U.S. patent application number 10/022178 was filed with the patent office on 2003-06-26 for intraoral discluder device and method for preventing migraine, tension headache, and temporomandibular disorders.
Invention is credited to Boyd, James P. SR..
Application Number | 20030116164 10/022178 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 26695625 |
Filed Date | 2003-06-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030116164 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Boyd, James P. SR. |
June 26, 2003 |
Intraoral discluder device and method for preventing migraine,
tension headache, and temporomandibular disorders
Abstract
A semi-custom intraoral discluder device for preventing chronic
tension and common migraine headaches and temporomandibular
disorders that are caused or perpetuated by chronic activity of the
temporalis muscle. The discluder includes a trough, contoured to
encompass at least one maxillary or mandibular incisor, from which
extends a protrusion, typically of a dome shape. The trough can be
retained on the teeth by any adaptable material which can flow
around the teeth and then maintain its shape. The adaptation of the
retentive material can be performed by the end user, health care
provider, or anyone trained in the art. Once in place in the
wearer's mouth, one or two opposing incisor teeth will come into
contact with the protrusion prior to the upper and lower posterior
and/or canine teeth coming into contact, regardless of the position
of the mandible, thereby reducing the intensity of the activity of
the temporalis muscle.
Inventors: |
Boyd, James P. SR.; (Solana
Beach, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP
48th Floor
333 South Hope Street
Los Angeles
CA
90071
US
|
Family ID: |
26695625 |
Appl. No.: |
10/022178 |
Filed: |
December 14, 2001 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
128/859 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61F 5/566 20130101;
A61C 7/36 20130101; A61F 2005/563 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
128/859 |
International
Class: |
A61C 005/14 |
Claims
I claim:
1. A semi-custom intraoral discluder device comprising: a
prefabricated trough having a front wall and a rear wall sized and
configured to accommodate at least one upper or lower incisor,
wherein the front wall disposed is adjacent to the front of the
incisor when the trough is in the wearer's mouth; and a protrusion
attached to the trough and having a contact surface that projects a
substantial distance anteriorly from the front wall of the trough
and posteriorly from the rear wall of the trough when the trough is
in the wearer's mouth, wherein the contact surface is spaced a
predetermined distance from the trough such that the protrusion is
configured to prevent contact between opposing upper and lower
teeth, whether the mandible is in a protrusive position or a
retrusive position.
2. The intraoral discluder device according to claim 1, and further
comprising a quantity of adaptable material disposed within the
trough and adapted to conform to the shape of the incisor, to
assist in retaining the device in the wearer's mouth.
3. The intraoral discluder device according to claim 1, wherein the
trough and the protrusion both are fabricated from a biocompatible
material.
4. The intraoral discluder device according to claim 1, wherein the
protrusion comprises a plurality of tabs that increase the distance
from the contact surface to the trough.
5. The intraoral discluder device according to claim 1, wherein the
protrusion is configured not to move when contacted by at least one
opposing incisor.
6. The intraoral discluder device according to claim 1, wherein the
protrusion has a length in the anterior/posterior direction in the
range of about 8 mm to about 12 mm.
7. The intraoral discluder device according to claim 7, wherein the
protrusion projects anteriorly from the front wall by at least
about 3 mm.
8. A method for using a semi-custom intraoral discluder device,
comprising the steps of: providing a semi-custom intraoral
discluder device that includes a trough having a front wall and a
rear wall sized and configured to accommodate at least one upper or
lower incisor, wherein the front wall is disposed adjacent to the
front of the incisor and the rear wall is disposed adjacent to the
rear of the incisor when the trough is in the wearer's mouth, and a
protrusion attached to the trough and having a contact surface that
extends a substantial distance anteriorly from the front wall of
the trough and a substantial distance posteriorly from the rear
wall of the trough when the trough is in the wearer's mouth,
wherein the contact surface is spaced a predetermined distance from
the trough such that the protrusion is configured to prevent
contact between opposing upper and lower teeth; and placing the
intraoral discluder device on at least one of the wearer's upper or
lower incisors so that the protrusion will contact at least one
opposing incisor tooth prior to contact between upper and lower
teeth, whether the mandible is in a protrusive position or a
retrusive position.
9. The method according to claim 8, and further including a step of
placing a quantity of adaptable material into the trough, such
material conforming to the shape of the at least one upper or lower
incisor, thereby assisting in retaining the device in the wearer's
mouth.
10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the trough and
protrusion are fabricated from a biocompatible material.
