CA2608247C

CA2608247C - Orthodontic appliance for treating overjet

Info

Publication number: CA2608247C
Application number: CA2608247A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Duncan W. Higgins
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2007-10-16
Filing date: 2007-10-16
Publication date: 2010-08-03
Anticipated expiration: 2027-10-16
Also published as: CA2608247A1

Abstract

An orthodontic appliance has an upper attachment device secured to the upper teeth of the upper jaw. A lower attachment device having a pair of lower connectors is secured to the lower teeth of the lower jaw. A rigid, wire-like lingual bow extends between the lower connectors about the lingual sides of the lower teeth. A rigid, wire-like labial bow extends between the lower connectors about the labial sides of the lower teeth. The bows are connected to the lower connectors. A force-delivering module interconnects each side of the upper attachment device to a corresponding side of the lower attachment device. Each force--delivering module includes a compression spring and a tension spring operatively connected to the compression spring. The tension spring is positioned so as to actuate the compression spring to bias the lower attachment device forwardly with respect to the upper attachment device.

Description

ORTHODONTIC APPLIANCE FOR TREATING OVERJET
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to orthodontic appliances and, in particular, to orthodontic appliances for treating overjet in patients.

[0002] A Class II malocclusion with excessive overjet refers to a condition where a greater than normal horizontal gap exists between the upper and lower front teeth, usually due to proclination or flaring of the upper front teeth, or a deficient lower jaw.
Typical treatments fall into several categories. The first is retracting or pushing back the upper teeth. A second is proclining or pushing forward the lower teeth. A further treatment is surgical lengthening of the lower jaw. Another treatment is orthopedic correction whereby forces on the teeth are transmitted to the jaws of growing children.

[0003] A known device for correcting a Class II malocclusion is the Forsus (TM) Fatigue Resistant Device EZ Module from 3M Unitek, hereafter referred to as the Forsus Spring. This comprises a telescoping spring which connects to braces to push the upper teeth back and the lower teeth forward. It delivers 200 grams of force when fully compressed and loses approximately 20 grams of force for each 1 mm of deactivation. It was designed to be used with full braces and to push against the lower braces without breaking off individual braces (or orthodontic brackets), that is, without overcoming the bond strength of the resin cement that adheres the bracket to the etched enamel ofthe tooth. When used with braces, the Forsus Spring is normally never completely compressed. The Forsus Spring, therefore, never fully utilizes its full force potential. Periodic reactivation is necessary as the teeth move and the compression spring deactivates. This is accomplished by either adding crimpable split stainless steel tubing (shims) to the pushrod or replacing the pushrod with a longer one.

[0004] A further bite jumping appliance on the market is described in United States Patent No. 6,168,430, entitled ORTHODONTIC APPLIANCE FOR TREATING OVERJET, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. Referring to Figure 1 of this application, the embodiment described in the above patent is a Class II
correction appliance.
This embodiment used Gurin locks 66.a as the stop for its flexible spring 54.a. As the upper teeth 18.a moved back, the flexible spring 54.a deactivated. This required periodic reactivation of the flexible spring 54.a by moving the Gurin locks 66.a posteriorly.
Accordingly, this previous embodiment required significant maintenance and monitoring.
Moreover, the Gurin locks 66.a could be a source of sores on the cheek. The Gurin locks 66.a are also relatively expensive. The flexible spring 54.a was prone to breakage and was replaced by a compression spring, in this case, the Forsus Spring.

[0005] One attempt at addressing the above and other issues was to replace the Gurin Lock with an elastic module connected at one end to a hook on the lower molar band and at the other end to the lower eyelet ofthe compression spring. The problem with this approach was that when the elastic module was exposed to saliva, it lost so much force that it could not keep the compression spring activated. This was a problem because in orthodontics, the goal is a light, continuous force. Moreover, in view of the relatively small scale of the required forces for such devices, such as 200 grams, the effect of this elastic force decay was magnified, further magnifying the drawbacks of such an elastic module approach. The Gurin lock was in fact still easier to activate, because further crimpable stops (shims) needed to be added to the pushrod to keep the spring compressed when the elastic module was used.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] To overcome the discomfort and cost issues surrounding the use of Gurin locks, the frequent adjustments needed when using the Forsus Spring with braces alone, and the problems discovered by the present inventor with respect to the elastic module approach, the Class II correction device of the present application makes use of a device that now includes a compression spring together with a supplementary tension spring. More particularly, the preferred tension spring has been identified as a nickel titanium tension spring which has the most constant force over the range of the spring extension.

