HK1126380B - Dentition correcting device - Google Patents

Description

Orthodontic device

Technical Field

The present invention relates to an orthodontic device.

Background

Conventionally, an orthodontic device having a wire attached to an dentition has been known as an orthodontic device. The wire has a spring back force acting on the array of teeth as a prescribed static load to straighten the alignment or occlusion of the teeth. That is, the orthodontic device is based on the principle that when a predetermined force is applied to the dentition, the alveolar Bone supporting the teeth in the gingiva is gradually deformed (Bone remodelling) to straighten the dentition.

However, the above-mentioned orthodontic correction using the wire takes a long time to completely cure the tooth (6 months is required at the fastest time, and several years is required in general). Such a long treatment time imposes a heavy burden on the patient, and may cause the patient to give up the treatment.

In order to shorten the time required for such correction of dentition, a technique of applying vibration to dentition has been studied. For example, as a result of a study disclosed in non-patent document 1 (journal of the japanese society for dental correction, 1986, 45 th edition, pages 56 to 72, shui hei), it was shown that the example of applying the vibration force is more effective in shortening the time period when comparing the example of applying the predetermined force to the dentition and the example of applying the vibration force to the dentition. Similarly, non-patent document 2 (journal of the japanese society for dental correction, 2001, No. 60, page 201, supra) discloses a study result showing that, when comparing an example in which a predetermined force is applied to the dentition with an example in which a predetermined force and a vibration force are applied to the dentition, the example in which the predetermined force and the vibration force are applied is more effective in shortening the time.

These studies have revealed that the application of vibration to the dentition can significantly shorten the period of time required for dentition correction to about 1/2 to 1/3 in the past. Further, the non-patent document 1 shows that only 1.5 hours of vibration force should be applied in one day, while the non-patent document 2 shows that only one vibration force is applied every 2 weeks, and the application time per one time is only 2 minutes.

These studies have revealed that, as compared with orthodontic correction in which only a predetermined corrective force is applied to the dentition by a wire or the like, orthodontic correction in which not only the corrective force but also a vibration force is applied is more effective in significantly shortening the correction time.

Conventionally, apparatuses for practical application of the above studies have been disclosed. Specifically, patent document 1 (japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2002-102255) discloses an apparatus including: a mouthpiece installed on the dentition to facilitate movement of teeth of the orthodontic subject; and an ultrasonic wave applying mechanism for applying ultrasonic vibration to the peripheral group of the tooth socket. Further, patent document 2 (japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2004-201895) discloses an apparatus for applying ultrasonic vibration to teeth to be corrected.

However, the devices disclosed in patent documents 1 and 2 both receive ultrasonic vibration applied from the outside by pressing the ultrasonic wave supply head against the surface of, for example, cheek skin, and therefore have a problem that ultrasonic vibration cannot be efficiently applied to teeth to be corrected. Further, since each of the devices requires an ultrasonic wave generating device, there is a problem that treatment cannot be continued without reaching a dental hospital having the device.

Disclosure of Invention

In order to solve the above-described problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an orthodontic device capable of correcting an dentition in a shorter time than usual without using an orthodontic device including a wire and a bracket.

The orthodontic device of the present invention includes a mouthpiece attached to the dentition and a vibration generating element as means for achieving the above object. The mouthpiece has a shape that applies a force in a direction to be straightened to the teeth to be straightened in a state of being attached to the dentition. The vibration generating element is attached to the mouthpiece, generates mechanical vibration, and imparts the vibration to the teeth of the orthodontic subject, thereby improving the orthodontic effect.

In this apparatus, it is possible to correct the dentition in a short time by simply attaching the mouthpiece to the dentition. Specifically, not only is a proper correction force, i.e., a static biasing force in a direction to be corrected, applied to teeth to be corrected included in a tooth row by the shape of a mouthpiece attached to the tooth row, but also a vibration generating element attached to the mouthpiece applies vibration to the teeth to be corrected, thereby promoting correction of the tooth row by the correction force and shortening a treatment time required for the correction.

Therefore, according to the present invention, it is possible to improve the orthodontic effect by only attaching the mouthpiece and utilizing the operation of the vibration generating element attached to the mouthpiece, without using the orthodontic appliance composed of a wire, a bracket, or the like. The mouthpiece may be attached to the teeth row only during the operation of the oscillation element, or may be attached to the teeth row during any other operation. By installing the mouthpiece for a long time, the time for applying the urging force is increased, and the correction time can be further shortened.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a mouthpiece according to a first embodiment of the present invention is attached to a chin of a user.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II-II in fig. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing an example of the mouthpiece manufacturing apparatus.

Fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of a mouthpiece manufacturing method using the manufacturing apparatus.

Figure 5(a) is a perspective view of a mouthpiece according to a second embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 5(b) is a sectional view taken along the section line V-V in FIG. 5 (a).

Fig. 6 is a sectional view showing a state in which a mouthpiece according to a third embodiment of the present invention is attached to a tooth row.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view showing a state in which a mouthpiece according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention is attached to a tooth row.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing a state in which a mouthpiece according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention is attached to a tooth row.

Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing a state in which a mouthpiece according to a sixth embodiment of the present invention is attached to a tooth row.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a mouthpiece according to a seventh embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a mouthpiece according to an eighth embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view showing a mouthpiece according to a ninth embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 13 is a perspective view showing a state in which a mouthpiece according to a tenth embodiment of the present invention is attached to a tooth row.

Fig. 14 is a perspective view showing a mouthpiece according to an eleventh embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 15 is a perspective view showing a state in which a mouthpiece according to a twelfth embodiment of the present invention is attached to a chin of a user.

Fig. 16 is a sectional view taken along line XVI-XVI in fig. 15.

Fig. 17 is an exploded perspective view of a mouthpiece according to a twelfth embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the outside.

Fig. 18(a) and 18(b) are graphs showing the results of experiments by the present inventors.

