnoses being incorrectly made. Additionally, without visualization in the placement or positional maintenance of marking films, the films may become folded, wetted or wrinkled which can result in failed marking or erroneous marks. Without visualization of the patient&#39;s cheeks and gums they may be poked and the patient may bite on the metal jaws of a Miller forcep. Metal forceps also have high heat conductivity and often are at a temperature different from that of a patient&#39;s mouth tissue, so that if they come into contact with the mouth tissue, or sometimes even the teeth, this may cause patient discomfort.  
           [0013]    With either multi-use metallic forceps or single use non-metallic forceps, in the existing practice using dental assistants to hold the forceps total support comes from the dental assistant, without necessary reference to patient position. This type of support is difficult to maintain and tiring for the dental assistant. If the patient&#39;s head moves during the marking process the forceps holder must move responsively to maintain the marking film position that existed prior to the patient&#39;s motion. The instant apparatus solves these problems by reason of its support on the patient by safety glasses worn by the patient, so that patient head position will not affect the positional relationship of the marking film relative to the patient&#39;s dental arch.  
           [0014]    The instant apparatus is particularly well adapted to use in the modern dental practice of relating contacting surfaces of the teeth of the upper and lower dental arches to the normal relaxed position of the temporal-mandibular joints (TM joints). The TM joints are formed by ball elements (condyli) at each end of the arched jaw bone (mandible) which articulate with two open socket elements defined in the under surface of the temporal bone in the skull, just in front of the tympanic bone of the ear structure. The TM joint sockets open inferiorly to permit downward and forward movements of the condyli, but are braced in the vertically upward direction by the concave shape of the temporal bone at the superior aspects of the joints. The TM joints during normal function pivot about an axis extending therebetween and may move forwardly and downwardly away from the axis of pivot. During pivotal movements both TM joint sockets brace both balls (condyli)of the lower jaw against the forces of vertical jaw closing muscles. Simultaneous contact of the upper and lower dental arches on the arc of closure insures stable contacting and holding surfaces which minimizes levered and torqueing forces on the TM joints created by uneven closure. Small interferences with the simultaneous contact of the dental arches as well as siding movements of the dental arches may cause closing forces in the bone braces of the TM joints and require additional muscle activity in order to brace the ball elements condyli of the jaw bone in place. These joint bracing muscles may tire while resisting the closing muscles and this may result in excessive forces beyond the ability of the muscles and joints to accommodate which can result in muscle pain and spasm, TM joint pathology and sometimes even loss of TM joint function.  
           [0015]    Transitory or sliding jaw movements require muscle forces which move the balls (condyli) of the jaw forwardly and downwardly. Molars that contact during transitory movements cause closing muscles to contract to oppose the forward muscle forces. The result may cause muscle spasms of the opposing muscles and excessive forces on the TM joints which can cause structural failure, pain and loss of tooth structure through wear.  
           [0016]    For maximum muscle efficiency, minimum opposition and the general health of the gnathic system, all closing forces after tooth contact should pass through the boney brace of the TM joints. All other chewing and jaw movements should be accomplished without molar teeth contact. Teeth can be marked for analysis and a treatment plan devised to change the relationship of tooth biting surfaces during function, to minimize muscle opposition, by use of dental articulating film which when touched, tapped or moved in relation to the adjacent teeth surfaces creates transferred dye marks.  
           [0017]    In order to relate the arc of closure of the jaw to the first contact of the teeth, a dentist manually rotates the jaw while maintaining the anatomical center of rotation at the bone brace of both TM joints. At the same time marking film must be positioned and held in place between teeth of both dental arches for recording the initial contact of one or both sides of the dental arch. The jaw then is manually closed and lightly tapped to transfer dye to the teeth. The patient may then clinch his teeth to mark the surfaces which are in contact during moving of the teeth into full closure. The patient then can be asked to preform side-to-side and front-to-back chewing motions to mark tooth surfaces which are in contact during these movements. Minimal muscle opposition is achieved after all chewing and clenching movements mark the teeth with only dots on stable surfaces in the arc of closure of bicuspids and molars and translatory chewing motions mark the teeth with lines on the contacting surfaces of bicuspid and incisor teeth. My apparatus is particularly useful with this process.  