[0007] According to one embodiment, there is provided an orthodontic appliance for treating overjet in a patient having an upper jaw, a lower jaw, lower teeth in the lower jaw and upper teeth in the upper jaw which are abnormally forward of the lower teeth. The teeth have lingual sides and labial sides. The appliance includes an upper attachment device configured to be secured to at least one of the upper teeth. The appliance includes a lower attachment device having a pair of lower connectors. Each lower connector is configured to be secured to at least one of the lower teeth of the patient on each side of the lower jaw. The appliance includes a rigid, wire-like lingual bow extendable between the lower connectors about the lingual sides of the lower teeth. The appliance includes a rigid, wire-like labial bow extendable between the lower connectors about the labial sides of the lower teeth. The bows are connected to the lower connectors. The appliance includes a force-delivering module interconnecting the upper attachment device to a corresponding side ofthe lower attachment device. The force-delivering module has a first connector for connecting to the upper attachment device. The force-delivering module has a second connector for connecting to the lower attachment device. The force-delivering module has a compression spring operatively interposed between the first connector and the second connector. The force-delivering module has a tension spring operatively connected to the compression member.
The tension spring is so positioned to actuate the compression spring to bias the lower attachment device forwardly with respect to the upper attachment device.

[0008] According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided an orthodontic appliance for treating overjet in a patient having an upper jaw, a lowerjaw, lower teeth in the lower jaw and upper teeth in the upper jaw which are abnormally forward of the lower teeth.
The teeth have lingual sides and labial sides. The appliance includes an upper attachment device configured to be secured to at least one of the upper teeth on each side of the upper jaw. The appliance includes a lower attachment device having a pair of lower connectors.
Each lower connector is configured to be secured to at least one of the lower teeth of the patient on each side of the lower jaw. The appliance includes a rigid, wire-like lingual bow extendable between the lower connectors about the lingual sides of the lower teeth. The appliance includes a rigid, wire-like labial bow extendable between the lower connectors about the labial sides of the lower teeth. The bows are connected to the lower connectors.
The appliance includes a force-delivering module interconnecting each side of the upper attachment device to a corresponding side of the lower attachment device. Each force-delivering module includes a compression spring and a tension spring operatively connected to the compression spring. The tension spring is so positioned as to actuate the compression spring to bias the lower attachment device forwardly with respect to the upper attachment device.

[0009] According to a further aspect ofthe invention, there is provided a method oftreating overjet in a patient having an upper jaw, a lower jaw, lower teeth in the lower jaw and upper teeth in the upper jaw which aie abnormally forward ofthe lower teeth. The teeth have lingual sides and labial sides. The method includes affixing an upper attachment device to at least one of the upper teeth on each side of the upper jaw via a pair of upper connectors. The method includes affixing a lower attachment device to at least one of the lower teeth of the patient via a pair of lower connectors, each lower connector being configured to be secured on each side of the lower jaw. The method includes connecting a rigid, wire-like lingual bow to the lower connectors and positioning the lingual bow between the lower connectors about the lingual sides of the lower teeth. The method includes connecting a rigid, wire-like labial bow to the lower connectors and positioning the labial bow between the lower connectors about the labial sides of the lower teeth. The method includes interconnecting a force-delivering module on each side ofthe upper attachment device to a corresponding side of the lower attachment device, each said force-delivering module including a compression spring and a tension spring operatively connected to the compression spring. The method includes so positioning the tension spring as to actuate the compression spring to bias the lower attachment device forwardly with respect to the upper attachment device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] FIG. 1 is a side view of an orthodontic appliance fitted to the mouth of a patient according to the prior art;

[0011] FIG. 2 is a side view of an orthodontic appliance, according to an embodiment of the invention, as viewed from the right side of a patient's mouth, with the patient's jaws closed and in a Class II position;

[0012] FIG. 3 is an elevational view of the orthodontic appliance of FIG. 2 as viewed from the front of the patient's mouth;

