CN1217640A - Jaw joint protector - Google Patents

Abstract

A jaw joint protector is provided which protects the fragile structures of the teeth, lips, palate (1) and other VCTs and/or maintains the condyloid process (2) of the temporomandibular joint in a relatively stable position to stabilize the palate (1) and VCT during head contact movement and/or to reposition abnormal portions of the VCT for healing. The device is an over-the-counter medical article, and the jaw joint protector is heated and occluded to form a support for fixing the upper and lower jaw teeth for protecting the oral cavity and/or healing VCT. The present invention is customizable and convenient to purchase, and adds language (12) and air channel (14) functions to the device for ease of use in sports.

Description

Jaw joint protector

The invention relates to a jaw joint protector, which can protect teeth, lips, jaw joints and other fragile structures of the head, including the cranial vital triad (VCT-Vital cranialtriad) from movement and head contact. damage. The VCT includes the skeletal and tissue structures of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ), the upper buccal tympanum of the ear, and the lower surface of the stony temporal bone.

Prior to the present invention, VCT abnormalities were often disregarded, ignored, and misdiagnosed. Although there are many rules, regulations, and equipment for personal protection in contact sports such as football, boxing, hockey, American football, and contact karate, the VCT of the head still needs to be properly protected. The use of ordinary oral protection device reduces accidental oral injury. However, in general the construction of mouth guards increases damage and loading forces to the delicate jaw joints and VCT components. Despite a high percentage of VCT abnormalities among contact sports athletes, symptoms are often overlooked and not linked to jaw injuries. The abnormality is estimated to be widespread, with as many as 50% of those seeking dental treatment revealing that they have some degree of VCT dysfunction. Trauma to this joint has more severe consequences and manifestations than trauma to any other joint in the body, and its symptoms can affect the athlete long after competition has ended. In-motion trauma to this joint has not been well studied and the issue has been largely ignored by health, athletic, and government agencies. The severity of VCT injuries is primarily due to its anatomy, function, and location close to the brain. Athletes, such as boxers, who have been trained to limit attacks on this vulnerable area have caused supernormal fracture injuries. Health agencies must begin to focus efforts on the treatment, care, repair, and prevention of VCT injuries.

VCT dysfunction is a pathological condition of the craniomandibular joint that affects jaw opening, chewing, swallowing, and other neurological functions. Common types of dysfunction are internal disturbances and structural breakdowns. The cause can be a blow to the head, jaw, or jaw during contact sports, an accident, a violent attack, or simply a fall. Stress, fatigue, tension, environmental stress and noise can also cause VCT dysfunction. Premature loss of teeth, especially molars, can also cause abnormalities. These dysfunctions may be caused by compression of the VCT site during birth, usually by the physician's improper use of forceps when pulling the baby out of the mother's birth canal.

Disturbances within the VCT can have many symptoms, for example, pain around the neck, eyes and ears, popping or clicking sounds of plates in the VCT, facial muscle tightening, teeth grinding, teeth malocclusion (i.e. the teeth are not coming into contact or not coming together properly), Tinnitus, apparent fatigue during physical activity, irritability, unexplained headaches, and a decrease in energy that the athlete may not be aware of.

One consequence of VCT dysfunction is jaw masseter soreness, which can cause other debilitating dysfunctions. If VCT dysfunction is not treated early, the damage is usually irreversible.

There are many treatments available to correct TMJ dysfunction. U.S. Patent No. 4,568,280 discloses a method of treating TMJ dysfunction. A craniomandibular implant made of a single dental arch with a remodelable thermoplastic material is molded in the human oral cavity, and the mandible is positioned in a slightly Anterior position so that the condyle is incomplete anastomosis or non-anastomosis.

U.S. Patent No. 4,671,766 discloses another method of treating TMJ abnormalities utilizing an intraoral orthopedic device consisting of two parts (one mating to the maxillary arch and the other mating to the mandibular arch) each with wings To support the TMJ, each wing of the two parts enters the predetermined position when the mouth is closed to keep the TMJ in the correct position for correction.

Another method of protecting the TMJ is proposed in U.S. Patent No. 5,152,301, which proposes a thermoplastic oral protection device with a rear bite pad on the bottom surface of the foundation to connect the front teeth of the mandible to the U-shaped foundation. The underside is frontally spaced to reduce stress and possible impact on the TMJ.