Fig. 19 is a perspective view showing an example of a mouthpiece similar to the mouthpiece of the twelfth embodiment of the present invention, the method of correcting the mouthpiece being different from that of the twelfth embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 20 is a perspective view showing a state in which a mouthpiece according to a thirteenth embodiment of the present invention is attached to a dental cast of a user.

Fig. 21 is a perspective view showing a state in which a mouthpiece according to a fourteenth embodiment of the present invention is attached to a dental cast of a user.

Fig. 22 is a perspective view showing a state in which a mouthpiece according to a fifteenth embodiment of the present invention is attached to a dental cast of a user.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a mouthpiece 7 according to a first embodiment of the present invention is attached to a chin of a user (patient); fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II-II in fig. 1. The orthodontic device of the first embodiment includes the mouthpiece 7 and the oscillation starting actuator 8, and the oscillation starting actuator 8 is an oscillation starting element attached to the mouthpiece 7.

The mouthpiece 7 is not used in combination with an orthodontic appliance such as a wire or a bracket, but is directly attached to the dentition 3 of the user, and the mouthpiece 7 itself gives a corrective force to the dentition. As shown in fig. 2, the mouthpiece 7 has an inner member 7A directly contacting the element row 3 and an outer member 7B covered on the outer side of the inner member 7A.

As the material of the inner layer 7A and the outer layer 7B, a versatile mouthpiece (or a mouthpiece) material capable of ensuring sanitary safety is used. In particular, it is desirable to use a material that is resilient so that the mouthpiece deforms to the extent that it can be mounted on the array of teeth. For example, it is preferable to use an EVA (Ethylene-vinyl acetate) sheet as a polymer material because good adhesion can be achieved and the influence of hypersensitivity to teeth or gums and the like can be suppressed.

The material of the inner sheet 7A and the outer sheet 7B is not limited to the EVA sheet. However, this EVA sheet has the following advantages in addition to the advantages described above. Specifically, the EVA sheet is also excellent in electrical insulation and heat insulation. Further, by applying an EVA sheet to the inner layer 7A, the inner layer 7A can be made soft. This can provide the inner layer 7A with an action of relaxing a high-speed component of mechanical vibration transmitted from the vibration actuator 8 described later to the teeth 3g and 3h to be aligned, and can prevent the teeth 3g and 3h to be aligned from being damaged.

The oscillation starting actuator 8 is built in a portion of the mouthpiece 7 corresponding to the teeth to be corrected (teeth 3g and 3h in the example of fig. 1) included in the dentition 3. Specifically, the excitation actuator 8 is sealed between the inner member 7A and the outer member 7B in an airtight state (a sealed state in which moisture is not impregnated).

More specifically, as shown in fig. 2, a projection 7a is formed on the outer member 7B at a portion corresponding to the outer side of the teeth 3g and 3h to be corrected, the projection 7a has a shape corresponding to the outer shape of the excitation actuator 8, and the excitation actuator 8, which is small and light, is accommodated laterally (in a state where the vibration direction is substantially perpendicular to the dentition 3) inside the projection 7 a. The vibration actuator 8 has a motor and an eccentric weight mounted on its shaft, the rotation of which produces mechanical vibrations. The vibration actuator having such a structure is widely used, for example, as a vibrator of a cellular phone.

Preferably, the oscillation starting actuator 8 includes not only the motor and the eccentric weight but also a housing for accommodating these components. Due to the presence of the housing, the eccentric weight can be prevented from directly contacting the inner surface of the boss portion 7a or the like to stop the vibration. The housing may be made of metal or polymer material such as rubber.

The power supply line 9 for supplying electric power to the vibration actuator 8 is drawn to the outside from a through hole (not shown) formed in the boss portion 7a of the outer member 7B in an airtight state, and is drawn to the outside of the mouth from between the lips. In the case where the motor of the start vibration actuator 8 is a Direct Current (DC) motor, power from a battery is supplied through a switch and a variable resistor, thereby achieving adjustment of the vibration intensity and period. The number of rotations of the oscillation starting actuator 8, that is, the oscillation frequency (oscillation number) is not particularly limited, but generally, about several Hz to several hundreds Hz is preferable. The start-up actuator 8 may also be an Alternating Current (AC) motor. The mouthpiece 7 may contain not only the oscillation actuator 8 but also a control circuit board attached to the oscillation actuator 8.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a manufacturing apparatus 11, which is an example of an apparatus for manufacturing the mouthpiece 7. The manufacturing apparatus 11 includes: a main body 14; a plurality of support posts 18 standing on the main body 14; a pair of sheet holders 16, 17 supported by the column 18 and capable of moving up and down along the column 18, and sandwiching the EVA sheet 15 from above and below the EVA sheet 15; and an electric heater 19 mounted on the support column 18. The main body 14 has a table 12 on which the dental cast 1 can be mounted, and a pump, not shown, for pumping air from a plurality of air pumping holes 13 formed in the table 12 is built therein.

Fig. 4 is a diagram for explaining an example of a method of manufacturing the mouthpiece 7 by the manufacturing apparatus 11. In step S1, the impression material is attached to the dentition 3 of the user at the dental hospital to take a impression. At step S2, at the dental technician or the like, plaster is put into the impression material that retains the dentition shape, and the plaster is taken out after it becomes solid. This completes the actual dental cast 1 of the user.

Note that, in step S11, the dental model 1 is corrected to create a dental model 1 ', and the dental model 1' has a shape in which a force in a direction to be corrected is applied to the teeth 3g and 3h to be corrected. In the example of fig. 4, correction is performed to change the shape of the teeth 3g and 3h to be corrected from the improper occlusion state shown by the broken line to a shape that recedes backward (the shape shown by the solid line).

Then, the mouthpiece 7 is formed in a state where the dental cast 1' is mounted on the inner member 7A and the outer member 7B.