[0013] FIG. 4 is a bottom plan view of the upper attachment device thereof, as viewed on the top set of the patient's teeth;

[0014] FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the lower attachment device thereof, as viewed on the bottom set of the patient's teeth;

[0015] FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, side view of the installation of part of the force-delivering module thereof;

[0016] FIG. 7 is a fragmentary, side view ofthe part ofthe force-delivering module of FIG.
6 illustrated in installed mode;

[0017] FIG. 8 is a side view of the orthodontic appliance of FIG. 2, with the patient's jaws closed and in a corrected Class I position;

[0018] FIG. 9 is a side view of the orthodontic appliance of FIG. 2, with patient's jaws in the open position; and

[0019] FIG. 10 is a side view of the orthodontic appliance of FIG. 2, with the patient's jaws closed and in an over-corrected Class III position.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Referring to the drawings, and first to FIGS. 2 and 3, these illustrate an orthodontic appliance 10 in a patient having an upper jaw 12 and a lower jaw 14 which are in a Class II
starting position. There are lower teeth 16 in the lower jaw 14 and upper teeth 18 in the upper jaw 12. The appliance corrects a condition where the upper teeth 18 are abnormally forward of the lower teeth 16.

[0021] The appliance includes an upper attachment device 20 configured to be secured to at least one of the upper teeth on each side of the upper jaw 12. In this example, the upper attachment device is a palatal expansion appliance. The attachment device is secured either to permanent teeth or primary teeth which are retained relatively late, or a combination of both. The palatal expansion appliance is known and, therefore, is not described in detail. It includes bands 19, 21, 22 and 24, as best illustrated in FIG. 4, which extend about two teeth on each side of the jaw and an arch 25 extending therebetween. In this example, the bands

22 and 24 extend about the upper first molars 18e. Also, the upper first bicuspid teeth 18c have erupted, so these teeth also have bands 19 and 21 to facilitate the opening of space for (cuspid) teeth 18b. If an upper second molar tooth 18f has or is erupting, there is an occlusal rest 29 placed over the top of the tooth.

[0022] There is a lower attachment device 30, as best illustrated in FIG. 5, which includes a pair of lower connectors in the form ofbands 32 and 34 extending about molars 36 and 38 on opposite sides of the patient's lower jaw 14. In this example, the bands 32 and 34 extend about lower first molars 16e. Hooks 33 and 35 extend posteriorly from the bands 32 and 34, respectively. There is a rigid, wire-like lingual bow 40 which extends between the lower connectors about the lingual sides of the lower teeth of the patient. In this example, the lingual bow 40 is of 0.045" stainless steel wire. The lingual bow 40 is connected to the lower connectors, in this case by soldering. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that it may also be connected via tubes welded to the bands. The lingual bow 40 in this example has a pair of occlusal rests 42 and 44 which extend over the occlusal surfaces of the first bicuspid teeth 16c. These help prevent the lingual and labial wires from moving down and impinging on the gum tissue.

100231 The lower attachment device 30 also includes a rigid, wire-like labial bow 46 which extends between the bands 32 and 34 about the labial sides of the lower teeth.
This bow is made of stainless-steel wire in this example similar to the lingual bow 40.
The labial bow 46 is also connected to the bands 32 and 34, in this example by soldering. The labial bow 46 bypasses the lower canine (cuspid) 16b and bicuspid teeth 16c and 16d, respectively. It contacts the incisor teeth 16a to prevent then from proclining or flaring so much as to open spaces between the teeth.

[0024] Referring back to FIGS. 2 and 3, there is a force-delivering module 47.
The force-delivering module 47 includes a compression spring 54. In this example, the compression spring 54 is part of a 3M Unitek Forsus (TM) Fatigue Resistant Device EZ
Module (the "Forsus Spring") 50, interconnecting the upper attachment device 20 and the lower attachment device 30 on one side of the patient's mouth. A similar Forsus Spring 52 may interconnect the upper attachment device 20 and the lower attachment device 30 on the opposite side of the patient's mouth.