           [0018]    Dental facebows of various sorts have long been known and used in the practice of dentistry especially for locating the contact axis of the lower jaw with respect to position of a patient&#39;s teeth. Measurements derived from facebows are used to transfer the general characteristics of a patient&#39;s gnathic system to an articulator to aid in the creation or proper configuration and fitting of dental prostheses. Such devices in general are measuring structures such as shown by Fitzsimmons, U.S. Pat. No 2,794,253; Levey, et al., U.S. Pat. No 3,069,774; Heydenreich, U.S. Pat. No 3,336,670; Balasz, U.S. Pat. No 3,382,581; Baum, U.S. Pat. No 3,555,684 and Stade, U.S. Pat. No 4,096,637. These devices generally do not provide firm or positionally sustainable or re-establishable support on a patient&#39;s head structure and are not concerned with the support and positional maintenance of marking film for determining the interfacial contact of the maxillary and mandibular dental arches.  
           [0019]    Dental facebows having more permanent and positionally re-establishable support on the head of a patient are shown by Wilkinson, U.S. Pat. No 3,024,534, which supports the dental aligner by lateral ear bows and a medial nose bridge plate and by Behrend, U.S. Pat. No 4,634,377 which provides lateral ear bows with earplugs supported in the patient&#39;s auditory canals and a medial rim supported on the patient&#39;s nose bridge. Both of these latter references again are measuring devices and neither is concerned with the support of dental marking film.  
           [0020]    The reference of Callne, U.S. Pat. No 5,181,849 shows a single use plastic forceps for holding dental marking film, but does not show any type of facebow-like apparatus supported on a patient for holding or positionally maintaining the supported marking film in a patient&#39;s mouth between the dental arches.  
         SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
         [0021]    The instant marking film holder is supported on dental patient safety glasses having lateral over-the-ear bows interconnected by a face bow with a medial nose bridge for support on the patient&#39;s nose. The marking film holder provides a body fastenable to the nose bridge of supporting safety glasses and moveably carrying an elongate depending holder arm. A first species of holder arm is of a compound nature providing rigid upper and lower portions joined by a medial frictionally adjustable joint to allow the lower portion to pivot toward and away from a patient&#39;s mouth relative to the upper portion. A second species of holder arm is of a simple nature providing a continuous L-shaped rod or a rod formed of somewhat resilient and manually formable material such as softer plastic or metal to allow limited adjustment and passage of the lower portion of the holder arm forwardly of a patient&#39;s nose. A marking film holder having two frictionally adjustable pivotally mounted holding arms extending toward the patient&#39;s mouth is carried on the lower portion of the holder arm for frictionally restrained adjustable slidable motion thereon. Each of the holding arms define a medial channel to releasably carry and positionally maintain a manipulating handle portion of a marking film structure. The marking film structures provide opposed rigid jaws with a and carrying a strip of dental marking film therebetween to extend spacedly from one side thereof for teeth marking and have a fastening handle extending longitudinally therefrom.  
           [0022]    In providing such apparatus it is;  
           [0023]    A principal object to provide a holder for dental marking film that is releasably supported by the nose bridge of the facial bow of a pair of safety glasses worn by a dental patient.  
           [0024]    A further object is to provide such a holder that positionally maintains one or more dental marking films in marking position in the mouth of a patient between the dental arches without the assistance of a person after placement.  
           [0025]    A further object is to provide such a holder that allows better visualization of the mouth enclosure of a dental patient then would be had with two pairs of hands working about the mouth to manipulate marking tissue and a patient&#39;s lower jaw to mark occlusional contacts, while yet maintaining accurate marking film position without film distortion.  
           [0026]    A still further object is to provide such a holder that releasably supports single use marking film structures having a rigid back carrying the marking film and a protruding fastening handle to do away with use of traditional reusable marking film holders.  
           [0027]    A still further object is to provide such a holder that removes patient anxiety resulting from the presence of four hands immediately adjacent the oral orifice when using marking film with traditional methods.  
           [0028]    A still further object is to provide such a holder that allows a better and more clear working area about the patient&#39;s mouth, allows better visualization of the oral cavity and allows simultaneous manipulation of the mandibular bone and determination of TM joint position by one person as an incident to marking contact points of the upper and lower dental arches.  
           [0029]    A still further object is to provide such a holder that is of new and novel design, of rugged and durable nature, of simple and economic manufacture and is otherwise well suited to the uses and purposes for which it is intended.  
