Patent ID: 8882497

Claim:
A method of making a dental appliance ( 700 ) for a patient comprising: temporarily attaching a first set of retention hooks ( 210 ) to a model of the patient's upper teeth; temporarily attaching a set of bite pads ( 220 ) integrated with a second set of retention hooks ( 230 ) to a model of the patient's lower teeth; encasing the models of the patent's upper and lower teeth with the temporarily attached first set of retention hooks and the set of bite pads integrated with the second set of retention hooks in plastic ( 410 ) via a machine ( 400 ) to form upper and lower plastic trays adapted to fit over the teeth of the patient, the machine enabling the plastic to encase the temporarily attached first set of retention hooks and the set of bite pads integrated with the second set of retention hooks; removing the upper and lower plastic trays from the models, wherein the act of removing the upper and lower plastic trays from the models releases the temporarily attached first set of retention hooks and the set of bite pads integrated with the second set of retention hooks front the respective model due to the first and second set of retention hooks being encased by the plastic; and forming the dental appliance ( 700 ), including the upper and lower plastic trays, by attaching a pair of elastic bands ( 750 ) over the first and second sets of encased retention hooks ( 720 ).