11. The method according to claim 8, and further including a step
of securing at least one prefabricated tab to the protrusion, to
increase the distance from the contact surface to the trough.
12. The method according to claim 8, wherein the protrusion is
configured not to move when contacted by at least one opposing
incisor.
13. The method according to claim 8, wherein the protrusion has a
length in the anterior/posterior direction in the range of about 8
mm to about 12 mm.
14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the protrusion
projects anteriorly from the front wall by at least about 3 mm.
15. A semi-custom intraoral discluder device comprising: a
prefabricated trough having a front wall and a rear wall sized and
configured to accommodate at least one upper or lower incisor,
wherein the front wall disposed is adjacent to the front of the
incisor when the trough is in the wearer's mouth; a quantity of
adaptable material disposed within the trough and adapted to
conform to the shape of the incisor, to assist in retaining the
device in the wearer's mouth; and a protrusion attached to the
trough and having a contact surface that projects a substantial
distance anteriorly from the front wall of the trough and
posteriorly from the rear wall of the trough when the trough is in
the wearer's mouth; wherein the trough, the adaptable material, and
the protrusion all are formed of a biocompatible material; wherein
the protrusion has a length in the anterior/posterior direction in
the range of about 8 mm to about 12 mm, and wherein the protrusion
projects anteriorly from the front wall of the trough by at least
about 3 mm, and wherein the contact surface is spaced a
predetermined distance from the trough, such that the protrusion is
configured to prevent contact between opposing upper and lower
teeth, whether the mandible is in a protrusive position or a
retrusive position.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates generally to intraoral devices
and, more particularly, to an intraoral discluder device for use in
relieving tension and common migraine headaches and
temporomandibular disorders.
[0002] Tension and muscle contraction headaches affect many people
every day. The headaches are often recurring and, without effective
treatment, can become very painful, restricting an individual's
ability to think clearly and function effectively. The discomfort
associated with tension and muscle contraction headaches is usually
due to pain from strained and fatigued muscles of the head. The
majority of the muscles of the human head are not sufficiently
strong to elicit the type of pain and discomfort associated with
tension and muscle contraction headaches. That is not the case with
the temporalis muscle, however, which is located on the side of the
skull and extends from just behind the eye to just behind the ear,
and which is an extremely powerful muscle that functions to close
or elevate the jaw.
[0003] Under normal circumstances, the temporalis muscle should not
exert a large static force by contracting isometrically, except
possibly during normal chewing. Inappropriate isometric contraction
of temporalis muscle is commonly known as "clenching" and
clinically known as myofascial dysfunction. Unfortunately,
myofacial dysfunction is particularly difficult to detect or
diagnose because the act of clenching is a relatively motionless
act that is commonly done while a person is concentrating on
another topic, or while sleeping.
[0004] As the muscular contraction condition of "clenching"
continues, the muscle becomes fatigued and susceptible to spasm and
cramping. The pain from spasming and cramping temporalis fibers is
severe and is usually diagnosed as a common migraine. Individuals
suffering from headaches, who seek the assistance of a physician,
are usually treated with muscle relaxants, analgesics, and physical
therapy for the muscle fatigue. However, medications and therapy
require continual treatment and treat only the symptoms of the
underlying problem and not the problem itself.
[0005] Persons suffering from headaches, who seek the assistance of
a dentist, commonly will be diagnosed with a temporomandibular
disorder and treated with an intraoral "jaw positioning" appliance.
Unfortunately, the intraoral appliances provided by dentists
usually are not entirely effective, because they only approximate
the relative positions of the upper and lower teeth with respect to
each other, allowing clenching to continue with minimal mandibular
movement. Further, these intraoral appliances ordinarily cannot be
used with patients who have malocclusions, protrusions or
retrusions of the mandible, or other irregular teeth or mandibular
orientations. Typically, the intraoral appliance must also be
fabricated by a dentist at a prohibitive cost to a majority of
individuals who suffer from tension and common migraine headaches.
Lastly, most intraoral jaw positioning appliances and other types
of semi-custom intraoral discluders can only be used on the upper
teeth. However, in some circumstances, use of the device on the
upper teeth is impossible due to malocclusions and irregular
orientation of the teeth.