In step S3, the dental cast 1' is loaded on the table 12 of the manufacturing apparatus 11. On the other hand, the EVA sheet 15 is operated while being sandwiched by the sheet holders 16, 17. Specifically, the sheet holders 16 and 17 are moved along the support 18 to a position near the electric heater 19, where the EVA sheet 15 is heated and softened. After the EVA sheet 15 is softened, the sheet holders 16, 17 are lowered, thereby gradually covering the EVA sheet 15 on the dental cast 1'. At this time, by evacuating air from the air evacuation hole 13, an air flow is formed to bring the EVA sheet 15 into close contact with the dental cast 1'. In order to perform the air suction more precisely, a notch 1a is formed in the dental cast 1'.

Due to the air extraction, the mold can be accurately taken. The electric heater 19 may be lowered as the sheet holders 16 and 17 are lowered. The electric heater 19 is lowered to continuously perform heating. Further, the mouthpiece may be formed by pressurizing the air around the EVA sheet 15. The pressurization and the evacuation may be used in combination.

In step S4, when the inner member 7A is hot, the excitation actuator 8 is attached to the inner member 7A. The material of the mouthpiece 7, in particular the EVA, shows a high viscosity when it melts, and can be applied to the main raw material of so-called hot melt adhesives. Therefore, the high-temperature inner layer 7A immediately after the molding in the semi-molten state exhibits high viscosity before cooling. Accordingly, the excitation actuator 8 can be temporarily fixed without using a special fixing means such as an adhesive by utilizing the adhesive force exerted by the material of the inner layer 7A due to the residual heat of the inner layer 7A. Specifically, the vibration actuator 8 may be pressed against the inner member 7A. When the adhesive strength of the inner layer 7A is insufficient, the shortage may be compensated. For example, a protrusion or the like may be provided on the excitation actuator 8, and a portion into which the protrusion is inserted may be formed on the inner layer 7A, or heated EVA may be injected as an auxiliary adhesive into a fixing portion.

In step S5, the heated EVA sheet 15 is covered with the inner sheet 7A to which the excitation actuator 8 is temporarily fixed in the above-described step, and air is extracted in the same manner as in step S3. Thereby, the outer member 7B is produced, and the excitation actuator 8 is sealed between the outer member 7B and the inner member 7A in an airtight state.

The softening temperature of the EVA sheet 15, which is the material of the inner member 7A and the outer member 7B, is set to be lower than the heat resistant temperature of the excitation actuator 8. For example, when the vibration actuator 8 having a heat resistant temperature of 100 ℃ is used as the vibration actuator 8, the EVA sheet 15 having a softening temperature of 60 to 70 ℃ is selected. With such an EVA sheet, the outer material 7B can be melt-molded by directly covering the excitation actuator 8 with the EVA sheet while reliably preventing a failure due to an excessive temperature rise of the excitation actuator 8. As such an EVA sheet having a low softening point, there is, for example, "bioplast" (product name).

In the case where the temperature resistance of the vibration element is higher, instead of the EVA-series material, a material having a higher softening point may be used to form the mouthpiece 7. Specifically, a polyolefin series material having a softening point of about 100 ℃ such as "MG-21" (product name) or a PET-G material having a softening point of one hundred and several tens of ℃ such as "DULAN" (product name) may be used.

While a general method of producing a mouthpiece is described here, the apparatus of the present invention may be produced by other methods, for example, a laser molding method using a light-curable resin.

After the mouthpiece 7 is manufactured in this manner, in step S6, EVA is peeled off from the outer member 7B at a portion corresponding to the lead wire 8w of the excitation actuator 8, and the power supply line 9 is connected to the lead wire 8 w. Then, in step S7, the end portion of the EVA tube 110 covered on the power supply line 9 is locally heated, and the portion connected to the outer member 7B is hermetically sealed, thereby completing the mouthpiece 7.

If the mouthpiece 7 accommodates not only the oscillation starting actuator 8 but also a driving power source, a control device, and the like, it is not necessary to draw the power supply line drawn out from the mouthpiece 7 from between the lips to the outside of the mouth and connect it to an external device (a battery, a control device, and the like). For this reason, the power supply is preferably small and thin. For example, when the power source of the excitation actuator 8 is a small-sized button cell 111 as shown in fig. 5(a) and (b), the button cell 111 can be easily incorporated. In this case, a boss 7d for housing the button cell may be formed near the boss 7a for housing the vibration-starting actuator formed on the outer member 7B, and the vibration-starting actuator 8 and the button cell 111 may be directly connected by a power supply line or the like in the bosses 7a, 7 d. A switch 113 that is opened and closed by a push-and-push operation from the outer surface of the outer member 7B can be fitted to the power supply path.

The vibration actuator 8, button cell 111, and switch 113, etc. housed within the mouthpiece 7 are preferably insulated from one another. For this insulation, a general insulation treatment may be applied, and the insulation of the material itself constituting the mouthpiece 7 may be used. That is, a part of the mouthpiece 7 may be used as an insulating wall.

Inside the mouthpiece 7, a flexible substrate constituting a control unit may also be accommodated. By incorporating circuit elements such as a vibration generating element, a driving power source thereof, and a control element into the flexible substrate, the mouthpiece 7 can be easily incorporated with the circuit elements. By the above assembly, the wiring or connection part with the outside can be omitted, the appearance of the device can be changed into a simple tooth socket, the power supply line 9 can be prevented from contacting the inside of the oral cavity, and high electrical safety can be ensured. In addition, the mounting feeling can be improved. In addition, the device is convenient to carry, and the practical value of the device is improved.

The mouthpiece 7 thus produced has an inner surface shape capable of applying a biasing force (static load) in a direction to be corrected to the teeth 3g and 3h to be corrected. This shape corresponds to the tooth arrangement that corrects the final or intermediate target. Further, by applying the vibration generated by the oscillation starting actuator 8 to the dentition 3, the correction of the dentition 3 by the inner surface shape is promoted.