[0025] Forsus Springs are known and, accordingly, these are not described in detail. The compression spring 54, when compressed, biases the lower attachment device 30 forwardly with respect to the upper attachment device 20. This occurs when the patient's jaws are closed as seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, and continues as the patient's mouth opens. The Forsus Spring 50 also includes a pushrod 55 which extends through the compression spring 54.
Each Forsus Spring has an interengageable upper portion 51 which connects together with a corresponding interengageable portion 53 welded to the band 22, as illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7. Each Forsus Spring has a bottom eyelet, as illustrated in FIG. 3 by numerals 62 and 64, respectively. The labial bow 46 extends slidably through each of the eyelets 62 and 64, respectfully.

[0026] The force-delivering module 47 includes tension springs 70 and 72, respectively, on each side of the lower jaw 14. The tension springs 70 and 72 are connected via first eyelets 71 and 73, respectively, to corresponding anterior curves 81 and 83 of the pushrods 55 and 57, respectively. Drops of solder 77 and 79 are added along the anterior, leading edges of the pushrods 55 and 57 so as to keep the tension springs 70 and 72 from sliding down and back along the pushrods 55 and 57 of the Forsus Springs 50 and 52, respectively.
The tension springs 70 and 72 are so positioned to inhibit tension spring distortion or breakage by, for example, biting pressure. The tension springs 70 and 72 are also positioned to prevent the pushrod 55 and Forsus Spring 50 from coming apart when the patient's mouth opens wide.
The tension springs are also connected posteriorly as best illustrated in FIG.
8. The tension spring 70 is connected via second eyelet 76 to hook 33 of band 32 posteriorly.

[0027] In operation, the tension springs 70 and 72 are so shaped and positioned as to limit forward movement of the Forsus Springs 50 and 52, and keep the Forsus Springs 50 and 52 compressed as the upper teeth are moved back. From an open mouth position as illustrated in FIG. 9, bottom eyelet 62 slides forwardly along the labial bow 46 when the patient closes his or her jaws until the eyelet 62 is stopped or inhibited by tension spring 70, and the same occurs on the other side of the mouth. Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, further closing ofthe jaws causes compression of the Forsus Springs 50 and 52, which forces the upper teeth backwards and the lower teeth forwardly. However, opening of the jaws is not impeded since the eyelets 62 and 64 can slide rearwardly along the labial bow 46. The force vector is in the direction of pulling the patient's lower jaw forward but the muscles can overcome the force so the jaw stays back. The result is that the lower teeth move forward in the jaw bone and the upper teeth move back in their jaw bone. This is called orthodontic movement.
[0028] The tension springs 70 and 72 are available in forces ranging from 25 to 300 grams.
In one preferred embodiment, the tension springs 70 and 72 are 250 gram, 9mm nickel titanium closed coil tension springs and the compression spring is 200 grams.
Such a light tension spring keeps the Forsus Spring compressed but allows the lower jaw to remain in place in the jaw joint. It has been discovered that a nickel titanium tension spring has a more constant force over the range ofthe spring extension compared to stainless steel. This makes force delivery to the teeth more constant because Forsus Springs 50 and 52 are kept relatively active or compressed even when the patient's mouth is open or when the upper and lower teeth are moved relative to each other, namely, the upper teeth moving back and lower teeth moving forward. By using lighter or heavier tension springs, one can control the force level of each Forsus Spring and keep it at that force level as the teeth move.

[0029] The force-delivering module 47 provides a two-stage activation. At the beginning both of the tension springs 70 and 72 and Forsus Springs 50 and 52 are active.
In one example, the tension springs 70 and 72 are extended to 20 mm and deliver a force to compress the Forsus Springs 50 and 52 and move the teeth with a force ofapproximately 250 grams. The compression spring in this example is 200 grams and is completely compressed.
The tooth movement force is supplied bythe 250 gramtension springs 70 and 72.
The tension springs 70 and 72 are so shaped to cause the teeth to move from Class II
approximately 7 mm to a Class I corrected position, as illustrated in FIG. 8, without need of any adjustment of the device 47. This long activation is made possible by the labial bow 46 which acts as a sliding rail. This makes the appliance of the present invention a self-activating Class II correction appliance. In other words, the first stage of tooth movement (Class II to Class I) is a result of the stretched tension springs 70 and 72 which activate the Forsus Springs 50 and 52.

