JP2013005846A - Mouthpiece - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a mouthpiece which suppresses the drying of the inside of an oral cavity, exhibits an effect for preventing the infection of saliva (anti-bacteriral effect and cleaning), and can be used for preventing a disease in the oral cavity such as a gum disease.SOLUTION: The mouthpiece 30 comprises: a plate-shaped coated part 40 which covers front faces of upper and lower tooth rows 10, 20 and front faces of upper and lower gum ridges 11, 21, and is sandwiched between rips 12, 22 and cheeks; a holding part 50 which supports the coated part with respect to a tooth part except for a front tooth part of the upper jaw tooth row or the lower jaw tooth row; and an elastic valve 70 which always forms an air passing opening 60 which penetrates the coated part at the front tooth part in the coated part, and is variable in the magnitude of an opening area oft he opening while elastically being deformed. The elastic valve has a shape in which a plurality of small pieces 71 are aligned.

Description

  The present invention relates to a mouthpiece.

  It is known that saliva has an effect of promoting infection prevention such as antibacterial and washing. When the oral cavity is dried, the amount of saliva secreted is reduced, food residues are likely to adhere to the surface of the tongue, and cause diseases in the oral cavity such as tooth decay and periodontal disease.

  Masks aimed at suppressing dryness in the oral cavity are commercially available. As a material for the mask, nonwoven fabric or gauze is mainly used. Both the non-woven mask and the gauze mask are covered with the mouth and nose from the outside, so if the inside of the mask gets wet by the moisture in the mouth, it will be difficult for the air to pass and the user will have difficulty breathing There is. Also, in order to fix the mask, many are used by hooking it to the left and right ears with rubber strings or the like. For this reason, since the user's ear is pulled by a rubber string, the ear becomes painful if used for a long time. If the rubber string is loosened, the mask may be displaced, and drying in the oral cavity may not be suppressed. In such a form, it cannot be easily worn when the body is resting or sleeping, and cannot be used as a treatment tool for suppressing dryness in the oral cavity.

  By the way, the mouthpiece for the oral cavity is used in various fields such as for endoscopes, orthodontics, underwater breathing, apnea syndrome, and snoring improvement. In general, a mouthpiece is formed with a relatively large opening made of a round hole or a long hole in order to breathe or to pass an instrument. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a mouthpiece for an underwater breathing apparatus including an elliptical gas introduction cylinder. There is also a mouthpiece in which an opening for breathing is not formed (see, for example, Patent Document 2). This Patent Document 2 describes a mouthpiece for mouth breathing prevention that is used in close contact with the front surfaces of upper and lower teeth and promotes nasal breathing.

JP 2008-220706 A JP 2008-005877 A

  Conventional mouthpieces include only mouthpieces that have relatively large breathing openings, or mouthpieces that do not originally have breathing openings. There is no mouthpiece that can be applied to prevent diseases in

  Therefore, the present invention provides a mouthpiece that can be used for preventing diseases in the oral cavity such as periodontal disease by suppressing dryness in the oral cavity and exhibiting the effect of preventing saliva infection (antibacterial / cleaning). With the goal.

  To achieve the above object, the mouthpiece of the present invention comprises a plate-like covering portion that covers the front surfaces of the upper and lower jaw teeth and the upper and lower gums and is sandwiched between the lips and cheeks, and the upper teeth Alternatively, a holding portion that holds the covering portion with respect to a tooth portion excluding the front tooth portion of the lower jaw dentition, and an air passage opening that penetrates the covering portion at a portion facing the front tooth portion of the covering portion. And an elastic valve portion that is always formed and elastically displaced so that the size of the opening area of the opening portion can be varied.

  According to the mouthpiece of the present invention, there is provided a mouthpiece that can be used for preventing diseases in the oral cavity such as periodontal disease by suppressing dryness in the oral cavity and exerting the effect of preventing infection (antibacterial / cleaning) of saliva. Can be provided. In addition, when a drug having a bactericidal / antibacterial action for oral cavity is used in combination, the drug adheres to the gums or the like in a form sandwiched between the covering part, so that the bactericidal / antibacterial effect can be maintained.