Therefore, the apparatus can apply a correcting force to the dentition 3 by simply attaching the mouthpiece 7 to the dentition 3 without using a dentition corrector such as a wire or a bracket; then, the oscillation starting actuator 8 incorporated in the mouthpiece 7 operates for a predetermined time to apply oscillation to the teeth to be corrected, thereby promoting the correction of the dentition 3 and realizing the correction in a short time. The mouthpiece 7 may be attached to the element row 3 only when the oscillation actuator 8 is operated, but may be attached otherwise. If the time for fitting the mouthpiece 7 is long, the time for applying the force to the teeth of the orthodontic subject is prolonged, and the orthodontic time can be further shortened.

In the above-described manufacturing method, the mouthpiece 7 can be manufactured by taking out the mold once, and therefore, there is an advantage that the number of man-hours can be reduced. In the method, the inner layer 7A is formed from the modified dental cast 1', and the actually used oscillation starting actuator 8 is directly attached to the inner layer 7A, and the EVA sheet 15 is covered thereon. The outer member 7B is thus produced, and the outer member 7B and the inner member 7A are integrated. Therefore, the modulus is taken only once. In contrast, for example, in a method comprising the following steps, two modulo operations are performed, namely: loading a dummy of the vibration-starting actuator 8 on the completed inner member 7A, and taking out a mold using the impression material; then, a plaster mold is manufactured, and the EVA sheet 15 is covered on the plaster mold to manufacture the outer member 7B; and a step of welding the inner member 7A and the outer member 7B on which the actually used excitation actuator 8 is mounted.

In addition, the manufacturing method can manufacture the high-quality tooth socket with high air tightness. Specifically, the EVA sheet for the inner sheet 7A and the EVA sheet for the outer sheet 7B, which are softened by being uniformly heated including the inner sheet 7A, are naturally integrated in a semi-molten state by the heat of the EVA sheet for the outer sheet 7B to be covered, and therefore, the airtightness can be improved as compared with a case where the solidified inner sheet 7A and the solidified outer sheet 7B are bonded to each other, for example. Further, a high-quality mouthpiece can be manufactured without causing a problem that occurs when a model is taken out by a dummy, for example, a gap is generated between the inner material 7A and the outer material 7B, or the inner material 7A cannot be fitted into the outer material 7B.

The material of the inner member 7A and the outer member 7B may be any material having a softening point temperature lower than the heat-resistant temperature of the vibration actuator 8 and harmless to the human body. Within the range satisfying this condition, the materials are arbitrarily selected according to the respective required hardnesses after formation.

If a soft resin is used, the distance over which the teeth can move when the mouthpiece is mounted once becomes large (e.g., about 1mm to 3 mm). This means that with one mouthpiece the teeth can be moved a great distance from the current state, which reduces the number of mouthpiece needed for treatment. In cases of mild symptoms, it is possible to perform corrective treatment with only one or two braces. This is a great advantage. For example, a wire or a bracket used for general correction needs to be finely adjusted according to the stage of treatment. On the other hand, in the case of using a hard resin, the distance over which the teeth can move when the mouthpiece is attached once is small, and is about 0.5mm or less in thickness of the dental root membrane, so that the number of orthodontic steps (the number of intermediate-shaped mouthpieces to be manufactured) increases.

On the other hand, the hard resin can impart a force precisely. Because such a mouthpiece made of hard resin has a smaller amount of deformation when subjected to an external force than a mouthpiece made of soft resin. Therefore, the mouthpiece made of the hard resin is suitable for corrective treatment of a minute part or treatment requiring complicated tooth movement.

The hardness of the mouthpiece material may also vary depending on the symptoms or stage of treatment. For example, a method of using a soft resin in the initial stage of straightening, a method of using a hard resin in the final stage, a method of using a soft mouthpiece only in a stage of moving teeth by a large distance, or the like is also effective.

Furthermore, it is also possible to make a mouthpiece in which a hard portion and a soft portion are mixed, wherein the hard portion transmits a stimulus strongly to the dentition 3 and the soft portion transmits the stimulus weakly. In such a mouthpiece, a portion of the tooth that needs to be moved a large distance and a portion that does not need to be moved a large distance can be made to have different promotion effects due to dynamic loads.

The mouthpiece 7 does not have to be installed for too long a time, but can be installed for a short time such as several minutes a day or several minutes a week, and the corrective effect can be exerted. Therefore, a correction method is also effective in which the mouthpiece 7 is attached only when vibration is applied, and otherwise, a mouthpiece which is manufactured according to the conventional technique and has no built-in actuator and performs correction in stages is attached. In this method, the hardness of the mouthpiece may also be changed according to the symptoms or treatment stage.

The resin constituting the mouthpiece may be EVA → polyolefin → polyester in order of softness. Even though the same material is used, the composition ratio and hardness of the material are different according to the product, but most of the EVA is a soft material having a Shore hardness (Shore hardness) of about 80 to 90, and is widely used as a material for a soft mouthpiece. On the contrary, most of the polyester is hard material, and is widely used as material of hard tooth socket. The polyolefin is generally utilized as a material having hardness between the EVA and the polyester, in which a soft polyolefin and a hard polyolefin are present according to the composition ratio thereof.

The shape of the mouthpiece 7 for applying a predetermined force (correction force) to the part of the teeth 3g and 3h to be corrected may be a shape having a local protrusion. For example, in the mouthpiece 7 of the third embodiment shown in fig. 6, a hard convex portion 7f is formed on the inner side of the inner material 7A, and the convex portion 7f applies a predetermined corrective force to the teeth 3g and 3h to be corrected by pressing the teeth 3g and 3h to be corrected from the outside. In the mouthpiece 7 according to the fourth embodiment shown in fig. 7, a hard convex sheet 7g is joined to the inner surface of the inner layer 7A to form a protruding portion, and the convex sheet 7g constituting the protruding portion presses the teeth 3g and 3h to be corrected to apply a predetermined correction force to the teeth 3g and 3h to be corrected. If the teeth of the orthodontic subject are different, the positions of the convex portions 7f and the convex sheets 7g are different.

In the case of a device for directly covering the outer member 7B on the tooth row 3, a hard convex portion may be integrally formed on the inner surface of the outer member 7B, or a hard convex sheet may be joined to the inner surface. Further, if the mouthpiece of the inner layer 7A is locally disposed only in a specific region including the teeth to be corrected, and if the inner layer 7A itself is hard, a predetermined force (correction force) may be applied to the parts of the teeth 3g and 3h to be corrected by the pressing force of the inner layer 7A.

