Cheek retraction device

1. A cheek retraction device for retracting cheeks of a patient away from an oral cavity of the patient and drawing air from the oral cavity, the cheek retraction device comprising:

a base and a hollow stem extending monolithically from the base, wherein the stem is for coupling to a vacuum line which, when so coupled, provides suction through the cheek retraction device to draw air out of the oral cavity, internally through the cheek retraction device, and into the vacuum line;

two arms, each formed monolithically to the base, extending in opposed directions from the base to opposed grips flanking a working area configured to be disposed over the opened oral cavity, wherein the grips are formed monolithically to the respective arms and have a plurality of ports coupled in fluid communication to the stem, wherein when the cheek retraction device is used with the patient, the grips retract and retain the cheeks, the working area is disposed over the oral cavity, and the ports are directed into the working area to draw air therefrom;

a common duct extending continuously through the cheek retraction device, from the ports, internally through the opposed grips, the opposed arms, the base, and the stem to thereby join the ports in fluid communication with the stem; and

a trunk extending from the base, between the arms, to in front of the working area, the trunk having a plurality of intakes coupled in fluid communication to the common duct in the stem.

2. The cheek retraction device of claim 1 , wherein the grips have inner surfaces and the ports are formed through the inner surfaces.

3. The cheek retraction device of claim 1 , wherein each in-take-port is transverse to a radius extending into a center of the working area from the respective port.

4. The cheek retraction device of claim 1 , wherein each of the intakes in the trunk is a unique conduit extending separately through the trunk to the duct.

5. The cheek retraction device of claim 1 , wherein the duct has a constriction point at the stem.

6. The cheek retraction device of claim 1 , wherein the trunk terminates in a blunt end and the intakes are formed in the blunt end.

7. The cheek retraction device of claim 1 , wherein the intakes of the trunk are parallel to a plane extending through the ports.

8. A cheek retraction device for retracting cheeks of a patient away from an oral cavity of the patient and drawing air from the oral cavity, the cheek retraction device comprising:

a base and a hollow stem extending monolithically from the base, wherein the stem is for coupling to a vacuum line which, when so coupled, provides suction through the cheek retraction device to draw air out of the oral cavity, internally through the cheek retraction device, and into the vacuum line;

two arms, each formed monolithically to the base, extending in opposed directions from the base to opposed grips, the arms biasing the grips apart from each other;

the grips having inner surfaces which cooperate to bound and define a working area configured to be disposed over the oral cavity, wherein the grips are formed monolithically to the respective arms and have a plurality of ports coupled in fluid communication to the stem, wherein when the cheek retraction device is used with the patient, the grips retract and retain the cheeks, the working area is disposed over the oral cavity, and the ports are directed into the working area to draw air therefrom; and

a common duct extending continuously through the cheek retraction device, from the ports, internally through the opposed grips, the opposed arms, the base, and the stem to thereby join the ports in fluid communication with the stem; and

a trunk extending from the base, between the arms, to in front of the working area, the trunk terminating in a plurality of intakes coupled in fluid communication to the common duct in the stem.

9. The cheek retraction device of claim 8 , wherein each intake-port is transverse to a radius extending into a center of the working area from the respective port.

10. The cheek retraction device of claim 8 , wherein the duct has a constriction point at the stem.

11. The cheek retraction device of claim 8 , wherein each of the intakes is a unique conduit extending separately through the trunk to the duct.

12. The cheek retraction device of claim 8 , wherein the trunk terminates in a blunt end and the intakes are formed in the blunt end.

13. The cheek retraction device of claim 8 , wherein the intakes are parallel to a plane extending through the ports.

14. A cheek retraction device for retracting cheeks of a patient away from an oral cavity of the patient and drawing air from the oral cavity, the cheek retraction device comprising:

a base, a hollow stem extending monolithically from the base, and arms, each formed monolithically to the base, extending away from the base to opposed grips, the arms biased apart from each other;

each grip is formed monolithically to the respective arms and comprises an outer flange, an inner flange, and a web extending therebetween to define a U-shaped channel for retracting the cheeks of the patient;

a trunk extending from the base to above and between the arms; and

an internal airflow channeling within the device comprising a common duct extending continuously through the cheek retraction device from the base and stem through the arms to the grips, ports formed through the web of each grip and joined in fluid communication to the common duct, and inlets in the trunk joined in fluid communication to the common duct.

15. The cheek retraction device of claim 14 , wherein each port is transverse to a radius extending into a center of the working area from the respective port.

16. The cheek retraction device of claim 14 wherein each of the intakes is a unique conduit extending separately through the trunk to the duct.

17. The cheek retraction device of claim 14 , wherein the trunk terminates in a blunt end and the intakes are formed in the blunt end.

18. The cheek retraction device of claim 14 , wherein the intakes are parallel to a plane extending through the ports.