1A and 1B are a top perspective view and a bottom perspective view showing a mouthpiece according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is sectional drawing which shows the state which mounted | wore mouthpiece with the mouthpiece. It is a top view which shows a mouthpiece. 4A is a rear view showing the mouthpiece, and FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4B-4B of FIG. 4A. 5A is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5A-5A in FIG. 3, FIG. 5B is a cross-sectional view taken along line 5B-5B in FIG. 3, and FIG. 5C is a section 5C in FIG. It is an enlarged view. 6 (A) and 6 (B) are diagrams showing another shape example of the elastic valve portion. It is a figure which shows the modification example of a coating | coated part.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted. The dimensional ratios in the drawings are exaggerated for convenience of explanation, and are different from the actual ratios.

  With reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the mouthpiece 30 according to the embodiment is roughly described. A plate-like covering portion 40 that covers the front surfaces of the upper and lower jaw dentitions 10 and 20 and the front surfaces of the upper and lower gums 11 and 21. A holding part 50 for holding the covering part 40 against the tooth part excluding the front tooth part of the upper dentition 10 or the lower jaw dentition 20, and a part of the covering part 40 that penetrates the covering part 40. And an elastic valve portion 70 that always forms the opening portion 60 for passing air and elastically displaces the opening portion 60 so that the size of the opening area of the opening portion 60 can be varied. The covering portion 40 is sandwiched between the lips 12 and 22 and the cheek. In the illustrated embodiment, the holding portion 50 is configured to hold the covering portion 40 against the tooth portion of the lower jaw dentition 20 excluding the front tooth portion. Details will be described below.

  The mouthpiece 30 is integrally formed with a covering portion 40, a holding portion 50, and an elastic valve portion 70. The material for forming the mouthpiece 30 is not particularly limited, but a rubber-like elastic material that can use various hardnesses, such as silicone rubber, can be suitably used.

  The covering portion 40 has an arch shape along the outside of the dentitions 10 and 20 of the upper and lower jaws of the user (patient). The covering portion 40 has a shape that covers the gaps 13 and 23 between the dentitions 10 and 20 and the gums 11 and 21 from the front teeth of the upper and lower jaws to the molar teeth. When a coating agent such as a gel having an antibacterial and antibacterial effect for the oral cavity is applied to the gaps 13 and 23 between the dentitions 10 and 20 and the gums 11 and 21, the coating agent is sandwiched between the coating part 40 and the gums. It adheres to 11, 21 etc. For this reason, it can suppress that a coating agent melt | dissolves immediately by the movement of saliva or the tongue 15, and can flow away, and can maintain the effect of bactericidal and antibacterial action.

  Of the front and back surfaces of the covering portion 40, the back surface 40 a that faces the dentitions 10 and 20 and the gums 11 and 21 when the mouthpiece 30 is attached is roughened to a rough surface shape. On the other hand, the front surface 40b facing the lips 12, 22 and the cheek side when the mouthpiece 30 is worn is finished to a surface shape that is smoother than the back surface 40a. By roughening the back surface 40a of the covering portion 40, the covering portion 40 becomes difficult to slip with respect to the dentitions 10 and 20 and the gums 11 and 21, and displacement of the mouthpiece 30 in the oral cavity can be prevented. Moreover, it becomes easy to attach or hold the coating agent. By making the covering portion 40 difficult to slide with respect to the dentitions 10 and 20 and the gums 11 and 21, and smoothing the surface 40b of the covering portion 40, the surfaces touching the inside of the lips 12 and 22 and the cheeks become slippery. . For this reason, even if the mouthpiece 30 is worn, the mouth can be moved easily and can be spoken with a low voice, giving the user a feeling close to that when the mouthpiece 30 is not worn.