           [0030]    Other and further objects of my invention will appear from the following specification and accompanying drawings which form a part hereof. In carrying out the objects of my invention, however, it is to be understood that its features are susceptible to change in design and structural arrangement with only the preferred embodiments being illustrated and specified as required.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0031]    In the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof and wherein like numbers of reference refer to similar parts throughout:  
         [0032]    [0032]FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a first species of marking film holder apparatus, having a compound holder arm, in operative position on safety glasses worn by a dental patient.  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 2 is an enlarged isometric view of the marking film holder of FIG. 1.  
         [0034]    [0034]FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial vertical elongate cross-sectional view through the interconnection of the glasses fastening body and the holder arm, taken on the line  3 - 3  on FIG. 2 in the direction indicated by the arrows thereon.  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 4 is an enlarged vertical lateral extending cross-sectional view through the glasses fastening body of the holder, taken on the line  4 - 4  on FIG. 2 in the direction indicated by the arrows thereon.  
         [0036]    [0036]FIG. 5 is an enlarged vertical lateral extending cross-sectional view through the joint interconnecting the upper and lower portions of the holder arm, taken on the plane  5 - 5  on FIG. 2 in the direction indicated by the arrows thereon.  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 6 is an enlarged vertical laterally extending cross-sectional view through the interconnection of the holder arm and marking film holder, taken on the plane  6 - 6  on FIG. 2 in the direction indicated by the arrows thereon.  
         [0038]    [0038]FIG. 7 is an enlarged partial rear orthographic view of the marking film holder with the marking film structures for clarity of illustration.  
         [0039]    [0039]FIG. 8 is an isometric view of protective eye glasses usable to support my marking film holder.  
         [0040]    [0040]FIG. 9 is an isometric top view of a marking film structure usable with my marking film holder.  
         [0041]    [0041]FIG. 10 is a vertical elongate cross-sectional view through the marking film structure of FIG. 9, taken on the line  10 - 10  thereon in the direction indicated by the arrows.  
         [0042]    [0042]FIG. 11 is a vertical traverse cross-sectional view through the marking film structure of FIG. 9, taken on the line  11 - 11  thereon in the direction indicated by the arrows.  
         [0043]    [0043]FIG. 12 is an isometric view of a second species of marking film holder, having a unitary L-shaped holder arm, in operative position on a dental patient.  
         [0044]    [0044]FIG. 13 is an enlarged isometric view of the marking film holder of FIG. 12.  
         [0045]    [0045]FIG. 14 is a partial enlarged vertical elongate cross-sectional view through the fastening body of the marking film holder of FIG. 13, taken on the line  14 - 14  thereon in the direction indicated by the arrows.  
         [0046]    [0046]FIG. 15 is an isometric view of a first sub-species of the second species of marking film holder having a unitary holder arm of manually reformable nature and arcuate configuration.  
         [0047]    [0047]FIG. 16 is a partial enlarged vertical elongate cross-sectional view through the fastening body of the marking film holder of FIG. 15, taken on the line  16 - 16  thereon in the direction indicated by the arrows.  
         [0048]    [0048]FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the second sub-species of marking film holder arm, having a unitary holder arm carried by a glasses fastening body having a downwardly and forwardly extending mounting arm, taken as on a line such as the line  16 - 16  on FIG. 15.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0049]    My marking film holder generally provides glasses fastening body  20  releasably fastenable to safety glasses  19  and carrying depending holder arm  21  which in turn carries marking film holder  22  which supports marking film structures  23 .  
         [0050]    Safety glasses  19 , although not a part of my invention per se, are necessary for the invention&#39;s operability. These safety glasses  19  are of a commercially available type used for dental patient eye protection that have laterally opposed rearwardly extending ear bows  24  for support on the patient&#39;s ears. The ear bows  24  are interconnected in their forwardmost portions by face bow  25  having medial nose bridge support  26  and carrying depending protective lens  27  on each side of the nose bridge support  26 . The only requirement for such safety glasses is that they provide this essential structure, with a nose bridge support  26  that allows releasable attachment of the glasses fastening body  20  of my holder thereto for positional maintenance.  