The vibration generating element of the present invention is not limited to the electric motor. The vibration generating element may be a linear motor having a movable member that vibrates reciprocally. Other actuators such as a solenoid (solenoid) and a voice coil motor may be used.

The vibration generating element may be a permanent magnet. The permanent magnet can generate mechanical vibration by a magnetic field generated by a magnetic field generating mechanism outside the mouthpiece 7. This magnetic field may be generated, for example, by an annular magnetic field generating coil disposed outside the mouthpiece 7.

Next, braces according to fifth to eleventh embodiments will be described with reference to fig. 8 to 14. The mouthpiece of these embodiments has a dividing section for dividing a specific portion other than the portion corresponding to the teeth 3g and 3h to be corrected. The dividing section suppresses the transmission of the mechanical vibration so that the mechanical vibration acts on the teeth 3g and 3h to be corrected in a limited manner.

Fig. 8 shows a mouthpiece 7-1 of the fifth embodiment. The divided portion of the mouthpiece 7-1 is a notch portion 7 p. The cut portion 7p is a portion where a crown portion of the mouthpiece 7-1 except for a portion corresponding to the teeth 3g and 3h to be corrected is cut out, and in the figure, the crown portions of the teeth 3c to 3e and the teeth 3j to 31 are cut into, for example, elliptical shapes. The tooth base portion 7q remaining in the mouthpiece 7-1 other than the notch portion 7p integrally connects a portion on the front side and a portion on the rear side of the notch portion 7 p.

Fig. 9 shows a mouthpiece 7-2 of a sixth embodiment. The divided portion of the mouthpiece 7-2 is also the notch portion 7 p. The cutout portion 7p is a portion obtained by cutting the root of the tooth of the mouthpiece 7-2 except for the portion corresponding to the teeth 3g and 3h to be corrected, and in the figure, the root of the teeth 3e to 3e and the teeth 3j to 3l is cut into, for example, an oval shape. The crown portion 7r remaining in the mouthpiece 7-2 other than the notch portion 7p integrally connects a portion on the front side and a portion on the rear side of the notch portion 7 p.

In the braces 7-1 and 7-2, a vibration actuator 8 for generating mechanical vibration is housed in a portion corresponding to the teeth 3g and 3h to be corrected, and a notched portion (divided portion) 7p for suppressing transmission of mechanical vibration is formed in a portion other than the teeth 3g and 3h to be corrected. This realizes that vibration is locally and accurately applied only to the teeth 3g and 3h to be corrected.

The notch portion 7p is formed by post-processing, i.e., cutting off a crown portion or a root portion of the mouthpiece 7 shown in fig. 1, for example, with a knife or the like. Therefore, the braces 7-1, 7-2 having the notch 7p can be easily manufactured. For example, the mouthpiece having the notch portion 7p can be easily manufactured by the post-processing from the mouthpiece currently attached by the user.

The root portion 7q or the crown portion 7r remaining in the caps 7-1, 7-2 connects the front and rear portions of the cutout portion 7p, thereby maintaining the shape of the caps 7-1, 7-2 that can be attached to the entire tooth row 3. This shape facilitates the operation of attaching the braces 7-1, 7-2 to the dentition 3, and allows the oscillation starting actuator 8 to be accurately positioned at the portions corresponding to the teeth 3g, 3h to be corrected in the attached state.

Fig. 10 shows a mouthpiece 7-3 of a seventh embodiment. The divided portion of the mouthpiece 7-3 is a slit portion 7s formed in a portion of the mouthpiece 7-3 other than the portion corresponding to the teeth 3g and 3h to be corrected. In the figure, slit portions 7s are formed in the portions between the teeth 3f and 3g and the portions between the teeth 3h and 3i, respectively, and the front and rear portions of each slit portion 7s are integrally connected to each other. The slit portion 7s on the right side in fig. 10 is directed from the tooth root side toward the crown side, and the slit portion 7s on the left side is directed from the crown side toward the tooth root side. In the present invention, the direction of the slit portion is not limited.

The mouthpiece 7-3 of this seventh embodiment can also have the same operational effects as the mouthpieces 7-1, 7-2.

Fig. 11 shows a mouthpiece 7-4 of an eighth embodiment. The split portion of the mouthpiece 7-4 is a cut portion 7t that cuts a portion other than the portion corresponding to the teeth 3g and 3h to be corrected. In the figure, the cutting portions 7t are formed by cutting the teeth 3f and 3g and the teeth 3h and 3i, respectively, and the front and rear portions of each cutting portion 7t are integrally connected by another member such as a wire 21 insert-molded (insert molding) into the mouthpiece 7-4.

The mouthpiece 7-4 of this eighth embodiment can also have the same operational effects as the above-described mouthpieces 7-1, 7-2, and 7-3.

Fig. 12 shows a mouthpiece 7-5 of a ninth embodiment. The divided portion of the mouthpiece 7-5 is a soft portion 7u formed of a soft material. In the mouthpiece 7-5, the portions corresponding to the teeth 3g and 3h to be corrected are formed of a general mouthpiece material, and the other portions (portions indicated by oblique lines in fig. 12) are formed of a soft material that does not transmit mechanical vibration easily, and the soft portion 7u is configured.

The mouthpiece 7-5 of the ninth embodiment can also have the same operational effects as the above-described mouthpieces 7-1, 7-2, 7-3, and 7-4. Further, the mouthpiece 7-5 has an advantage that there is no gap such as the above-described notch portion 7p or slit portion 7 s.

