US2796866A - Device to train a dental patient to open and close his lower jaw in his terminal hinge position - Google Patents

Description

June 25, 1957 R QHEN DEVICE TO TRAIN A DENTAL PATIENT T0 OPEN AND CLOSE HIS LOWER JAW IN HIS TERMINAL HINGE POSITION Filed NOV. 29, 1955 IN VEN TOR.

@4r/fono Cof/w Arrow/Vey United States PatentO DEVICE TO TRAIN A DENTAL PATIENT TO OPEN AND CLOSE HIS LOWER JAW IN HIS TERMINAL HINGE POSITION Raymond Cohen, Long Beach, N. Y.

Application November 29, 1955, Serial No. 549,723

Claims. (Cl. 12s-303) This invention relates to a device for retruding the lower jaw.

It has been found in the field of dentistry that there is an ideal position that the mandible (lower jaw) should assume in relation to the maxilla (upper jaw) when a persons teeth, either natural or false, are occluded. It would, therefore, be advantageous to have a patients mandible in the proper position when making a registration of this important phase of occlusal reconstruction. Registrations are commonly made by having the patient bite into a piece of heat softened wax. The wax is allowed to harden and is then removed.

The mandible is in its relatively ideal position in the final phase of closure of the teeth when the head of the condyle of the mandible is seated as far as it will go into the glenoid fossa of the temporal bone, by its own muscular power. It is only in this position that the mandible is capable of a pure hinge movement.

By means of the apparatus embodying this invention it is possible to train the patient to open and close in a pure hinge movement. This is done by having the patient wear the device and have him open and close without letting his teeth meet for a period of at least ten minutes. The device is then removed and it is a simple matter to direct the patient to open and close in his terminal hinge position. At this time a wax recording is made of the relative maxilla mandibular position.

It is an object of this invention to provide a highly improved device which shall include spring meansA to hold a jaw under tension so that continued lopening and closing of the jaw would train the patient to open and close in his terminal hinge position.

It is an object then of this invention to provide a highly improved device of the character described including spring means to hold a jaw under tension so that continued opening and closing of the jaw would render the muscles of mastication 4in a state of fatigue.

Another object of this invention is to provide a dev-ice for the purpose described, that may be worn portably, will work independently of external power or furniture, Will fit securely to a variety of dierent sized people, be comfortable and easy to adjust.

Another object of this invent-ion is to provide an improved shoulder mounting means for a device of the kind described.

Other objects of this invention will in part beobvious and in part hereinafter pointed out.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arnangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of invention will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown various illustrative embodiments of this invention,

Fig. l is a side elevational view which illustrates a man wearing the device of the invention;

A 2,796,866 Patented June 25, -1957 Fig. 2 is a partial perspective view of a device embodying the invention;

Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-section down the center of the device;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the cup shaped chin sling and tension means portion of the device with the sling llattened;

Fig. 5 is a cross-section taken on line 5--5 of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, Fig. 2 shows the device 10 embodying the invention and having a shoulder brace 11 at the base thereof. The brace 11 comprises a metal plate 11a having a long at mid portion 12 adapted to contact the back of the patient, curving up slightly |at the ends and formed with a forwardly curving lip 13 at each end adapted for hooking over the shoulder of the patient. Each lip hooks over a shoulder while the broad, at mid portion 12 rests along the back, as shown in the drawing.

The brace may be made of metal or any other suitable material, and may be provided with a soft inner liner pad 14 of leather or any other resilient material, riveted or otherwise attached to the metal part 11a as at 14a. The leather liner preferably extends beyond the outer edges of the metal piece.

Attached vertically to the brace at the mid portion thereof is an elongated flat bracket 15 secured thereto by rivets 16, 4or other suitable fastening means. The shoulder brace and vertical bracket may be formed as one piece if desired. The bracket 15 comprises a part 15a which rises at a forward and upward angle rearwardly of the shoulder brace to allow for the curvature of the back, and a vertical portion 15b extending therefrom and located at the back of the head, as shown in Figs. l and 3. The vertical bracket extends only to a point about ear-level.

A second vertical bracket 17 of T shape has a central leg 17a which is attached for vertical adjustment to portion 15b or bar or bracket 15 by having a slot 18 formed therein engaged by a bolt 19 passing through an opening in said portion 15b and wing nut 19a secured to the bolt. A rivet 20 fixed to portion 15b and entering slot 18 holds the bracket 17 against rotation of the bolt 19.

Attached to the upper end of leg 17 as by rivets 26, is the center of a curved head engaging member 21 having wings 21a, 2lb and forming the top of the T-shaped bracket 17. Padding 23 may be applied to the front face of head engaging member 21. A strap 24 is aixed to one wing 2lb of the T-shaped head bracket, and a buckle 25 is axed to the other wing 21a. Their use will be hereinafter described.

Attached by means of said rivets 26 to the rear of the upper end of leg 17a is a flat, elongated bar 27 extending beyond said wings 21a, 2lb. Bar 27 may be made of a resilient metal. The ends of the :bar 27 are formed with forwardly bent tabs 28 each having a hole 29 therein; A buckle 30 on a strap 31 is riveted to each of the holes 29 by means of grommets 32.