U.S. Patent No. 4,810,192 proposes a two-stage oral protection device that protects teeth, lips and jawbone from damage and/or keeps TMJ in a relatively fixed position. The present invention is an improvement to this device. The present invention Only a first-level device can provide better protection for a larger area, that is, the VCT site including the TMJ, and it can also speak, reduce snoring, teeth clenching, teeth grinding and other sleep abnormalities.

The purpose of the present invention is to propose a jaw joint treatment and protection device that protects the user's lips, tongue, teeth, VCT, and other oral cavity between the entire upper and lower jaw arches in the oral cavity by repositioning the condyle relative to the glenoid fossa tissue, and jaw joint tissue.

This unit includes:

a) U-shaped base part with a bilateral posterior part and an anterior part with integrated upper and lower jaw parts that can be fixed on the entire upper and lower jaw arches of the oral cavity, with the lower part forward relative to the upper part The lower jaw is offset so that the lower jaw is in a protruding position; b) The occlusal impact cavity in the upper and lower jaw parts of the base is filled with a hard elastic material that absorbs and diffuses the impact on the palatal joint and related facial tissues through the teeth and the device c) The maxillary part consists of the tongue side protruding upward from the base part, the lip side, and the buccal side and the reinforced anterior tooth part with the lip flange, which together with the base part constitute the containment Place and protect the maxillary groove of the maxillary teeth; d) The tongue pad located on the side of the tongue of the maxillary part of the anterior teeth part of the device, no longer needs the palatal part, allowing the user's tongue to be on the lingual side of the maxillary anterior teeth for clarity speech; e) the mandibular portion includes the lingual side projecting downward from the base portion, the lip side, and the buccal side and reinforced mandibular anterior portion with a deep labial rim; these sides are consistent with the base Parts together form the mandibular groove to accommodate and protect the mandibular teeth, and strengthen the mandibular anterior teeth part to fix the mandibular arch in a protruding position forward and downward; f) Functional air passage from canine to canine at the front end of the integrated jaw , help breathing, expectoration and speech; the reinforced front and rear teeth of the upper and lower jaws are made of elastic thermoplastic materials, which can diffuse and absorb the impact on the user's head during movement. This device The parts that come into direct contact with the tooth surface are made of a thermoplastic material that softens when heated above body temperature and hardens when cooled, allowing for a good fit in the installed position, while the rest of the device is made of a hard elastic material , Even when heated in water at a temperature higher than that of the human body, this type of material can always maintain its hardness.

The invention also relates to a method of fitting the above-mentioned palatal joint protector in place by the user, the method comprising heating the device in hot water to a temperature higher than that of the human body to soften certain parts and immediately placing it in place. into the user's mouth, the user bites the base part, forming the imprint of the teeth on the base part, and then cools the device to harden it into a hard state, maintaining the imprint of the teeth and the shape of the user's dental arch, so that Realized the customization of this device.

Figure 1 is a partial side view of the head, showing a portion of the tissue with altered function in the temporomandibular joint using a jaw joint protector;

Figure 2 is a front sectional view of the oral cavity, showing the air passage hole or expectoration hole of the jaw joint protector, and the jaw tissue is not shown in the figure;

Fig. 3 is the front view of protection device;

Figure 4 is a side view of the protective device;

Figure 5 is a top view of the protective device;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the protection device from back to front;

It has been confirmed that the jaw joint protector made of two different materials for different purposes can not only protect the user's oral cavity, but also protect the user's cranial vital triplet (VCT) and tissue structure. The definition of VCT structural organization was expanded to include the tissue generally known as the temporomandibular joint. The present invention can keep the mandible and the condyle in a relatively fixed position, so that the upper jaw and the VCT can be kept stable and/or any abnormal VCT tissues can be repositioned in sports with head contact, reducing head pain. Jaw joint loads or body impact forces during contact and/or sports.

Although the device has a simple structure, it can provide the best protection effect on the fragile bones and basic tissues of the skull, jaw joints and oral cavity. The simple jaw joint protection device of the present invention does not have the problem of adaptability, it is easy to install in the mouth of the user and fits well, the user only needs to heat the device in water and then place it in the mouth, bite down on the device, Bite the impression of the occlusal surface of the teeth on the occlusal impact surface of the dental arch of the device, which takes only a few seconds.