Fig. 13 shows a mouthpiece 7-6 of the tenth embodiment. The divided portion of the mouthpiece 7-6 is a cut-out portion 7v shown by a two-dot broken line. The cut-out portion 7v is formed by cutting out a portion of the mouthpiece 7-4 except for a portion corresponding to at least the teeth 3g and 3h to be corrected (in the figure, the teeth 3f and 3i in the vicinity thereof are included in addition to the teeth 3g and 3h to be corrected). Therefore, the braces 7 to 6 are attached only to the teeth 3g and 3h to be corrected (or the teeth 3f and 3i near the teeth 3g and 3h to be corrected).

The mouthpiece 7-6 of the tenth embodiment may also have the same operational effects as the above-described mouthpieces 7-1, 7-2, 7-3, 7-4, and 7-5.

The teeth to which the mouthpiece 7-6 is attached may also be a single tooth. For example, the braces 7 to 6 may have a structure to be attached to only one orthodontic subject tooth 3g or orthodontic subject tooth 3 h.

When all the teeth 3a to 3n are teeth to be corrected, the braces 7 to 6 may be attached individually to each of the teeth 3a to 3 n. In this case, one of the sockets 7-6 corresponding to the tooth on which the treatment has been completed may be sequentially removed. Alternatively, the dental braces 7-6 can be attached and detached sequentially. For example, the mouthpiece 7-6 is first attached to the teeth on the molar side to perform the treatment, and after the treatment is completed, the mouthpiece 7-6 is removed, and then the mouthpiece 7-6 is attached to the teeth on the anterior side of the molar side to perform the treatment. In this way, the dental braces 7-6 can be attached/detached in sequence from the molar side toward the anterior side.

Fig. 14 shows a mouthpiece 7-7 of the eleventh embodiment. The divided portion of the braces 7 to 7 is a cut-out portion 7v (see two-dot chain lines) in which the portions of the braces 7 to 7 corresponding to the teeth 3c and 3d to be corrected, the portions corresponding to the teeth 3g and 3h to be corrected, and the portions other than the portions corresponding to the teeth 3k and 3l to be corrected are cut out. Therefore, the braces 7 to 7 are attached only to the teeth 3c and 3d to be corrected, the teeth 3g and 3h to be corrected, and the teeth 3k and 31 to be corrected.

The mouthpiece 7-7 of the eleventh embodiment may also have the same operational effects as the above-described mouthpieces 7-1, 7-2, 7-3, 7-4, 7-5, and 7-6.

The mouthpiece 7-7 is divided into a plurality of (three in this example) segments (segments) independent of each other by the cut-out portion (dividing portion) 7 v. In this structure, the direction and intensity of the vibration applied to each stage can be changed, and thus various tooth rows and meshing states can be adapted. Furthermore, one or more oscillation elements can be accommodated in each section. When a plurality of vibration generating elements are accommodated, the types of the vibration generating elements (for example, electric motors or permanent magnets), the directions of vibrations, the strengths, and the like may be different from each other.

In the dental mouthpiece 7-1 to 7-4 according to the fifth to eighth embodiments, the front and rear portions of the divided portion are integrally connected to each other, and therefore the entire dental mouthpiece is constituted by one segment. Therefore, in the same manner as in the braces 7 to 7 of the eleventh embodiment, in the structure in which the vibration generating elements such as the vibration generating actuator 8 are housed in the front and rear stages of the divided portion, the direction and intensity of the vibration applied to each stage can be changed, and thus, it is possible to adapt to various tooth rows and various states of engagement. Furthermore, one or more oscillation elements can also be accommodated in each section.

In the dental mouthpiece 7-1 to 7-4 according to the ninth to eleventh embodiments, the divided portions are the notch portion 7p, the slit portion 7s, and the cut portion 7t, and therefore, even when the vibration generating elements are accommodated in the front and rear segments of the divided portions, the segments that do not require treatment according to the treatment plan or the segments that have completed treatment can be partially removed by cutting the divided portions. Preferably, the cutting portion has a structure capable of being recombined at a position where the cutting portion is cut. This structure can be realized by, for example, previously attaching metal parts that can be engaged with and disengaged from each other, magnetic bodies that attract each other, and a viscous material to the cutting position.

The mouthpiece 7-1 to 7-7 of the above embodiment is not limited to the inner and outer double-layered structure having the inner member 7A and the outer member 7B. In short, it is sufficient to accommodate the vibration element in a portion corresponding to the tooth of the orthodontic subject.

Fig. 15 is a perspective view showing a state in which the mouthpiece 7 according to the twelfth embodiment of the present invention is attached to the mandible of a user; fig. 16 is a sectional view taken along line XVI-XVI in fig. 15.

The gist of the mouthpiece 7 of the present embodiment lies in the shape of the housing space of the oscillation element housing portion. This receiving space has a shape which provides the vibrating element with a play which makes the vibrating element itself movable within the receiving space.

In fig. 15, in an outer member 7B constituting the mouthpiece 7, a boss portion 7a is formed as in the first embodiment, and a vibration actuator 8 as a vibration generating element is accommodated in the boss portion 7 a. The vibration actuator 8 is cylindrical and is accommodated in the boss portion 7a in a posture in which the central axis direction thereof is along the horizontal direction (left-right direction) of the tooth row 3.

On the other hand, the housing space 7b formed in the boss 7a, i.e., the space for housing the excitation actuator 8, has a cylindrical shape with a horizontally long cross section perpendicular to the axis. Therefore, the shape of the housing space 7b is larger than the outer shape of the vibration actuator 8, and a clearance, i.e., a play, is generated in the housing space 7b in the horizontal direction (the direction of the inside and outside of the oral cavity).

The housing space 7a of the present embodiment does not completely restrict the oscillation starting actuator 8, but allows the oscillation starting actuator 8 to be displaced in the horizontal direction (the inside and outside directions of the oral cavity). That is, play is provided to the excitation actuator 8. Therefore, the vibration load generated by the excitation actuator 8 as the excitation element vibrates the excitation actuator 8 itself in the direction of the gap (horizontal direction), and collides with the wall surface forming the housing space 7 b. This collision load increases the vibration applied to the dentition 3 of the user wearing the mouthpiece 7, and further improves the correction effect.

