JP2009165782A - Boiling water softening type sports mouthpiece perfectly fitted and being hard to fall - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve a problem that the inside part of a mouth piece cannot be perfectly fixed to a tooth row, thereby easily falling and insufficiently exerting the original function of the mouthpiece in the conventional hot water softening type mouthpiece. <P>SOLUTION: High fluidity is applied to the inside part of the mouthpiece in softening to perfectly fit the mouthpiece inside face to the tooth row just like a custom-made mouthpiece fabricated in a dentist, thus preventing the easy falling and sufficiently exerting the original function of the mouthpiece. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention relates to a thermoplastic elastic resin hot water softening sports mouthpiece used during exercise.

During exercise, the sports mouthpiece fits closely to the dentition and correctly engages the upper and lower dentitions, maximizing muscle strength and improving exercise capacity, and improving teeth and oral soft tissue, jawbone, and temporomandibular joints The original purpose of the mouthpiece is to protect it from trauma. Sport mouthpieces that fit snugly in the upper dentition and correctly bite the upper and lower dentition are preferably tailored by the dentist to fit the individual user's dentition, but are expensive An inexpensive thermoplastic elastic resin hot water softening mouthpiece for the purpose of adapting to a certain degree of dentition is widely used.

With the conventional thermoplastic elastic resin hot water softening mouthpiece technology, the mouthpiece is softened with hot water poured into a container, then taken out with chopsticks, etc. And the occlusal relationship. If the mouthpiece does not maintain its original shape at the time of softening, it cannot be inserted into the oral cavity. Is used.

A low-fluidity thermoplastic elastic resin that does not exhibit high fluidity like chewing gum when softened with hot water and is more than the degree of earlobe is used. Only the occlusal relationship between the shape of the dental arch and the mating dentition is recorded, and the precise shape of the individual teeth and oral mucosa present in the dentition cannot be recorded on the inner surface of the mouthpiece. There was a gap between the inner surface of the mouthpiece and it did not fit perfectly.

Accordingly, in the present invention, the mouthpiece and the upper jaw are recorded by precisely recording the precise shape of each tooth and oral mucosa present in the dentition on the inner surface of the mouthpiece, while being a conventional hot water softening mouthpiece. The objective was to provide a mouthpiece that closely fits the dentition.

As a result of conducting research to achieve the above object, the present inventor found that when the mouthpiece was soaked in soft water and softened, the inner part of the mouthpiece was a thermoplastic elastic resin exhibiting high fluidity like chewing gum, and the outer part was A hot water softening mouthpiece using a low fluidity thermoplastic elastic resin exhibiting a hardness more than an earlobe was found, and the present invention was completed.

When softened with hot water, the outer part with low fluidity that is more hard than the earlobe is recorded and only the occlusal relationship between the rough dentition shape and the opposing dentition is attached to the upper dentition. To do.

The inner part that exhibits high fluidity, such as chewing gum, accurately records the shape of the individual teeth present in the dentition and the associated gingiva.

The mouthpiece completed in this way was obtained by taking an impression and occlusal acquisition of the upper and lower jaws at the dental clinic, and custom-made to fit the dentition of each user using existing dental techniques. Similarly, it is possible to provide a mouthpiece that fits well with the upper dentition, that the upper and lower dentitions are properly occluded, and that does not easily fall off and has a good wearing feeling.

Furthermore, in the occlusal surface portion according to the second invention, the power blade provided between the outer portion and the inner portion ensures a certain thickness on the occlusal surface, thereby preventing the mouthpiece from being broken due to a particularly strong occlusal force.

Hot water softening mouthpieces are soaked in hot water and inserted into the oral cavity, so if a primer or adhesive is used to bond the thermoplastic elastic resin on the inner part and the thermoplastic elastic resin on the outer part, peeling or chemical substances will enter the oral cavity. Since there is a possibility of spillage, it is desirable that the thermoplastic elastic resin of the inner part and the outer part can be bonded by heat melting.

The mouthpiece for sports is closely attached to the dental arch and does not fall off or rattle during exercise, protecting the teeth and oral soft tissue from trauma and maximally muscularizing by properly engaging the upper and lower teeth However, it is possible to prevent sports accidents and accidents caused by falling off of the mouthpiece due to the poor wearing feeling, and to prevent dangers and accidents caused by falling off of the mouthpiece. Generates tension and helps improve athletic ability.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described based on examples with reference to the drawings, but are not limited to these examples.

