Intraoral device
A dental mouthpiece is provided that may be attached to a high-suction dental adapter for the purpose of assisting the dental staff during dental procedures through chair-side, hands-free suction, and isolation. Such mouthpiece may include a main body portion, a cheek retractor portion, and a suction connector portion. In some embodiments, the main body portion, cheek retractor portion, and suction connector portion (and sub-portions thereof) may be molded in one piece, preferably by injection molding. In an exemplary embodiment, the mouthpiece may be made of a material that is flexible, translucent, conducive to injection molding, high heat-resistant, and autoclavable. Such a material may include silicone. Because the mouthpiece may be made of high heat-resistant and autoclavable material, such a mouthpiece may be reusable.
1. A mouthpiece comprising:
a main body having a first end opposite a second end, the main body having an interior space, wherein the main body is configured in a shape wider at the first end and narrower at the second end, and wherein the main body comprises:
a first wall defined by a plurality of first edges, the first wall comprising a slit opening extending a longitudinal length parallel to a longitudinal and central axis of the main body, the longitudinal length extending from a middle location of the first wall away from the first end and toward the second end of the main body, the slit opening allowing fluids exterior to the interior space to enter along the longitudinal length into the interior space,
a second wall defined by a plurality of second edges that correspond to the first edges of the first wall, the second wall located at a distance from the first wall, the distance corresponding to a span of the interior space,
a connecting wall that connects one of the first edges of the first wall to one of the corresponding second edges of the second wall across the span of the interior space between the first wall and the second wall, and
a bridge structure that includes a plurality of protrusions integral with and protruding from an interior surface of the second wall, the bridge structure extending through the interior space towards the first wall, wherein the bridge structure is not attached to the first wall, and wherein the plurality of protrusions of the bridge structure protrude in a wave shape comprising one or more crests and one or more troughs.
2. The mouthpiece of claim 1 , wherein the second wall further includes a stability bar protruding from the interior surface of the second wall and along the longitudinal and central axis of the main body, the stability bar aligned with the slit opening.
3. The mouthpiece of claim 1 , wherein the main body is formed by injection-molding as one piece.
4. The mouthpiece of claim 1 , wherein a material used to form the main body is a flexible, translucent, high heat-resistant, autoclavable silicone-based material.
5. The mouthpiece of claim 1 , wherein the first wall and the second wall have different thicknesses.
6. The mouthpiece of claim 1 , wherein flexibility of material of the first wall allows portions of the first wall to be pulled open at the slit opening to expose the interior space.
7. The mouthpiece of claim 1 , further comprising a cheek retractor portion connected to the second end of the main body, the cheek retractor portion having a surface that applies pressure when bent, wherein the pressure is based on resilience of the cheek retractor portion.
8. The mouthpiece of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of protrusions of the bridge structure comprise a plurality of spaced contact points, and wherein spaces between the contact points are at troughs of the wave shape.
9. The mouthpiece of claim 1 , further comprising a suction connector portion configured to connect the interior space to a vacuum source.
10. The mouthpiece of claim 1 , further comprising a mouth prop injection-molded in one piece.
11. The mouthpiece of claim 10 , wherein the mouth prop is detachable and comprises a bite block portion and a strap portion.
12. A mouthpiece comprising:
a main body having a first end opposite a second end, the first end wider than the second end, the main body comprising:
a first wall having a plurality of first edges and extending from the first end to the second end,
a second wall having a plurality of second edges and located at a distance from the first wall, the distance corresponding to a space between the first wall and the second wall, wherein the second wall also extends from the first end to the second end,
a connecting wall that connects one of the first edges of the first wall to one of the second edges of the second wall across the distance between the first wall and the second wall; and
a bridge structure that includes a plurality of protrusions integral with and protruding from an interior surface of the second wall, the bridge structure extending through the interior space towards the first wall, wherein the bridge structure is not attached to the first wall, and wherein the plurality of protrusions of the bridge structure protrude in a wave shape comprising one or more crests and one or more troughs;
a suction connector extending from the first end of the main body, wherein an evacuation conduit of the suction connector is in communication with the space between the first wall and the second wall, and wherein the suction connector includes a cutout shape configured to interlock with a corresponding protrusion shape of a vacuum adapter; and
a cheek retractor at the second end of the main body.
13. The mouthpiece of claim 12 , wherein the plurality of protrusions of the bridge structure comprise a plurality of contact points corresponding to the crests of the wave shape, and wherein the troughs correspond to spaces between the contact points.
14. The mouthpiece of claim 12 , wherein the first wall and the second wall are bendable, and wherein the bridge structure keeps the first wall separated from the second wall during suction.
15. The mouthpiece of claim 12 , wherein at least one of the first wall and the second wall includes one or more perforations distributed along one or more of the first edges or along one or more of the second edges.
16. The mouthpiece of claim 12 , further comprising a stability bar extending along a longitudinal axis of the main body between the first end and the second end, wherein a thickness of the stability bar reinforces a resilience of the main body.
17. The mouthpiece of claim 12 , wherein the main body is formed by injection-molding as one piece.
18. The mouthpiece of claim 17 , wherein at least one of the cheek retractor and suction connector is formed by injection-molding and integral with the main body.
19. The mouthpiece of claim 17 , further comprising a stability bar extending along a longitudinal axis of the main body between the first end and the second end, wherein the stability bar is formed by injection-molding and integral with the main body.
20. The mouthpiece of claim 12 , further comprising a mouth prop connected to the suction connector.
21. The mouthpiece of claim 12 , wherein the suction connector includes a cutout configured to interlock with a corresponding protrusion of a vacuum adapter.