[0006] It should be apparent from the foregoing discussion, that
there is need for a more effective semi-custom intraoral device
that can be used with various teeth and jaw orientations and that
can be placed on either the upper teeth or the lower teeth to
prevent contact of the upper and lower teeth in all mandibular
movements. By preventing contact of the upper and lower teeth, the
semi-custom intraoral discluder would be able to inhibit
inappropriate isometric contraction of the temporalis muscle and
thereby prevent tension and common migraine headaches and other
temporomandibular disorders. The present invention satisfies this
need.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The above-noted problems, and others, are overcome in
accordance with this invention by a small semi-custom intraoral
discluder device that can be used with various teeth and jaw
orientations and that can be placed on either the upper teeth or
the lower teeth, to prevent contact of opposing upper and lower
teeth. By preventing contact of the upper and lower teeth, the
semi-custom intraoral discluder device inhibits inappropriate
isometric contraction of the temporalis muscle, thereby preventing
tension and common migraine headaches and other temporomandibular
disorders.
[0008] The intraoral discluder device of the invention includes a
prefabricated trough, having a front wall and a rear wall.
Extending a substantially distance anteriorly and posteriorly from
the trough is a protrusion, typically dome shaped, that extends
such that as the lower jaw is elevated, the edge of the opposing
incisor or incisors comes into contact with the contact surface of
the protrusion prior to the opposing upper and lower teeth coming
into contact. The contact surface of the protrusion prevents the
upper and lower teeth from contacting each other, regardless of the
protrusive, retrusive, or excursive position of the mandible or the
teeth or any mandibular movement and suppresses isometric
contraction of the temporalis muscle. The protrusion can be further
modified by the practitioner or wearer to accommodate for any
unusual or extreme mandibular movements or teeth orientations. If
necessary, the trough can be filled with an adaptable material that
conforms to the shape of the incisors and assists in retaining the
trough on the upper or lower incisors.
[0009] In other, more detailed features of the invention, the
protrusion preferably has a length in the anterior/posterior
direction in the range of about 8 mm to about 12 mm. Further, the
protrusion preferably projects anteriorly from the front wall by at
least about 3 mm.
[0010] Other features, and advantages of the present invention
should become apparent from the following description of the
preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying
drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of
the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described,
by way of example only, with reference to the following drawings in
which:
[0012] FIG. 1 is a schematic side elevation view of the human skull
with a preferred embodiment of a semi-custom intraoral discluder of
the invention positioned over the maxillary teeth.
[0013] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the intraoral discluder of
FIG. 1.
[0014] FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the intraoral
discluder of FIG. 2, in place over the maxillary teeth, opposing
the mandibular incisors.
[0015] FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the intraoral
discluder of FIG. 2, in place over the mandibular teeth, opposing
the maxillary incisors.
[0016] FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of the intraoral discluder
of FIG. 2, in place over a maxillary incisor with an adaptable
material conforming to the shape of the maxillary incisor, opposing
a mandibular incisor, with the mandibular incisor shown in both a
protrusive and a retrusive position.
[0017] FIG. 6 is a side sectional view of the intraoral discluder
of FIG. 2, in place over a mandibular incisor with an adaptable
material conforming to the shape of the mandibular incisor,
opposing a maxillary incisor, with the mandible in a retruded
position.
[0018] FIG. 7 is a side sectional view of the intraoral discluder
of FIG. 2, similar to the view of FIG. 6, but with the mandible in
a protruded position.
[0019] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of
a semi-custom intraoral discluder in accordance with the invention,
including a trough filled with an adaptive material, a protrusion,
and one extending tab placed on the protrusion and another
extending tab aligned for placement on the first extending tab.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0020] With reference now to the exemplary drawings, and
particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a semi-custom
intraoral discluder 2 in accordance with the invention, which
functions to prevent tension and common migraine headaches and
temporomandibular disorders. With particular reference to FIG. 1, a
schematic representation of a human skull 4 is shown, wherein the
temporalis muscle 6 extends from the skull to its attachment 8 on
the mandible 10. A contraction of the temporalis muscle causes the
jaw to close. The discluder prevents the upper teeth 12 and the
lower teeth 14 from contacting each other and thereby inhibits
inappropriate contraction of the temporalis muscle.
[0021] The discluder 2 includes a trough 22 with a labial wall 20
and a protrusion 18 with an anterior contact surface 16 extending
from the labial wall of the trough. The discluder may be made of
any biocompatible material that will hold its form, including,
e.g., polymers, enamels, rubbers, silicone resins, and any other
materials that would be known to be used by those skilled in the
art. In an alternative embodiment, the protrusion and the trough
may be made of different biocompatible materials selected from
these same examples.