FIG. 1 is an upper plan view showing the whole hot water softening mouthpiece according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the whole hot water softening mouthpiece according to the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a hot water softening mouth according to the present invention. It is an exploded view of the outer part 1 and the inner part 2 of a piece.

The outer part 1 and the inner part 2 are both rubbery at room temperature, soaked in hot water and softened, and have different fluidity during softening, so the fluidity during hot water softening is different. It is preferable to use an ethylene-vinyl-acetate copolymer.

The outer portion 1 shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 has a hollow, substantially horseshoe shape so as to cover the upper dentition, and this shape and fluidity when softening hot water are basically the same as those of a conventional thermoplastic mouthpiece. is there.

Furthermore, there is a known molding method using a mold to create the outer portion 1, and the method for creating the inner portion 2 shown in FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 is completed by an injection molding method by a two-time method. A method of directly pouring ethylene-vinyl-acetate copolymer to be the inner part 2 dissolved in the outer part 1 with a hot gun or the like, and fitting the inner part 2 created by a known molding method using a mold into the outer part 1 Any method can be used.

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 2, in which an inner portion 2 is present so as to be surrounded by an outer portion outer wall 1 a, an outer portion inner wall 1 b, and an outer portion occlusal surface portion 1 c, and both are made of ethylene-vinyl-acetate copolymer. Therefore, when an individual person soaks and softens in hot water, a further increase in adhesive strength due to heat melting is observed.

FIG. 5 shows the appearance of the front teeth part after the mouthpiece is softened and inserted into the maxillary dentition. The outer part outer wall 1a and the outer part inner wall 1b are the front teeth buccal gingiva 4a, upper front teeth 3 and front teeth. A rough shape along the upper palatal gingiva 4b is recorded, and an impression of the lower anterior teeth 7 is recorded on the outer partial occlusal surface 1c. The inner part 2 records the exact shape of the front tooth buccal gingiva 4a, maxillary front tooth 3, and front tooth palate side gingiva 4b.

Further, FIG. 6 shows the appearance of the molar portion, and the outer portion outer wall 1a and the outer portion inner wall 1b record the rough shape along the molar portion buccal gingiva 6a, maxillary molar 5 and molar portion palate side gingiva 6b. Then, the impression of the lower molar 8 is recorded on the outer part occlusal surface 1c. The inner part 2 records the exact shape of the molar part buccal gingiva 6a, maxillary molar 5 and molar part palate side gingiva 6b.

Furthermore, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings based on examples, but are not limited to these examples.

7 is an upper plan view of the power blade 9 according to the second invention, FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the mouthpiece provided with the power blade 9, FIG. 9 is a perspective view thereof, and FIG. 10 is a sectional view thereof. The power blade 9 has a thin plate shape with a substantially horseshoe shape as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, and is sandwiched between the outer part occlusal surface part 1c and the inner part 2 as shown in the sectional view of FIG. It is.

Like the outer part 1 and the inner part 2, the power blade 9 is both rubbery at room temperature, soaked in hot water and softened, and the fluidity at the time of softening is different, so that ethylene-vinyl- An acetate copolymer is preferably used, can be prepared by a known molding method, and the outer portion 1 and the inner portion 2 can be easily bonded by thermal melting.

When the mouthpiece provided with the power blade 9 on the occlusal surface is softened with hot water and then attached to the maxillary dentition, the thermoplastic elastic resin of the power blade 9 is harder than the thermoplastic elastic resin of the outer portion 1. Because it exhibits low fluidity, it maintains a constant occlusal surface thickness. Since the power braid 9, the outer portion 1 and the inner portion 2 are both made of ethylene-vinyl-acetate copolymer, when an individual person is softened by immersing in hot water, the adhesive strength is further increased by heat melting. Is recognized.

For a person who breaks the mouthpiece with a remarkably strong occlusal force, the breakage can be prevented by providing the power blade 9 on the occlusal surface.

EXAMPLES The present invention will be specifically described below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. Both the outer part 1 and the inner part 2 used Tosoh Corporation's Ultrasen.