[0030] The second stage ofmovement (Class Ito over-corrected or Class III) is a result of the Forsus Springs 50 and 52 taking over as the tension springs 70 and 72 become passive.
Reference is made to FIG. 10. The tension springs 70 and 72 at this point are closed but the Forsus Springs 50 and 52 are still compressed enough to over-correct the teeth from Class I another 7 mm to Class III with a decreasing force which is safer so as to inhibit too much over-correction. This is somewhat analogous to a two-stage rocket. Here too no adjustment of the device 47 is needed.

[0031] In contrast, the earlier appliance used a Gurin lock as the stop for the compression spring. As the upper teeth moved back, the compression spring deactivated. The Forsus Spring supplied a force of 200 grams when fully compressed and lost 20 grams of force for every 1 mm of deactivation. This required periodic reactivation ofthe compression spring by moving the Gurin lock posteriorly. Also, in the past, the compression spring was only completely active when the patient's mouth was closed. The tension springs 70 and 72 in the embodiment ofthe present invention keep the Forsus Springs 50 and 52 active as the patient opens his or her mouth, keeping the pushrod 55 from disengaging the compression spring 54.
[0032] One of the reasons why such a long activation is provided by the tension springs 70 and 72 is because the labial bow 46 acts like a long, sliding rail with approximately 20 mm of length per side. 20 mm is also the maximum extension for the 9mm nickel titanium tension spring. The Forsus Spring used without a labial bow does not have such a 20 mm rail. As a result, the Forsus Spring used merely with braces only allows for an inter-bracket distance of approximately 4 mm. The long, sliding rail effect of the labial bow 46 therefore is a major reasonwhytheForsusSpringworksbetterwiththeembodimentofthepresentinventionthan with braces alone. Also, in the appliance according to the present invention, there are no braces required on the lower teeth and the Forsus Spring may be completely compressed without fear of anything breaking.

[0033] The appliance according to the present invention provides a number of advantages generally speaking. It has inhibited or eliminated the need for Class II bite problems to be corrected with traditional braces in combination with either headgear, rubber bands, lowerjaw advancement surgery, or the extraction ofteeth and upper incisor retraction.
This is especially true if the teeth are well aligned and the only problem is a Class II bite problem. These advantages therefore act to decrease the cost to the patient. The force-delivering module 47 is also advantageous since it can be used bilaterally or unilaterally. It can also be used "upside-down" in Class III or underbite patients. An upper expansion appliance can be used at the same time. The appliance according to the present invention can be used with or without braces on the upper front teeth. Morever, the appliance according to the present invention is automatic and removes patient compliance with headgear or rubber bands. Lastly, the appliance according to the present invention opens space for crowded upper canine (eye teeth) which is a very common problem.

[0034] It will be understood by someone skilled in the art that many ofthe details described above are by way of example only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention which is to be interpreted with reference to the following claims.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. An orthodontic appliance for treating overjet in a patient having an upper jaw, a lower jaw, lower teeth in the lower jaw and upper teeth in the upper jaw which are abnormally forward of the lower teeth, the teeth having lingual sides and labial sides, the appliance comprising:

an upper attachment device configured to be secured to at least one of the upper teeth;

a lower attachment device having a pair of lower connectors, each said lower connector being configured to be secured to at least one of the lower teeth of the patient on each side of the lower jaw, a rigid, wire-like lingual bow extendable between the lower connectors about the lingual sides of the lower teeth and a rigid, wire-like labial bow extendable between the lower connectors about the labial sides of the lower teeth, said bows being connected to the lower connectors;

a force-delivering module interconnecting the upper attachment device to a corresponding side of the lower attachment device, the force-delivering module including a first connector for connecting to the upper attachment device, a second connector for connecting to the lower attachment device, a compression spring operatively interposed between the first connector and the second connector, and a tension spring operatively connected to the compression member, the tension spring being so positioned so as to actuate the compression spring to bias the lower attachment device forwardly with respect to the upper attachment device.

2. The appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the upper attachment device is configured to be secured to at least one of the upper teeth on each side of the upper jaw.

3. The appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second connector is connected to the labial bow.

4. The appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second connector is slidably connected to the labial bow.

5. The appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tension spring is connected to one of the lower connectors.

6. The appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tension spring is connected to the second connector.

7. The appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the compression spring is slidably connected to the labial bow and the tension spring is so connected to the compression spring as to continually cause the compression spring to be in a compressed state.

