Patent ID: 7559328

Claim:
An oral appliance for maintaining long-term stability of one or more aspects of a user's masticatory system over an extended therapeutic period spanning numerous uses of the oral appliance, comprising: a first arch adapted to receive at least some of a user's teeth, the first arch comprising an anterior substantially planar region located proximate a midline of the first arch; and a second arch adapted to receive at least some of the user's teeth, the second arch being uncoupled from the first arch when the user bites down with the oral appliance inserted in the user's mouth during each of the numerous uses over the extended therapeutic period, the second arch comprising an anterior bearing platform located proximate a midline of the second arch, elongated in an anterior-posterior direction, and contacting and applying a force substantially vertically against an exposed exterior substantially horizontal occlusal surface of the anterior substantially planar region of the first arch when the user bites down with the oral appliance inserted in the user's mouth and the user's temporomandibular joint in its proper natural position to help maintain stability of one or more aspects of the user's masticatory system during each of the numerous uses over the extended therapeutic period; the anterior bearing platform and anterior substantially planar region collectively adapted to maintain long-term stability of one or more aspects of the user's masticatory system over the extended therapeutic period spanning the numerous uses of the oral appliance.