Size and weight of each part of product 1 Outer part 1, １58mm × width 69mm × height 23mm, hollow approximately horseshoe shape, occlusal surface thickness 2.5mm, weight 7g
Inner part 2, substantially horseshoe-shaped body, 47 mm x 63 mm x 15 mm height, weight 3.2 g

The manufacturing method is such that the outer part 1 is made by an injection molding method using a mold, the inner part 2 is made by a pressing method using a mold, and the bonded part between the outer part 1 and the inner part 2 is heated with hot air. Softened and pressure bonded.

(1) Fluidity confirmation test of outer part and inner part when product 1 is softened with hot water Immerse product 1 in hot water at 93 ° C for 1 minute, take it out with chopsticks, insert it into the maxillary dentition, lightly bite it, and leave it for 2 minutes The shape of the gingiva attached to the individual teeth present in the extracted dentition is precisely recorded in the inner part 2 of the product 1, and the outer part 1 is caused by the impression of the rough dentition and the corresponding dentition. Visually confirm that the occlusal relationship is recorded, and determine pass / fail.

When the test was conducted on 20 subjects using the product 1, all were judged to be acceptable.

EXAMPLES The present invention will be specifically described below with reference to examples, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. The outer part 1, the inner part 2 and the power blade 9 were all made of Tosoh Corporation's Ultrasen.

Size and weight of each part of product 2 Outer portion 1, 縱 58 mm × width 69 mm × height 23 mm hollow substantially horseshoe shape, occlusal thickness 2.5 mm, weight 7 g
Inner part 2, substantially horseshoe-shaped body, 47 mm x 63 mm x 15 mm height, weight 3.2 g
Power blade 9, approximately 47mm x 63mm x 0.5mm height, substantially horseshoe-shaped plate, weight 0.5g

The manufacturing method is such that the outer part 1 uses an injection molding method using a mold, the inner part 2 and the power braid 9 are produced by a press working method using a mold, and the power blade 9 and the inner part are formed on the finished outer part 1. The bonded portion of portion 2 was softened with hot air and pressure bonded.

The mouthpiece according to the present invention can be supplied at a low price in a large amount by factory production, and is conventionally used for an expensive sport that has been custom-made by a dentist to accurately match the dentition of each user and record the correct occlusal relationship. A product similar to a mouthpiece can be completed easily and in a short time, which helps prevent accidents and improve athletic performance for many athletes such as American football, boxing, rugby, baseball, and weightlifting. In the maximum grip strength test using a grip strength meter, an increase of 20% on average was confirmed after wearing this mouthpiece. A person who has a strong bite force and breaks the mouthpiece can prevent the breakage by providing the power blade 9 on the bite surface.

Upper plan view of an embodiment of a mouthpiece according to the present invention FIG. 2 is a perspective view thereof. FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the outer part 1 and the inner part 2 thereof. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along arrow AA in FIG. Fig. 5 shows the appearance of the front teeth after the mouthpiece is softened and inserted into the maxillary dentition. Fig. 6 shows the appearance of the molar part after the mouthpiece is softened and inserted into the maxillary dentition. Figure 7 is a top plan view of the power blade FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the mouthpiece provided with a power blade. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the mouthpiece provided with a power blade. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along arrow BB in FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Mouthpiece outer part 1a Outer part outer wall 1b Outer part inner wall 1c Outer part occlusal surface part 2 Mouthpiece inner part 3 Maxilla front tooth 4a Front tooth part buccal gingiva 4b Front tooth part palate side gum 5 Maxilla molar 6a Molar part buccal gingiva 6b Molar part Palatal gingiva 7 Mandibular anterior teeth 8 Mandibular molars 9 Power blade

Claims (2)

A hot water softening mouthpiece composed of an outer part and an inner part, and the fluidity of the thermoplastic elastic resin constituting the outer part of the mouthpiece when softened with hot water is the thermoplastic elasticity constituting the inner part of the mouthpiece Mouthpiece characterized by low resin flowability. The mouthpiece according to claim 1, wherein a power blade made of a thermoplastic elastic resin having lower fluidity than a thermoplastic elastic resin constituting the outer portion is provided between the outer portion occlusal surface portion and the inner portion. piece.

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