In order to understand the structural characteristics and superiority of the jaw joint protection device of the present invention, first briefly introduce the anatomical structure of the tissue protected by the device.

Figure 1 shows the VCT structure in the protected state after wearing this device. The head part protected by the device is the oral cavity, which includes teeth firmly fixed on the upper jaw and the movable lower jaw, which is movably connected to the skull at the temporomandibular joint (TMJ). The temporomandibular joint is mainly composed of two bones: the mandible 1 that articulates with the temporal bone in a bulbous (condylar process 2) and the ball-and-socket (glenoid 3) joint.

Looking at the sides of the human head, the temporomandibular bone contains the very thin and fragile glenoid fossa 3 (above this glenoid fossa is the brain), the temporomandibular joint fossa. The protrusion 5 of the joint forms the anterior tissue of the glenoid fossa. Between the bulbous structure on the most posterior aspect of the mandible, a condyle 2, and the glenoid fossa 3 is the meniscus 4 (cartilage or septum) of the TMJ. The auditory canal 6, the upper cheekbones 7a, b, c and the posterior glenoid fossa 8 are also shown in the figure. The posterior glenoid fossa 8 joins the upper surface of the upper buccal tympanum at 9 places. The upper cheek bone contains, among other important tissues, the hearing and balance mechanisms. Inferior to the medial surface of the condyle is the lower surface of the stony temporal bone, which houses the cranial nerve trunks from the base of the brain and the internal carotid artery, the main blood supply to the brain.

In various internal disturbances including sports-related VCT injuries, a blow to the head, jaw, or face suddenly slams the condyles against the delicate cranial vital triad tissue. This loading force may produce fractures of fragile bones that can be detected on x-rays, contusions, crush injuries, or hernias that form the soft tissues of the VCT. It is not surprising, therefore, that athletes with VCT injuries often have neurological and circulatory symptoms. These symptoms include headache, earache, facial pain, bloodshot eyes, sensitivity to light, muscle weakness, excruciating pain and numbness, vomiting, vertigo, incoherent speech, harsh voice and hearing loss, among many other clinical symptoms.

Therefore, in sports, in addition to the above-mentioned tissues, the maxillary and mandibular dentition, the gums, as well as the tongue, lips and other oral organs must be protected.

In accordance with the present invention, the device (shown in Figures 3 and 4) has a structural design that overcomes the problems of the teeth and jaw joints typically caused by contact sports. The device consists of a strengthened anterior part and a bilateral posterior part located at the maxillary (mx) and mandibular (md) dentition, including labial side 10mx and 10md, lingual side 15, buccal side 11mx and 11md, Tongue pad 12, and tongue lock 13. The jaw protector repositions the mandible and condyles in a forward-inferior position relative to the normal or neutral position of the condyles. In other words, the lower jaw extension is in a protruding position. The device causes the occlusal surface of the mandibular teeth to be in a forward and lower position relative to the maxillary teeth, thereby forming an occlusal deviation. The device can also form an occlusal lock, and the relationship between the upper and lower teeth can reduce the lateral, reverse and relative movement of the upper and lower teeth to the minimum when they are in contact. In other words, the device provides maximum jaw stabilization, locking the lower jaw in a forwardly extended position. The position of the lower jaw at the front and lower side combined with the use of the device can form a functional free space and force attenuation space at the front of the jaw joint.

Due to the exquisite strength design of the upper and lower jaw parts of the device, the palate part that is commonly used in ordinary oral protection devices and located in front of the soft palate of the oral cavity is omitted in this device, and the palate part in ordinary devices is sensitive to speech clarity. The level is attenuated and often sounds like blocked reflections. The labial-buccal side rests in the mucco-cheek crease of the oral cavity to avoid impingement between the labial frenulum and the posterior muscular junctions.

Figure 5 shows the tongue surface reinforced by the tongue pad behind the maxillary anterior teeth from canine to canine. Likewise, the mandibular edge of the tongue is reinforced by the front mandibular lock from canine to canine.

When the device is placed in the oral cavity with the mandible in a protruding position, the combined maxillomandibular portion protects the oral cavity and places the condyle of the VCT in an exceptionally protective and healing position. The jaw positioning of the ingeniously designed mandible is determined by the device, human motion physiology, condylar-glenoid fossa physiology, force attenuation space, and functional free space.

