Patent ID: 8647120

Claim:
An apparatus configured to be grasped by a user and for use in forcing apart adjacent teeth of a dental arch of a mouth, the apparatus comprising: tongs having a proximate end and a distal end, wherein the tongs are comprised of a first arm connected to a second arm at the proximate end of the tongs, wherein the first and second arms extend between the proximate end of the tongs and the distal end of the tongs in a generally longitudinal direction, and wherein the first arm has a first arm end and the second arm has a second arm end, wherein the first and second arm ends are disposed at the distal end of the tongs; and an actuator attached to the tongs and operable to exert a separating force on the first and second arms by moving in the generally longitudinal direction in relation to the tongs, wherein the actuator is configured to maintain the separating force on the first and second arms when the user is not grasping the actuator, wherein the actuator is further operable to release the separating force from the first and second arms, wherein the first and second arms are configured so that when the separating force is exerted by the actuator, the first and second arms are separated by a distance sufficient to allow for insertion of the first and second arm ends into the mouth and for placement of the first and second arm ends between the adjacent teeth, and wherein the first and second arms are constructed of a resilient material and are formed to bias the first and second arm ends toward each other with sufficient closing force to separate the adjacent teeth when the actuator releases the separating force from the first and second arms.