Patent ID: RE38811

Claim:
A preformed dental tray spacer means for shimming moldable dental tray material a predetermined distance from surfaces of teeth of a dental arch, or models thereof, comprising a flat, unitary strip of a deformable material substantially elongate in a longitudinal direction and adaptable for rapid shaping and mounting on said surfaces of teeth, or models thereof, said unitary strip comprising a plurality of tooth shim elements connected to each other by means of links, said tooth shim elements having a circumference in the plane of the unitary strip, each said tooth shim element being comformable conformable overlying surface contours of a tooth, said links being substantially elongate, a portion of said links being substantially elongate in the longitudinal direction of said unitary strip, said links having a sufficient length such that adjacent said tooth shim elements are mountable on adjacent said surfaces of teeth, wherein said circumference of said tooth shim elements is substantially greater than the width of said links.