Patent ID: 8277216

Claim:
A dental impression tray assembly comprising: an upper tray sized to be inserted into a patient's mouth after the upper tray receives impression material to take a first impression of a patient's gum; and a lower tray comprising: a first piece sized to be inserted into the patient's mouth after the first piece receives impression material to take a second impression of the patient's gum, wherein the first piece is curved at about a central portion to form a right end portion and a left end portion; and a pair of second pieces detachably coupled to the first piece, a right piece of the pair of second pieces coupled to the right end portion of the first piece and a left piece of the pair of second pieces coupled to the left end portion of the first piece, wherein a size of the lower tray is consistent when the pair of second pieces are coupled to the first piece, wherein the pair of second pieces are configured to fit over the patient's gum when the pair of second pieces are coupled to the first piece, wherein the second impression is obtainable after the first piece is inserted into the patient's mouth with the pair of second pieces attached, wherein the pair of second pieces are detachable from the first piece after the second impression is obtained, and the upper tray retaining the first impression and the first piece of the lower tray retaining the second impression are insertable together into the mouth to determine jaw relations comprising a vertical dimension and a centric relation, wherein a gap formed between the upper tray retaining the first impression and the first piece of the lower tray retaining the second impression is sized to receive bite registration material to obtain a bite registration, and wherein a further impression of the patient's gum is obtainable when the pair of second pieces are re-attached to the first piece and at least the lower tray is insertable into the mouth after the second pieces receive impression material.