A strap 33 is threaded through each buckle 30. The forward lends of the straps 33 are riveted to coil springs 34 by rivets 35. The lcoil springs 34 are of a length of wire coiled through its body and looped on the ends. The rearward loop 36 of each spring receives the rivet 35 to fasten it to one of the straps 33. The forward loop 37 yof each coil .spring 34 is extended by a straight length of vwire 38, away from the coiled body of the spring. A :tubular sleeve 39 formed with `a flat portion 40, encases each of the springs 34. The open Iend of the case 39 extends a short length past the spring to cover part of the strap 33. 'Ihe attened end received the loop 37 al1-d straight portion 38 of the spring 34 therewithin.

A chin sling 41 is provided with each end 42 thereof saidfloop, whereby-the spring,- Vcase` and chin' slingg-are fastened together. The purpose of the springandfcase will beihereinafterJ explained.V Y

The chinsling may be made of leather, or any other suitable material. The' slingV may' be made with a front piece 45 of-an elongatedovalshape. Two separate- pieces 46 and 47, each forming half the shape of theV frontpiece', may be'sewn-thereto-for reinforcing and toaid in shaping the sling to the chincurye, A piece 48 may` cover the'seam between the pieoe'46landthe piece 47.

The method of use may now be seen. The deviceflilfis fittedto-thepatient byv resting theshoulder brace midportion-12 against theback, with each vforward lip'13 over 'af-shoulder. The h "ead'v brace assembly is` adusted `for height-by means ofthe Wingnut l19, 19: in the slot 18. The head brace-.member 21 rests against the head in a comfortable position.i The -stra-p 24- 1is passed around the forehead and buckled to the buckle assembly 25. This operation secures the device tothe head. The chin sling |isthen strapped to the chin from the bar 27 by the straps 33 provided. Downward or forward motion of the jaw will stretch-the springs 34-which connect the chin sling to the straps,. thus putting a degree oi tension on the jaw determined by the tensile strength of the springs 34. The ends of bar 27 extend beyond the. head brace Wings 21a, 21b1 in orderato spreadY the. springs yaway xfrom the face. However, the cases 39 are also provided to protect thevpatient frombeing pinched by contractions of the spring.

The device is appliedVtoV a patient for about'ten to twenty minutes before` the dentist records `theV jaw to jaw relationship. The patient opens` and closes his mouth continuously. This exercise sutlicientlyV fatiguesV the. muscles as to render the patients jaws iny asuitablyrelated position for corrective Work to beperformed by the dentist.

It may be seen that aidevice -has been provided which accomplishes etheseve-ralobjects of-this invention, which is safe, comfortable, portable and etiicient to a high. degree in use.

As various possible embodiments might besmade of the aboveinvention, andasvarious changesmight berna-de in the 'embodimentl above set forth, itis to beunderstood that; all matter; hereinz setY forthjor shown theV accompanying drawings-is to be` interpreted as ,illustrativeand not in a limitingsense;

HavingA thus described my 'inventionl claimas new and desire to secure` by Letters Patent:

1. AV shoulder brace havin-g a broad mid-portion conv mid-portion,A and forwardlycurved lip portions exten-ding from said wing portions adapted to tit a pair of shoulders, an elongated bracket formedwith a` central portionattached to the mid-portion of said shoulder brace and rising vertically therefrom, a second bracket having an elongated vertical portion adjustably mounted on said first bracket yin alignment therewith, a curved head engaging portion formed at the upper end of the second bracket, a strap fastened to one end of said curved portion of said Vsecond bracket, an adjustable means forV fastening the' free-end of saidstrap to the remaining end. of said curved portion of said second bracket, and'resilient means mounted on-the secondbracket for gripping a chin, said means for gripping the chin comprising ahorizontal Ibar yattache-d," to the-realmid-portion of thesaid Second bracket, said barrhaving adjustable,straps-attached at the ends thereof, anda chin sling attached yby resilient means to said straps.

2. The combination of claim 1, said resilient means comprised of a pair of coil springs, and a pair of ilexible cases covering said coil springs, Y

3. The combination of claim 1, said chin sling-comprising atsubstantiallyy elongated oval of leather linedA with a pair of similarlyshape-dpieces,` each substantially half the saidoval and` seamed. ati the center with a small piece said thirdv brace being lof anelongated shape-with ends` disposedhorizontallybeyond the second said brace, a pair of strap members attac-hedone to each end of said third brace, a-chin engaging means, and a pair of covered springsdnterconnecting theV chin engaging means and said pair of stra-p.rnembers.-` n Y 5. A device for iti-ring thejaw muscles` of a patient, comprising-a shoulderfengaagingy member, a memberadapted toj engage theback of a head, said members being adjustably interconnected, a strap attached to the head-engaging memberj and adapted to encircle the head of a rpatient, a member fixed to lthe rear of the head-engaging member and having outwardly extending wings disposed outwardly beyond and Arearwardly of the forward ends of the head-engaging member, 4 a chin-engaging device, and resilient meansrconnecting saidchin engaging device with said wings.

ReferencesfCitedin the tileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

Images