         [0051]    The first species of glasses fastening body  20  as seen in FIGS.  1 - 7 , and especially in FIGS. 3 and 4, is somewhat of a U-shaped clamp comprising back  28  and laterally projecting spaced legs  29  which form the clamp structure. Back  28  defines hole  30  communicating elongately therethrough to releasably and movably carry holding arm fastening pin  31 . Bolt  32  extends through holes  33  defined perpendicularly in axial alignment through legs  29  to threadly engage knurled nut  32   a  to move legs  29  relative to each other to regulate the amount of frictional contact of holding arm fastening pin  31  in hole  30 . Bolt  34  passes through hole  35  defined in nose bridge support  26  of the safety glasses  19  to be fastenably engaged in threaded hole  36  defined in the rearward portion of glasses fastening body  20 . Holding arm fastening pin  31  is held in hole  30  for rotatable motion by the legs of staple  38  extending through back  28  and into annular groove  39  defined in fastening pin  31 , as seen in FIGS. 2 and 3. The forward portion of holding arm fastening pin  31  defines threaded hole  40  to threadedly receive bolt  41  extending through hole  42  in the upper portion of holder arm  21  to fasten the holder arm to glasses fastening body  20 .  
         [0052]    As seen particularly in FIGS. 2 and 5, holder arm  21  is a elongate compound structure, depending from rotatable support on glasses fastening body  20 , comprising upper body portion  43  articulatingly interconnected with lower portion  44  to pivot in a vertical plane perpendicular to the vertical plane of rotation of upper body portion  43 . The lower end of upper body portion  43  defines elogate slot  45  extending elongately therethrough to pivotably receive the upper connecting part of lower body portion  44 . Bolt  46  extends through axially aligned holes  47  defined in the lower end of upper portion  43  and axially aligned hole  48  defined in the upper connecting part of lower body portion  44  to carry knurled nut  49  in threaded engaged on the opposite side of upper portion  43  to provide a frictionally adjustable pivotal joint between upper and lower portions  43 , 44  of compound holder arm  21 .  
         [0053]    Marking film holder  22  as seen in FIGS. 2, 6 and  7  provides rectilinear body  50  defining vertical slot  51  extending through its forward portion and horizontal slot  52  extending through its rearward portion. The forward vertical slot  51  is so configured as to receive lower portion  44  of holder arm  21  in a frictionally slidable fit so that the body  50  will be positionally maintained at a position once established on the lower holder arm portion  44 , but will be manually moveable therefrom.  
         [0054]    Rearward horizontal slot  52 , in the instance illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, carries two marking film mounting arms  53  and  54 . Each mounting arm  53 , 54  defines a medial rectilinear holding element  55  which in turn defines rectilinear channel  56  therein to slidably receive and frictionally positionally maintain the holding portion of a marking film structure  23 . The upper portions  55   a  and lower portions  55   b  of holding elements  55  extend spacedly rearwardly from the rearward mouth of channel  56  to aid positioning of the of the holding portions marking film structures in channel  56 . Forward portions of each holding element  55  define perpendicularly extending fastening portions  57  that are carried in rear horizontal slot  52 . The paired fastening portions  57  of each mounting arm  53 , 54  are offset vertically relative to each other, as shown in FIG. 7, to maintain the channels  56  of both holding elements  55  in substantially the same horizontal plane to aid simultaneous tooth marking on both lateral aspects of the dental arches.  
         [0055]    Each fastening portion  57  defines vertically orientated axially aligned holes  58  to receive bolt  59  for frictionally adjustable positional maintenance of the fastening portions  57  within slot  52  of body  50 . Bolt  59  extends through axially aligned holes  64  defined through body  50  in a position axially coextensive with holes  58  in fastening portions  57  and threadedly engages knurled adjustment nut  60  on the opposite side of the body so that the nut  60  may be adjusted on the bolt  59  to adjust the frictional force resisting pivotal motion of the two holding elements  55  relative to each other and to body  50  for adjustable positional maintenance.  
         [0056]    Marking film structure  23 , as seen especially in FIGS.  9 - 11 , provide a rigid forceps-like back  61  having film holding portion  61   a  and handle fastening portion  61   b.  The back  61  preferably is formed of two similarly configured pieces of rigid or semi-rigid polymeric or paper material with a strip of dental marking film  62  sandwiched therebetween in the film holding portion  61   a  to extend laterally therefrom. The marking film structure  23  generally, but not necessarily, is designed for single use applications, and if so, dental marking film  62  is joined to the adjacent portions of back  61  by some permanent joinder process. Commonly the portions of one or both sides of back  61 , adjacent to the marking film, are formed with protuberances that extend through the marking film and into indentations or holes in the opposite back portion or the opposed sides of the back are joined by thermal welding processes or adhesion, all as known in the prior art for forming similar marking film structures.  