FIG. 18 is a graph showing the results of the experiment of the present invention. Fig. 18(a) shows, as a reference example, the mouthpiece 7 having the same shape of the accommodation space 7b as the external shape of the oscillation starting actuator 8, that is, the mouthpiece 7 that completely restrains the oscillation starting actuator 8 in the accommodation space 7b, and the magnitude of the vibration applied to the teeth 3g and 3h to be corrected; fig. 32(b) shows the magnitude of vibration in the case where the accommodation space 7b has play as shown in fig. 15.

Fig. 18(a) shows that, in the case where the starting actuator 8 is completely constrained in the accommodation space 7b, the eccentric weight of the starting actuator 8 applies regular vibration of about 200Hz with a vibration load of about 30 g. On the other hand, fig. 18(b) shows that, in the case where there is the play, the vibration becomes irregular, but the vibration load increases to about 60g (doubles).

In the present embodiment, the direction of the play (the direction of the gap) and the direction corresponding to the orthodontic direction of the teeth 3g and 3h to be aligned are aligned in the housing space 7 b. This contributes greatly to improving the corrective effect.

For example, in the case of pulling back a tooth protruding forward, and in the case of pulling forward an inward tooth, it is sufficient to make the direction of the gap coincide with the front-rear direction. In the case of aligning twisted teeth, the direction of the gap may be aligned with a direction in which the teeth should be twisted and which is substantially orthogonal to the tooth surface. In the example shown in fig. 19, the gap direction is set so that the tooth to be corrected 3g, which should be twisted counterclockwise when viewed from above, is substantially perpendicular to the tooth surface of the right half thereof.

By utilizing the vibration effect of such a gap, a vibration load with high directivity can be applied to the tooth rows. For example, even when a vibration generating element having high directivity of vibration, such as the vibration generating actuator 8, cannot be used from the viewpoint of cost and size, and an inexpensive and small rotary motor, vibration motor, or the like must be used, a vibration load having high directivity can be applied to the teeth to be corrected, and a stimulus sufficient to enhance the correcting effect can be applied, and a load in a predetermined direction which becomes the correcting force itself can be applied.

A thirteenth embodiment of the present invention is explained with reference to fig. 20. Fig. 20 is a perspective view showing a state in which the mouthpiece 7' according to the embodiment of the present invention is attached to the dental cast 1 of the user. The mouthpiece 7' of the present embodiment includes: a lower side piece 71 corresponding to the lower jaw cast 11; an upper side piece 72 corresponding to the maxillary dental cast 12; connecting members 251, 252 for connecting the two pieces 71, 72 at positions away from the teeth to be corrected; and a vibration starting actuator 8, which is an example of a vibration starting element. The upper member 71 is mountable to the upper array of teeth and the lower member 72 is mountable to the lower array of teeth.

The lower member 71 and the upper member 72 of the mouthpiece 7' are manufactured by the same manufacturing method as shown in fig. 4 using the same manufacturing apparatus 11 shown in fig. 3. Then, the coupling members 251, 252 are formed as follows.

First, the lower member 71 and the upper member 72 manufactured by the above-described method are attached to the corresponding dental casts 1A and 1B of the dental casts 1 whose occlusion has been adjusted. Next, with the two dental casts 1A, 1B open, the EVA column is erected at a predetermined position on the lower member 71 with both ends heated and melted, and then the dental casts 1A, 1B are closed to a predetermined angle. Thereby, the other end of the EVA column contacts the upper member 72. When cooling is performed in this state, the EVA columns become the coupling members 251 and 252 that couple the two pieces 71 and 72, and the upper and lower pair of mouthpiece 7 is completed.

The coupling members 251, 252 are provided between the upper member 72 and the lower member 71 at positions spaced apart from the teeth of the orthodontic subject. For example, as shown in fig. 20, when the teeth to be corrected are left and right molar teeth (for example, teeth 3a to 3d and teeth 3k to 3n in the dentition shown in fig. 1), and the vibration generating elements such as the vibration generating actuator 8 are incorporated in the mouthpiece 7' at the positions near the teeth, the coupling members 251 and 252 may be formed at the positions near the anterior teeth (incisors) 3g and 3h as shown in the figure. As shown in the mouthpiece 7 ″ shown in fig. 21 as the fourteenth embodiment, only a single connecting member 250 may be formed. On the other hand, when the teeth to be corrected are the anterior teeth (lateral incisors) 3f and 3i and the anterior teeth (canine teeth) 3e and 3j shown in fig. 1 and the vibration generating elements such as the vibration generating actuator 8 are incorporated in the positions shown in fig. 2, the coupling members may be formed at the left and right molar teeth or at positions in the vicinity thereof (for example, at the teeth 3c and 3d and the teeth 3k and 3l in fig. 1 or positions in the vicinity thereof).

In the mouthpiece 7' ″ according to the fifteenth embodiment shown in fig. 22, the left and right connecting members (only the left connecting member 251 is shown in the drawing) are provided at positions further rearward than the molar teeth. The coupling member provided at such a position can prevent a load due to occlusion from being applied to any of the anterior teeth (incisors) 3g and 3h, anterior teeth (lateral incisors) 3f and 3i, anterior teeth (canine teeth) 3e and 3j, and molar teeth 3a to 3d and 3k to 3 n. That is, the opened state can be maintained. Such a mouthpiece is suitable for use in the case of performing correction of the entire dentition.

The mouthpiece having the coupling members can hold and fix the biting state (biting force or biting surface) of the upper member 72 and the lower member 71 at the position where the vibration generating element such as the vibration generating actuator 8 is provided. This prevents the user from unintentionally biting into the vicinity of the vibration starting actuator 8 to cause a change in the manner of transmission of vibrations. That is, since the user does not have to try to keep the open state, a desired vibration can be continuously applied to the teeth to be corrected while reducing the burden on the user, and a good effect can be obtained.