As can be seen from Figures 1 and 2, the design of the jaw joint protector is to keep the upper and lower dental arches at a certain distance from each other, leaving an air passage 14 (or saliva hole) in between, so the user can move according to the needs of the movement. Breathe, expectorate or talk easily. The front air passage 14 can also be used as a gripping point for removing the jaw protector from the mouth of an injured or unconscious user.

6 is a perspective view of the maxillary arch seen from the direction of the tongue. The maxillary arch has a thickened tapered recess at the front end forming a tongue pad 12, which can help pronunciation and support the tongue surface of the front teeth. In combination with the front free air passage 14, the tongue pad enables the user to speak with the jaw protector, facilitating active and passive breathing through the mouth.

The present invention also relates to a wearing method for a user wearing the aforementioned jaw joint protection device. The user or other persons assisting the user, such as a small child, may heat the device with hot water to a temperature higher than the body temperature but lower than or equal to 100°C to soften certain parts of the device, as designed As required, the device is then immediately placed in the user's mouth. Then the user bites the base part, forms the imprint of the teeth on the base part, and then utilizes the sucking force and pressure of the tongue, fingertips, lips, and oral muscles to achieve a firm fit. The device is then removed from the mouth and allowed to cool so that the device hardens to a hard state. The cooling process only takes a few seconds. The device can be mass-produced in different sizes for different potential users, such as men, women and children. For example, the device can also be produced using common injection molding techniques.

The occlusal groove of this device is generally made of heavy-duty plastics that have pressure resistance and are easy to form and do not have chemical effects in the user's mouth, such as ethylene vinyl acetate. Such plastics must be able to soften when heated above body temperature but below or equal to 100°C, and harden again when cooled and formed in the user's mouth. The body temperature measured in the mouth is about 37°C. Many materials can be designed to meet this softening and hardening requirement or already exist in the chemical industry. Natural rubber can also be used to make the jaw joint protector of the present invention. This type of rubber must be heavy-duty, non-toxic, and non-chemically reactive. Those skilled in the art are familiar with this type of rubber.

The elastic materials used for the frame base and reinforcement of the upper and lower anterior parts of the jaw and the molding of the bilateral posterior part are usually different materials, and by using this different material, the rest of the device can have the strength properties required for protection . Such materials are typically thermoplastic materials such as synthetic rubber. An example of such a synthetic rubber is Kraton material. Natural rubber can also be utilized to make these elastic parts in the palatal joint protection device of the present invention, but they must be heavy-duty, non-toxic, and chemically resistant, and those of ordinary skill in the art are very familiar with this type of rubber. familiar. Those of ordinary skill in the art will be aware of other materials that can be used in the device that meet the American Dental Association's guidelines for materials for oral use.

The jaw joint protector of the present invention has many advantages compared with common mouth protectors. The invention can absorb the impact on the head, and the condyle is positioned at the front and lower position to form a force attenuation space, which can buffer the impact force of the VCT and protect the upper and lower jaw dentition. The jaw joint protection device can also eliminate the pressure of the damaged TMJ diaphragm and the condyle-glenoid space on the head, which has better stability and prevents the jaw from damaging and shifting to touch the fragile bones of the head, reducing the front of the tongue. and reduce accidental lip injuries from "teeth piercing the lip".

Whether the athlete actively participates in sports or is in a resting state, wearing the jaw joint protection device of the present invention continuously can promote the healing of the condylar process-glacial fossa structure and other facial tissue injuries. Since the user can use the air passages to speak and eat clearly while wearing the device comfortably in the mouth, it is conceivable that the device could be used to stabilize the dental arch and restore other facial and jaw tissues, so the user can use the device as a medical devices to use. In other words, the jaw joint protection device of the present invention can be remodeled, which helps to repair common condyle-glenoid damage, VCT tissue and other facial bone damage. By offsetting the position of the condyle from the injured tissue of the VCT, the device also increases the actual physical output and strength of the athlete, whether the athlete is actively participating in sports or performing ordinary daily activities or at rest. Another reason to wear this unit. The device can also be used during sleep to increase air flow to the palate and improve flow patterns thereby reducing snoring. Wearing the device also reduces teeth clenching and grinding during sleep.

In a word, continuous wearing of the jaw joint protection device of the present invention can improve safety when participating in sports that may cause damage to the head.