         [0057]    The handle fastening portion  61   b  of back  61  is configured to fit within channel  56  of holding element  55  in a frictional fit that is positionally sustaining but yet allows manual manipulation for insertion and removal. If such fit may not be obtained by dimensioning the handle portion  61   b  it may be aided by forming one or more protuberances (not shown) on one or more surfaces of handle fastening portion  61   b  or the adjacent inner surfaces of holding element  55  defining channel  56 .  
         [0058]    Marking film  62  may be of the ordinary type commercially available in the present day marketplace. This marking film generally comprises a relatively thin flexible film of polymeric material, or possibly metalic foil, normally ranging in thicknesses from about 5 to 20 microns (0.0002 to 0.0008 inch) for proper marking. The marking film is of substantially rectilinear configuration with a length parallel to the longer dimension of back  61  of approximately 2.75 inches and a width perpendicular to the length of approximately 0.75 inch. One or both sides of the marking film are coated with transferrable dye material that may be imprinted on tooth surfaces coming in contact therewith, especially when such contact has some slight impact or pressure. Commonly if two sided marking films used the colored marking dyes on each surface are different in color from each other to avoid confusion in analyzing marks on a patient&#39;s teeth.  
         [0059]    The holder may be formed of most rigid material but the structure of preference is formed of both metallic and plastic elements for ease of manufacture and subsequent durability. Preferably all nuts and bolts are formed of metal as are staple  38 , holding arm fastening pin  31  and marking film holders  22 . The glasses fastening body  20 , upper portion  43  and lower portion  44  of holder arm  21  are preferably formed of polymeric material as are body  50  of the marking film holder and back  61  of the marking film structures.  
         [0060]    A second species of holder having a unitary holder arm  21   a  is shown in FIGS.  12 - 17 . In the first sub-species of this second species, shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, glasses fastening body  20   a  provides a base having a rearward attachment portion  65  with a forward bulbous connecting portion  66 . The base  65 ,  66  supports elongate fastening arm fastener  67  which defines chamber  68  in its rearward portion to receive connecting portion  66  for universal motion of the base, as shown particularly in FIG. 14. The forward portion of fastening arm fastener  67  defines hole  69  to receive and structurally carry fastening arm  21   a  extending horizontally forwardly from the fastening arm fastener  67 . The dimensioning and configuration of connecting portion  66  of the base and chamber  68  of the fastening arm fastener should be such as to provide a frictional fit between these elements that allows manual manipulation for relative positioning but after positioning the elements will maintain positional stability by reason of frictional engagement. This function may be obtained by forming these interconnected elements from resiliently deformable material that has some retentent memory such as plastics which by reason of their physical deformability also allow assemblage of the connecting portion  66  of the body in chamber  68  of the first fastening arm fastener  67 . This action is enhanced by elongate vertical slot  70  created in the rearward portion of the fastening arm fastener  67  and horizontal axially aligned holes  71  created in the sides of the fastening arm fastener as illustrated.  
         [0061]    In the first sub-species of the second species of unitary fastening arm illustrated in FIG. 13 the fastening arm  20   a  is L-shaped formed by shorter upper horizontal arm  72  and a longer lower vertical arm  73 , both having a uniform circular cross-section throughout their length. The L-shape of the unitary fastening arm  20   a  is required to positionally maintain the depending lower arm  73  spacedly forwardly of a patient&#39;s nose structure when the holder device is supported on safety glasses  19 , as seen in FIG. 12. The marking film holder  22  that is supported on lower vertical arm  73  is substantially the same as that used with the first species of the holder and functions in substantially the same manner. In this first sub-species of the second species of holder device the holder arm  21   a  may be formed of a rigid material that need not change its shape for use, such preferably as a harder, more rigid plastic.  
         [0062]    A second sub-species of the second species of the holder is shown in FIG. 16 where it is seen to provide somewhat the same glasses fastening body  20   b  as the first sub-species, except that the fastening arm fastener  67   b  is somewhat longer and defines downwardly and forwardly angulating hole  69   b  to receive and structurally maintain the upper end portion of connecting arm  21   b , as seen FIGS. 15 and 16 of the drawings.  
