Patent ID: 7975701

Claim:
An orthodontic system worn adjacent to upper teeth and lower teeth in a mouth of a user wherein the user has an upper jaw, a lower jaw, lips and a tongue, the orthodontic system comprising: an upper dental appliance having a front end and a rear end wherein the rear end is located in a position opposite to the front end wherein the upper dental appliance has a U-shape and further wherein the upper dental appliance is adapted to contact the upper teeth; a lower dental appliance having a front end and a rear end wherein the rear end is located in a position opposite to the front end wherein the lower dental appliance has a U-shape and further wherein the lower dental appliance has a lower flat surface adapted to contact the lower teeth wherein the lower dental appliance has an upper flat surface located in a position opposite to the lower surface; first lingual projections that extend horizontally from the lower dental appliance wherein the first lingual projections extend from a section of the lower dental appliance that is adjacent to the rear end of the lower dental appliance wherein each of the first lingual projections has an end portion farthest from the lower dental appliance wherein the end portion of each of the first lingual projections is adapted to contact the tongue of the user; second lingual projections that extend horizontally from the front end of the lower dental appliance in a direction rearward in the mouth wherein each of the second lingual projections has an end portion farthest from the lower dental appliance wherein the end portion of each of the second lingual projections is adapted to contact the tongue of the user and further wherein each of the second lingual projections has a width that decreases continuously as each of the second projections extends from the lower dental appliance; and a shelf connected to the lower dental appliance wherein the shelf extends from the lower dental appliance and further wherein the shelf is adapted to extend rearward in the mouth of the user wherein the shelf has a horizontal planar surface that is adapted to contact the tongue and further wherein the horizontal planar surface is substantially coplanar with the upper flat surface of the front end of the lower dental appliance.