Patent ID: 7971591

Claim:
A dental appliance for preventing grinding contact between upper and lower teeth of a wearer, the appliance comprising: a base member comprising: a generally U-shaped horizontal portion having a Vicat softening temperature that is higher than the temperature to which the appliance is raised during the fitting process comprising: opposing first and second posterior sections for positioning between upper and lower molars of the wearer, the first and second posterior sections each having peripheral portions with peripheral features; central adhesion-enhancement features having a Vicat softening temperature that is higher than the temperature to which the appliance is raised during the fitting process molded into an upper surface of the first and second posterior sections of the horizontal portion of the base member; an anterior section disposed between the first and second posterior sections, the anterior section having an arcuate curvature substantially matching the curvature of the dental arch of the wearer; and a substantially vertical portion connected to a forward edge of the anterior section of the horizontal portion, the vertical portion having an arcuate curvature substantially following the curvature of the anterior section of the horizontal portion; first and second molar pads, each bonded to the upper surface of a corresponding one of the first and second posterior sections of the horizontal portion of the base member and located within the peripheral portions of the first and second posterior sections, the first and second molar pads formed from a thermoplastic material having a Vicat softening temperature below that of the base member; and a substantially vertical anterior flange bonded to the vertical portion of the base member, the anterior flange having a pair of opposing and substantially vertical notches for accommodating upper canine teeth of the wearer, the anterior vertical flange formed from a thermoplastic material having a Vicat softening temperature below that of the base member.