Claims (9)

1. A palatal joint protection device made of the first and second materials for protecting the user's lips, teeth and other fragile tissues of the head including the vital triad (VCT) of the cranium. The VCT is made of The skeletal and structural tissue composition of the temporomandibular joint, the upper cheek tympanum, the lower surface of the stone-shaped temporomandibular bone and the entire maxillary and maxillary arches of the oral cavity, characterized in that the palatal joint protection device includes: a) U-shaped base part with bilateral posterior part and reinforced anterior part with integrated maxillary and mandibular part fixable on the entire upper and lower jaw arches of the oral cavity, the mandibular part relative to the maxillary part Deviated forward and downward so that the lower jaw is in a protruding position, b) The occlusal impact cavity of the dental arch in the upper and lower jaw parts of the base part is all made of hard elastic material that can diffuse and absorb the impact force acting on the lower jaw, upper jaw, head and facial tissues, that is, the first material, this The rest of the device is made of a thermoplastic material, a second material that softens when heated above body temperature but below or equal to 100°C, and hardens when cooled, so that the device can achieve a good Cooperate, c) The maxillary part includes the lingual side protruding upward from the base part, the lip side, and the buccal side and the reinforced anterior tooth part with the lip flange, which together with the base part form the accommodation and protects the maxillary groove of the maxillary teeth, d) The tongue pad located on the tongue side of the maxillary part of the anterior teeth part of the device, which can support the maxillary anterior teeth and make the user's tongue on the lingual side of the maxillary anterior teeth for clear speech, e) The mandibular portion includes the lingual sides projecting anteriorly and inferiorly from the base portion, the lip sides, and the buccal sides and reinforced mandibular anterior teeth with a deep labial rim; these sides together with the base portion It constitutes the mandibular groove for accommodating and protecting the mandibular teeth, strengthens the anterior part of the mandible to support and guide the mandible, makes the mandible in a delicately designed protruding position, and forms a force-buffering rebound space for the palatal joint, and F) Integrated frontal jaw with functional air passages from canine to canine to facilitate breathing and speech. Among them, the reinforced front teeth part of the upper and lower jaws and the rear teeth parts on both sides maintain the structure and shape of the whole device, and diffuse and absorb the impact on the head. 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the hard elastic material is thermoplastic elastomer. 3. The device of claim 1, wherein the functional pathway is an air channel or an expectoration hole. 4. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the occlusal imprint of the front part of the base of the device supported by the lingual pad of the maxillary arch forms an occlusal lock with the reinforced anterior teeth part of the mandibular arch with a deep lip flange , even if the size of the tongue pad is small, it can maintain the stability of the lock, although the bite lock can maintain the stability and strength of the occlusal teeth, but in order to ensure that the tongue is in the tongue of the front teeth when equipped with a jaw joint treatment and protection device The position of the side contact facilitates articulation and speech, and the size of the tongue pad is reduced. 5. The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the hard elastic material and the thermoplastic material of the device can keep the upper and lower dental arches locked on the occlusal surface, so that the palate is relatively stable for transverse and traumatic jaws. The displacement provides stability and also maintains the mandible in the repositioned convex jaw position, as well as maintaining the integrity of the device during the heating and occlusal stages of fitting. 6. The device of claim 1, wherein the functional air channel has a greater air flow rate than ordinary oral protection devices, and also has active air flow and free space for clear speech without the use of ordinary oral protection devices. The palate portion of the mouthguard. 7. A method of treating jaw joint abnormalities and other facial injuries in persons suffering from such abnormalities, comprising wearing a device as claimed in claim 1 while participating in sports or when such abnormalities need to be corrected, whereby the The temporomandibular joint and palate tissues remain stable in their functional positions long enough to be protective and therapeutic. 8. A method of fitting the device of claim 1 in the oral cavity of a user, comprising heating the device in hot water to a temperature above human body temperature but below or equal to 100°C to make certain parts of the device Soften, put the device into the user's mouth immediately, the user bites the base part, forms the imprint of the teeth on the base part, utilizes the suction force and pressure of the tongue, lips, oral muscles, and then cools the device, thereby Hardens the device to a hard state. 9. A method of treating sleep disorders such as snoring, teeth clenching and grinding, comprising wearing the device as claimed in claim 1 to a person suffering from these sleep disorders.

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