Oral appliance for improving strength and balance
View Patent ↗A neuromuscular oral appliance comprises a channel with a base adapted to accept teeth from one of an upper and a lower jaw. The oral appliance further comprises a bite pad adapted to accept teeth from the other of the upper jaw and the lower jaw, the bite pad extending from the base and including a pliable chamber that partially deforms when compressed. The oral appliance allows the lower jaw to find a balanced position relative to the upper jaw which will correspond to a position at which the facial muscles are generally at minimal tension. It has been observed that the lower jaw is naturally urged forward relative to the upper jaw in this position. This motion and the position of the lower jaw generally tend to urge the neck backward so that the cervical vertebrae substantially align, thereby facilitating an erect spine. The compliant property of the bite pads further allow slippage and repositioning of the upper and lower jaws relative to one another to adjust for changes in facial muscle tension, for example, when the head is turned to face the side of a user's body, or when a user is off-balance.
1. A neuromuscular oral appliance for placement in a mouth of a user comprising:
a channel with a base adapted to accept teeth from one of a lower jaw and an upper jaw of the mouth;
wherein the channel is deformable to at least partially conform to a shape of the accepted teeth upon prior heating and subsequent cooling;
a pliable, elastic bite pad extending opposite the channel, the pliable, elastic bite pad being adapted to contact teeth from the other of the lower jaw and the upper jaw when the oral appliance is placed in the mouth;
wherein the pliable, elastic bite pad is adapted to partially collapse upon contact with the teeth such that a gap between the lower jaw and the upper jaw is maintainable within a predefined range; and
wherein the channel includes two portions, each portion spanning at least from the first bicuspid to the second molar on opposite sides of the mouth and wherein the two portions are connected by a wire.
2. A neuromuscular oral appliance for placement in a mouth of a user comprising:
a channel adapted to accept teeth from one of a lower jaw and an upper jaw of the mouth;
wherein the channel is deformable to at least partially conform to a shape of the accepted teeth;
a pair of bite pads extending adapted to contact teeth from the other of the lower jaw and the upper jaw when the oral appliance is placed in the mouth;
wherein the pair of bite pads is adapted to partially collapse upon contact with the teeth such that a gap between the lower jaw and the upper jaw is maintainable within a predefined range.
3. The oral appliance of claim 2 , wherein each bite pad from said pair of bite pads includes a skin encapsulating a core.
4. The oral appliance of claim 3 , wherein said core is a silicone gel and said skin is a silicone encasement.
5. The oral appliance of claim 3 , wherein said core is a fluid.
6. The oral appliance of claim 2 , wherein upon contact the pair of bite pads extends from a first bicuspid to a first molar of the other of the lower jaw and the upper jaw on opposite sides of the mouth.
7. The oral appliance of claim 2 , wherein the predefined range is 2 millimeters to 7 millimeters.
8. The oral appliance of claim 2 , wherein the predefined range is 2.5 millimeters to 4 millimeters.
9. The oral appliance of claim 2 , further comprising:
a frame;
wherein the channel is formed over the frame; and
wherein the frame has a higher melting temperature than the channel.
10. The oral appliance of claim 9 , wherein the channel is ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) and the frame is TRITAN™ copolyester.
11. The oral appliance of claim 9 , wherein the pair of bite pads is bonded to the frame.
12. The oral appliance of claim 2 , wherein the channel includes a plurality of fins arranged along at least a portion of the length of the channel, each of the plurality of fins having a groove to guide the teeth into the channel.
13. The oral appliance of claim 12 , wherein the grooves of the plurality of fins are “V”-shaped.
14. The oral appliance of claim 12 , wherein the arrangement of fins along the channel is mirrored along a midline of the oral appliance.
15. The oral appliance of claim 2 , wherein the channel includes a lingual wall, a lateral wall, and an occlusal wall connected between the lingual wall and the lateral wall and wherein the lateral wall extends at least to a gumline of the mouth to protect the accepted teeth from trauma.