  3 and 4, a recess 41 having a shape that avoids touching the upper lip band when the mouthpiece 30 is worn is formed in the upper central portion of the outer peripheral edge of the covering portion 40. A recess 42 having a shape that avoids touching the lower lip band is formed in the central portion. By not touching the upper lip band or the lower lip band when the mouthpiece 30 is worn, it is possible to prevent pain and discomfort.

  The covering portion 40 preferably has a corrugated shape that can be expanded and contracted.

  When the user wears the mouthpiece 30, the difference in the size of the upper and lower jaws and the difference in the dentitions 10 and 20 are absorbed, and the mouthpiece 30 is matched to the shapes of the dentitions 10 and 20 and the gums 11 and 21. It is because it becomes easy to mount. Moreover, even when the diseased part (inflamed part) is swollen, the burden on the diseased part is reduced and the mouthpiece 30 can be easily worn. Furthermore, when applying a coating agent such as a gel, the coating agent sandwiched between the dentitions 10 and 20 and the gums 11 and 21 is easily attached or held on the covering portion 40. Therefore, the sterilization / antibacterial action by the coating agent can be further maintained by making the covering portion 40 into a corrugated plate shape.

  In the illustrated example, the central portion 43 that covers only the dentitions 10 and 20 has a substantially flat surface, and the upper and lower portions of the central portion 43 are formed into a corrugated upper portion 44 and a corrugated lower portion 45 having a corrugated shape. Forming.

  The holding part 50 has a plate-shaped occlusal part 51 which is provided so as to protrude toward the back surface 40 a side of the covering part 40 and is bitten by the upper and lower dentitions 10 and 20. When the user bites the occlusal part 51 with the tooth part excluding the front teeth part of the upper and lower jaws, the covering part 40 is held against the tooth part. Further, since the occlusal portion 51 is sandwiched between upper and lower teeth, it has an effect of preventing bruxism at bedtime and can also play a role of reducing the burden on the teeth. In order to obtain such an effect, the occlusal portion 51 may be formed to be slightly thicker than other parts, and the hardness may be increased compared to other parts. Even if a material having higher hardness than the rubber-like elastic material forming the other part is applied as the rubber-like elastic material forming the occlusal portion 51 without changing the wall thickness, the same effect can be obtained.

  The holding part 50 further has a tooth part covering part 52 extending from the occlusal part 51 along the inner surface of the tooth part. The tooth portion covering portion 52 extends downward so as to cover the inner surface of the molar and the inner surface of the gum 21. Since the holding part 50 has a shape that covers the molar tooth, and the tooth part covering part 52 is sandwiched between the molar tooth and the tongue 15, the covering part 40 is stably held with respect to the tooth part, Deviation of the mounting position of the mouthpiece 30 can be prevented.

  As shown in FIG. 5 (B), it is preferable that the tooth portion covering portion 52 is elongated in a downward direction while gradually reducing the thickness. This is because the uncomfortable feeling when the tongue 15 contacts can be reduced.

  As shown in FIG. 5 (C), the end 46 of the covering portion 40 that will be located on the back side when mounted is formed in a rounded shape that curves smoothly toward the outer surface of the molar and gum 21. . Further, the end portion 53 of the tooth portion covering portion 52 that is positioned on the back side when mounted is formed in a rounded shape that smoothly curves toward the inner surface of the molar tooth and the gum 21. Such a round shape can reduce a sense of incongruity when the tongue 15 is in contact with the inside of the mouth of the cheek.

  As shown in FIG. 1 (B) and FIG. 5 (A), the end portion 54 of the tooth portion covering portion 52 that is positioned on the front side when mounted is formed in a rounded shape on the bottom side. Such a round shape can reduce a sense of incongruity when the tongue 15 comes into contact with the inside of the gum 21.