As described above, the present invention provides an orthodontic device for aligning the dentition including teeth to be aligned, comprising: a mouthpiece attached to the teeth row and having a shape that applies a force in a direction to be straightened to the teeth to be straightened in the attached state; and a vibration generator attached to the mouthpiece, generating mechanical vibration, and applying the vibration to the teeth to be corrected. The mouthpiece gives an appropriate correction force, that is, a static biasing force in a direction to be corrected, to the teeth to be corrected included in the dentition by using the shape of the mouthpiece itself. Further, the vibration generating element attached to the mouthpiece vibrates the teeth to be corrected, thereby promoting the correction of the teeth alignment by the correction force and shortening the treatment time required for the correction. Therefore, the device can improve the correction effect and shorten the correction time by only installing the mouthpiece and the operation of the vibration generating element installed to the mouthpiece without using the orthodontic appliance composed of the wire, the bracket, and the like.

Preferably, the mouthpiece has an inner surface shape corresponding to the tooth arrangement as the final target or the target in the middle of the correction. Alternatively, the tooth socket may be provided with a projection on an inner surface thereof, the projection applying a pressing force in a direction to be corrected to the teeth to be corrected included in the teeth row in a state where the tooth socket is attached to the teeth row.

More desirably, the vibration generating element is installed at a portion of the mouthpiece corresponding to the teeth of the orthodontic object. The vibration starting element mounted on the portion obviously improves the correction effect of the tooth socket.

The material of the mouthpiece is not particularly limited. However, there are various advantages in that the mouthpiece is made of a soft material (specifically, a material having a shore hardness of 80 or more and 90 or less, for example, an EVA sheet, that is, an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer) that allows the mouthpiece to be deformed so as to be fitted over the rows of teeth. The soft material is used to impart not only high electrical insulation and heat insulation properties to the mouthpiece but also softness. The softness is imparted so that the mouthpiece can alleviate a high-speed component of the mechanical vibration transmitted from the vibration generating element to the teeth to be aligned, thereby preventing the teeth to be aligned from being damaged.

Preferably, the mouthpiece includes a dividing section that divides a portion of the mouthpiece other than a portion corresponding to the teeth to be corrected, and the dividing section suppresses transmission of the mechanical vibration so that the mechanical vibration generated by the vibration generating element acts on the portion including the teeth to be corrected in a limited manner.

This configuration enables the vibration to be given to the teeth of the orthodontic subject in a limited manner.

The mouthpiece having the divided portion preferably includes any one of the following structures, for example, from the viewpoint of facilitating the production.

a) The divided portion of the mouthpiece is a cut-out portion having a shape in which any one of a root portion and a crown portion of the mouthpiece other than the teeth to be corrected is cut out, and the other portion integrally connects a portion on the front side and a portion on the rear side of the cut-out portion.

b) The split portion of the mouthpiece is a slit portion formed in a portion of the mouthpiece other than the teeth to be corrected, and is connected to a portion anterior to and posterior to the slit portion.

c) The divided portion of the mouthpiece is a cut portion formed by cutting a portion of the mouthpiece other than the teeth to be corrected, and the portion on the front side and the portion on the rear side of the cut portion are connected by a member different from the member constituting the cut portion.

d) The split portion of the mouthpiece is a cut-out portion formed by cutting out a portion of the mouthpiece other than the teeth to be corrected, and the cut-out portion is formed at a position where the mouthpiece has a shape to be fitted only to the teeth to be corrected.

e) The divided portion of the mouthpiece is, for example, a cutout portion in which any one of a root portion and a crown portion of the mouthpiece other than the teeth to be corrected is cut out, and the front and rear portions of the cutout portion are integrally connected with each other with the other portion left in the mouthpiece.

Claims (10)

1. An orthodontic device for straightening an dentition including teeth of a subject to be straightened, comprising:

a mouthpiece attached to the teeth row and having a shape that applies a force in a direction to be straightened to the teeth to be straightened in the attached state; and

a motor which is built in the mouthpiece, generates mechanical vibration, and gives the vibration to the teeth to be corrected; the mouthpiece applies the urging force to the teeth of the orthodontic subject.

2. The orthodontic device of claim 1, wherein the mouthpiece has an inner face shape corresponding to the arrangement of teeth as a final target or an in-process orthodontic target.

3. The orthodontic device according to claim 1, wherein a protrusion is formed on an inner side surface of the mouthpiece, and the protrusion applies a pressing force in a direction to be straightened to the teeth to be straightened included in the dentition in a state where the mouthpiece is attached to the dentition.

4. The orthodontic device of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the motor is installed at a portion of the mouthpiece corresponding to the teeth of the orthodontic subject.

5. The orthodontic device of claim 1, wherein the mouthpiece is made of a soft material having a shore hardness of 80 or more and 90 or less.

6. The orthodontic device according to claim 1, wherein the mouthpiece has a split portion in which a portion of the mouthpiece other than a portion corresponding to the tooth to be aligned is split, and the split portion suppresses transmission of the mechanical vibration so that the mechanical vibration generated by the vibration generating element acts on a portion including the tooth to be aligned in a limited manner.

7. The orthodontic device according to claim 6, wherein the split portion of the mouthpiece is a notched portion having a shape in which any one of a root portion and a crown portion of the mouthpiece other than the teeth to be aligned is cut off, and the uncut portion integrally connects a portion located on a front side and a portion located on a rear side of the notched portion.

8. The orthodontic device according to claim 6, wherein the split portion of the mouthpiece is a slit portion formed in a portion of the mouthpiece other than the teeth to be aligned, and a portion positioned on a front side and a portion positioned on a rear side of the slit portion are connected to each other.

9. The orthodontic device according to claim 6, wherein the split portion of the mouthpiece is a cut portion formed by cutting a portion of the mouthpiece other than the teeth to be aligned, and a portion located on a front side and a portion located on a rear side of the cut portion are connected to each other by a member different from a member constituting the cut portion.

10. The orthodontic device according to claim 6, wherein the split portion of the mouthpiece is a cut-out portion formed by cutting out a portion of the mouthpiece other than the teeth to be aligned, and the cut-out portion is formed at a position where the mouthpiece has a shape to be fitted only to the teeth to be aligned.