[0022] FIG. 3 shows the intraoral discluder 2 in place over the
maxillary incisors 24, with the contact surface 16 of the
protrusion 18 contacting the opposing mandibular incisors 26 when
the mandible 10 elevates. The contact surface is positioned a
sufficient distance away from the trough 22 to prevent the opposing
upper teeth 12 and lower teeth 14 from contacting each other.
Typically, this distance is on the order of several
millimeters.
[0023] With reference now to FIG. 5, the trough 22 of the intraoral
discluder 2 is defined by a front wall 28 and a rear wall 30. An
adaptive material 32 can optionally be disposed within the trough,
for conforming engagement with the maxillary incisors 24. This
adaptive material may be made of any type of material that conforms
and retains its shape, including, e.g., silicone resins, polymers,
enamels, rubbers, and any other material that would be known to be
used by those skilled in the art. This material aids in providing a
comfortable and durable engagement between the discluder and the
incisors.
[0024] In one feature of the invention, the protrusion 18 projects
both anteriorly and posteriorly from the trough 22. This ensures
that the opposing mandibular incisors 26 will contact the contact
surface 16 of the protrusion 18 regardless of whether the mandible
is in a protrusive position or a retrusive position. These two
positions are depicted in FIG. 5, with the mandibular incisor being
identified by the reference numeral 26 when it is in a protrusive
position and by the reference numeral 26' when it is in a retrusive
position. Preferably, the protrusion has a length in the
anterior/posterior direction in the range of about 8 mm to about 12
mm. It projects anteriorly from the front wall 28 of the trough by
at least about 3 mm.
[0025] Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 4, the intraoral discluder 2
can be placed over the mandibular incisors 26, with the contact
surface 16 of the protrusion 18 contacting the opposing maxillary
incisors 24 when the mandible 10 elevates. As in the case when the
discluder is placed over the maxillary incisors, this prevents the
opposing upper and lower teeth 12, 14 from contacting each
other.
[0026] FIGS. 6 and 7 show the discluder 2 positioned on the
mandibular incisors, with its trough 22 being held in place by the
adaptive material 32 around the mandibular incisor 26. In FIG. 6,
the opposing maxillary incisor 24 contacts an anterior portion of
the contact surface 16 of the protrusion 18 when the mandible is in
a retrusive position. In FIG. 7, on the other hand, the opposing
maxillary incisor contacts a posterior portion of the contact
surface when the mandible is in a protrusive position.
[0027] An alternative embodiment of a semi-custom intraoral
discluder 2' in accordance with the invention is depicted in FIG.
8. It includes a trough 22 and a protrusion 18 projecting both
anteriorly and posteriorly from the trough. An adaptive material 32
is disposed within the trough, and two extending tabs 36, 38 are
included for placement on the protrusion, to increase the distance
of the contacting surface 16 from the trough. The extending tab 36
is shown secured to the protrusion, and the extending tab 38 is
shown in alignment with the tab 36. These tabs are selectively used
if the wearer's mouth is configured such that the upper teeth 12
and the lower teeth 14 contact each other before the opposing
incisors 24 or 26 contact the protrusion. The wearer or
practitioner can selectively adhere one or more of these extension
tabs to the occluding face of the protrusion to increase the
distance between the contact surface and the trough. The extension
tabs may be made of any suitable biocompatible material, including,
e.g., silicone resins, polymers, enamels, rubbers, and any other
material known to those skilled in the art. The extension tabs may
be adhered to the entire protrusion, as shown, or to only a portion
of the protrusion. The extension tabs may be adhered by any
suitable method, including, e.g., adhesives, cutouts, prefabricated
snap-in-place pieces, natural attraction, adhesion, or other any
other suitable method known to those skilled in the art.
[0028] It should be evident from the drawings and the discussion
above that the semi-custom intraoral discluder 2 of the invention
may be used on either the upper teeth 12 or lower teeth 14 and with
various teeth and jaw orientations, to prevent the upper teeth and
lower teeth from contacting each other and causing inappropriate
isometric contractions of the temporalis muscle 6. The intraoral
semi-custom discluder of the invention prevents tension and common
migraine headaches and temporomandibular disorders that result from
inappropriate isometric contraction of the temporalis muscle.
[0029] Although the invention has been described in detail with
reference to the presently preferred embodiments, those of ordinary
skill in the art will appreciate that various modifications can be
made without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the
invention is defined only by the following claims.
* * * * *