         [0063]    In the second sub-species of the second species of holder the unitary holding arm  21   b  provides no distinct upper horizontal portion but rather is formed by a forward and downwardly curving arcuate upper portion  72   b  which interconnects a shorter vertical portion  73   b  to interconnect the same marking film holder  22  of the first species of holder. This fastening arm  21   b  has substantially the same total vertical dependency as fastening arm  21  of the first species of holder or the fastening arm  21   a  of the first sub-species of the second species of holder so as to interconnect the marking film holder  22  at substantially the same vertically depending position and has a substantially uniform circular cross-sectional configuration throughout its length. Preferably the fastening arm  21   b  is formed of a material that has more plastic formability and less retentent memory than the material from which the fastening arm  21   a  is formed so that the fastening arm  21   b  may be manually configured and thereafter will substantially retrain a configuration once established unless and until it is manually reconfigured. Various plastics having this physical characteristic are known and available in the present day marketplace.  
         [0064]    A third sub-species of the second species of holder is shown in FIG. 17. Here forwardly and downwardly angulated mounting arm  74  extends between nose bridge support  26  of safety glasses  19  and fastening portion  65  of glasses fastening body  20   c . The cross-sectional view of FIG. 17 of this structure is as would exist if taken on the line  16 - 16  of FIG. 15. The rearward portion  75  of mounting arm  74  is fastened on the forward surface of nose bridge support  26  by bolt  34  extending through hole  35  defined in the nose bridge support and into threaded engagement within hole  76  defined in mounting arm  74 . The lower vertical surface  77  of the mounting arm  74  carries glasses fastening body  20   c  which is substantially the same as the glasses fastening body  20   a  of the first sub-species of the second sub-species of holder. Fastening portion  65  of glasses fastening body  20   c  is structurally interconnected to the mounting arm  74  by bolt  78  extending through hole  79  defined in the mounting arm and into treaded engagement with fastening portion  65 . The fastening portion  65  carries fastening arm fastener  67  which in turn carries vertically depending holder arm  21   c  which may be substantially the same as the fastening rods  21   a  or  21   b  or may be a vertically depending linear fastening rod of either rigid or manually moldable nature. The forwardly and downwardly angulated mounting arm  74  in combination with glasses fastening body  20   c  will maintain the holder arm  21   c  forwardly of the nose structure of a user.  
         [0065]    To use my film holder in any of its species or sub-species, it firstly is attached to the nose bridge support  26  of a pair of dental patient&#39;s protective eye glasses  19  having ear bows  24  for support on the patient&#39;s ears that are interconnected in their forwardmost portions by face bow  25  having nose bridge support  26  in a medial position. The attachment is accomplished as hereinbefore specified and the holder structure is configured relative to the protective eye glasses  19  substantially as illustrated in FIGS.  1  or  12 , with holder arm  21  angulating forwardly and downwardly to a position spacedly forward of the patient&#39;s nose and spacedly below the level of the patient&#39;s mouth. Marking film holder body  50  is positioned on lower portion of the holder arm  21  so it will be spacedly below a horizontal plane through the mouth of the patient and spacedly forwardly thereof with holding elements  55  extending rearwardly so that marking film structures held therein will be extendable into the patient&#39;s mouth. The protective eye glasses  19  and attached holder are then established in normal wearing position on the patient.  
         [0066]    Marking film structures  23  may be established in the marking film holder  22  either before placement of the eye glasses carrying the holder on the patient or after such placement, as preferred by the person using the device. For placement a marking film structure  23  is grasped by the back  61  and manually moved so as to insert handle fastening portion  61   b  in channel  56  of a holding element  55  by inserting the handle fastening portion firstly between the upper and lower extensions  55   a  and subsequently into channel  56 . In this condition the holder is ready for use and the marking film structures are manually moved to a position extending into the patient&#39;s open mouth and open jaw between the portions of the dental arches that are to be marked.  
         [0067]    To accomplish marking the holder is adjusted by moving the marking film mounting arms  53 ,  54  to be substantially tangent to the portion or portions of the dental arches to be marked with the marking film  62  appropriately positioned to extend between the portions of the dental arches to be marked. The marking process then proceeds in traditional fashion by requesting the patient to move the dental arches together or in a chewing motion relative to each other, as may be desired, or the dental professional may move the mandibular structure manually to cause marking as desired.  
         [0068]    The foregoing description of my invention is necessarily of a detailed nature so that a specific embodiment of it might be set forth as required, but it is to be understood that various modifications of detail, rearrangement and multiplication of parts might be resorted to without departing from its spirit, essence or scope.  
         [0069]    Having thusly describe my invention, what I desire to protect by Letters Patent, and

Technology Classification (CPC): 0