Dental device
View Patent ↗Embodiments disclosed herein describe systems and methods for a dental device that is configured to be worn on a user's finger, and inserted into the mouth of a patient. The dental device may be comprised of rigid and/or semi-rigid materials, wherein when dental device is inserted between an upper set and lower set of the patient's teeth, the dental device may maintain the patient's mouth in an open position.
1. A dental device comprising:
a housing with an open first end, a closed second end and an outer surface, the housing being comprised of rigid materials, wherein the outer surface of the closed second end is rounded and a tip for the dental device is positioned on the closed second end;
a hollow opening extending from the open first end towards the closed second end, the hollow opening being configured to receive a finger of a user;
tapered internal sidewalls within the hollow opening configured to secure the dental device to the finger of a user, wherein a circumference of the housing decreases from the open first end towards the closed second end;
and a first set of rigid projections being in a plurality of rows positioned on a first portion of the housing around an entire border of the outer surface of the housing, the first set of rigid projections being configured to secure the housing between an upper set of teeth and a lower set of teeth, wherein the first set of rigid projections are non-continuous bumps on the outer surface of the housing, wherein a first distance between each of the rows of projections positioned on the first portion of the housing are each separated by a first length;
a second set of rigid projections positioned on a second portion of the housing, the second set of rigid projections including a first rigid projection positioned on an apex of the closed second end and including only four other rigid projections, the only four other rigid projections are positioned ninety degrees apart from each other on the closed second end with respect to the first rigid projection; and
a channel separating the first set of rigid projections from the second set of rigid projections, the channel is sized to receive different sized teeth between the first set of rigid projections and the second set of rigid projections, the channel having a second distance, the second distance extending across the channel from the first set of rigid projections to the second set of rigid projections, the second distance being greater than the first distance;
a lower exterior surface of the outer surface of the housing that extends from the open first end to the closed second end, the lower exterior surface including a continuously convexly curved perimeter that continuously and uniformly tapers and gradually decreases an outer diameter of the dental device from an edge of the open first end to the closed second end, the lower exterior surface extending across the first set of rigid projections and the second set of rigid projections, wherein the first set of rigid projections are positioned adjacent to the edge of the open first end to the channel.
2. The dental device of claim 1 , wherein the projections are cylindrical in shape.
3. The dental device of claim 1 , wherein each of the rows projections positioned on the first portion of the housing includes a same number of projections.
4. The dental device of claim 3 , wherein a spacing between each of the projections on different rows is greater closer to the open first end.