16. The oral appliance of claim 2 , wherein the channel includes two portions, each portion spanning at least from the first bicuspid to the second molar on opposite sides of the mouth and wherein the two portions are connected by a wire.
17. A neuromuscular oral appliance for placement in a mouth of a user comprising:
a channel with a base adapted to accept teeth from an upper jaw of the mouth;
a plurality of fins arranged along at least a portion of the length of the channel, each of the plurality of fins having a groove to guide the teeth into the channel;
wherein the channel and the fins are deformable to at least partially conform to a shape of the accepted teeth upon heating the channel and the fins to a melting temperature;
a pair of bite pads adapted to contact teeth from a lower jaw when the oral appliance is placed in the mouth;
wherein upon contact the pair of bite pads extends from a first bicuspid to a first molar of the lower jaw on opposite sides of the mouth; and
wherein the pair of bite pads is adapted to partially and elastically collapse upon contact with the teeth of the lower jaw such that a gap between the lower jaw and the upper jaw is maintainable within a predefined range.
18. The oral appliance of claim 17 , further comprising:
a frame;
wherein the channel is formed over the frame; and
wherein the frame has a higher melting temperature than the channel and the fins.
19. The oral appliance of claim 17 , wherein each bite pad from said pair of bite pads includes a silicon skin encapsulating a silicone gel core;
wherein the channel is ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA); and
wherein the frame is TRITAN™ copolyester.
20. A neuromuscular oral appliance for placement in a mouth of a user comprising:
a channel with a base adapted to accept teeth from a lower jaw of the mouth, the channel having two portions, each portion spanning at least from the first bicuspid to the second molar on opposite sides of the mouth;
a wire connecting the two portions of the channel;
a plurality of fins arranged along at least a portion of the length of each of the two portions of the channel, each of the plurality of fins having a groove to guide the teeth into the channel;
wherein the channel and the fins are deformable to at least partially conform to a shape of the accepted teeth upon heating the channel and the fins to a melting temperature;
a pair of bite pads extending from respective portions of the channel and adapted to contact teeth from a upper jaw when the oral appliance is placed in the mouth;
wherein upon contact the pair of bite pads extends from a first bicuspid to a first molar of the upper jaw on opposite sides of the mouth; and
wherein the pair of bite pads is adapted to partially and elastically collapse upon contact with the teeth of the upper jaw such that a gap between the lower jaw and the upper jaw is maintainable within a predefined range.
21. The oral appliance of claim 20 , further comprising:
a frame having two portions;
wherein the two portions of the channel are formed over respective portions of the frame; and
wherein the frame has a higher melting temperature than the channel and the fins.
22. The oral appliance of claim 21 , wherein each bite pad from said pair of bite pads includes a silicon skin encapsulating a silicone gel core;
wherein the channel is ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA); and
wherein the frame is TRITAN™ copolyester.
23. A neuromuscular oral appliance for placement in a mouth of a user comprising:
a frame;
a channel molded over the frame with a base adapted to accept teeth from one of an upper jaw and a lower jaw of the mouth;
wherein the channel is deformable to at least partially conform to a shape of the accepted teeth upon heating to a melting temperature;
wherein the frame has a higher melting temperature than the channel;
a pliable, elastic bite pad extending opposite the channel, the pliable, elastic bite pad being adapted to contact teeth from the other of the upper jaw and the lower jaw when the oral appliance is placed in the mouth;
wherein the pliable, elastic bite pad is adapted to partially collapse upon contact with the teeth of the other of the upper jaw and the lower jaw such that a gap between the lower jaw and the upper jaw is maintainable within a predefined range.
24. The oral appliance of claim 23 , wherein each bite pad from said pair of bite pads includes a silicon skin encapsulating a silicone gel core;
wherein the channel is ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA); and
wherein the frame is TRITAN™ copolyester.