8. The appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tension spring is so positioned to keep the compression spring compressed as the upper teeth are moved back.

9. The appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the force-delivering module is so positioned as to self-adjust as the lower teeth gradually move forward over time.

10. The appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tension spring is so positioned as to enable a continued activation of the compression spring as the lower teeth gradually move forward over time.

11. The appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tension spring is so shaped as to limit forward movement of each said force-delivering module.

12. The appliance as claimed in claim 5, wherein the second connector has an aperture, the labial bow fitting slidably through the aperture in the second connector.

13. The appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tension spring is made of nickel titanium.

14. The appliance as claimed in claim 10, wherein the tension spring is so selected as to exert a force between 25 and 300 grams.

15. The appliance as claimed in claim 10, wherein the tension spring is so selected as to exert a force between 200 and 250 grams.

16. The appliance as claimed in claim 10, wherein the compression spring is so selected as to exert a force of 200 grams and the tension spring is so selected as to exert a force of 250 grams to keep the compression spring compressed.

17. The appliance as claimed in claim 12, wherein the tension spring is a 9 mm closed coil spring.

18. The appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the compression spring is a 3M Unitek Forsus TM Fatigue Resistant Device EZ Module.

19. The appliance as claimed in claim 2, wherein the upper attachment device includes a palatal expansion appliance.

20. The appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the lower connectors includes a molar band.

21. The appliance as claimed in claim 17, wherein a hook extends from the molar band and the tension spring is connected to the hook.

22. The appliance as claimed in claim 9, wherein the labial bow and the lingual bow are connected to the molar bands by solder.

23. The appliance as claimed in claim 1,wherein the lingual bow and the labial bow are of stainless-steel wire.

24. The appliance as claimed in claim 12, wherein the wire is generally .045"
in diameter.

25. The appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tension spring is so disposed to continually actuate the compression spring to bias the lower attachment device forwardly with respect to the upper attachment device.

26. The appliance as claimed in claim 1, wherein the tension spring is so disposed to only remain active for the teeth to move from a Class II position to a Class I
corrected position and the compression spring is so disposed to further move the teeth from a Class I corrected position to a Class III overcorrected position.

27. An orthodontic appliance for treating overjet in a patient having an upper jaw, a lower jaw, lower teeth in the lower jaw and upper teeth in the upper jaw which are abnormally forward of the lower teeth, the teeth having lingual sides and labial sides, the appliance comprising:

an upper attachment device configured to be secured to at least one of the upper teeth on each side of the upper jaw;

a lower attachment device having a pair of lower connectors, each said lower connector being configured to be secured to at least one of the lower teeth of the patient on each side of the lower jaw, a rigid, wire-like lingual bow being extendable between the lower connectors about the lingual sides of the lower teeth and a rigid, wire-like labial bow extendable between the lower connectors about the labial sides of the lower teeth, said bows being connected to the lower connectors; and a force-delivering module interconnecting each side of the upper attachment device to a corresponding side of the lower attachment device, each said force-delivering module including a compression spring and a tension spring operatively connected to the compression spring, the tension spring being so positioned so as to actuate the compression spring to bias the lower attachment device forwardly with respect to the upper attachment device.

28. A method of treating overjet in a patient having an upper jaw, a lower jaw, lower teeth in the lower jaw and upper teeth in the upper jaw which are abnormally forward of the lower teeth, the teeth having lingual sides and labial sides, the method comprising:

affixing an upper attachment device to at least one of the upper teeth on each side of the upper jaw via a pair of upper connectors;

affixing a lower attachment device to at least one of the lower teeth of the patient via a pair of lower connectors, each said lower connector being configured to be secured on each side of the lower jaw;

connecting a rigid, wire-like lingual bow to the lower connectors and positioning the lingual bow between the lower connectors about the lingual sides of the lower teeth;
connecting a rigid, wire-like labial bow to the lower connectors and positioning the labial bow between the lower connectors about the labial sides of the lower teeth;
interconnecting a force-delivering module on each side of the upper attachment device to a corresponding side of the lower attachment device, each said force-delivering module including a compression spring and a tension spring operatively connected to the compression spring; and positioning the tension spring so as to actuate the compression spring to bias the lower attachment device forwardly with respect to the upper attachment device.