  4 (A) and 4 (B), an air passage opening 60 that penetrates the covering portion 40 is always formed by the elastic valve portion 70 at a portion of the covering portion 40 that faces the front tooth portion. Yes. The opening 60 includes a central portion 61 having a comb-like shape, a cut portion 62 extending further left and right from both ends of the central portion 61, and a circular hole portion 63 formed at an end portion of the cut portion 62. ,have. The circular hole 63 has an inner diameter that is larger than the height of the notch 62 (the vertical dimension in FIG. 4A). By providing the circular hole portion 63, the force applied to the circular hole portion 63 can be dispersed and the covering portion 40 can be made difficult to tear. For example, even when a finger is put into the opening 60 and the opening 60 is spread to adjust the mounting position of the mouthpiece 30, the force applied to the circular hole 63 is dispersed, It is possible to prevent the covering portion 40 from being torn.

  The openings 60 are formed to extend equally in the left-right direction from the center in the width direction of the covering portion 40 (reference numeral O1 in FIG. 4A). The center in the vertical direction of the opening 60 (reference numeral O2 in FIG. 4A) is located slightly above the upper surface of the occlusal part 51 in the holding part 50. When the mouthpiece 30 is mounted, the air passage opening 60 is located near the portion where the front teeth of the upper and lower jaws bite. Therefore, even after the user wears the mouthpiece 30, the user can circulate through the opening 60 and breathe.

  The elastic valve part 70 is formed integrally with the covering part 40 from a rubber-like elastic material, and is elastically displaced so that the size of the opening area of the opening part 60 can be varied.

  The elastic valve portion 70 has a shape in which a plurality of small pieces 71 are arranged. More specifically, the elastic valve portion 70 has a comb-teeth shape facing each other with a gap in order to form a comb-like shape in the central portion 61 of the opening 60. In the normal state before elastically displacing the elastic valve portion 70, the opening area of the opening 60 is minimized. From this normal state, when the elastic valve portion 70 is elastically displaced so as to push open the warmth, the opening area of the opening 60 becomes an open state larger than the normal state. In FIG. 4B, the normal state of the elastic valve unit 70 is indicated by a solid line, and the open state of the elastic valve unit 70 is indicated by a two-dot chain line. Note that the minimum opening area in the opening 60 is determined based on the fact that the temperature and humidity in the oral cavity can be maintained at target values by wearing the mouthpiece 30.

  In a normal state, since the elastic valve part 70 maintains the opening area of the opening part 60 to the minimum, the temperature and humidity in the oral cavity can be made difficult to escape. As a result, by wearing the mouthpiece 30, the temperature and humidity in the oral cavity can be kept relatively high, and drying in the oral cavity can be suppressed.

  Further, when the elastic valve portion 70 is elastically displaced from the normal state to the open state, the opening area of the opening 60 becomes larger than that in the normal state. For this reason, a finger can be put into the opening 60 to adjust the mounting position of the mouthpiece 30 or to correct the bending or misalignment of the tooth covering 52 generated during the mounting. It becomes easy to install according to the shape inside. Even when coughing, combing, phlegm, etc. appear, the cough can be discharged to the outside with the mouthpiece 30 attached.

  By making the elastic valve portion 70 into a shape in which a plurality of small pieces 71 are arranged, the size of the opening area of the opening portion 60 can be easily adjusted. Since the plurality of small pieces 71 are individually displaceable, the shape of the opening 60 for passing air is changed by opening the small pieces 71 individually outwardly like warmth according to the shape of the front teeth of the user. It can be easily adapted to the shape of the user's front teeth, making it easier for the user to breathe.

  Next, the usage example of the mouthpiece 30 of this embodiment is demonstrated.

  The mouthpiece 30 of the present embodiment can be used as a tool for preventing and treating periodontal disease. First, the covering portion 40 of the mouthpiece 30 is aligned with the outer surface of the back teeth portion of the upper and lower jaws. Moreover, a position is adjusted with a finger so that the holding | maintenance part 50 which has the occlusion part 51 and the tooth | gear part coating | coated part 52 may be covered on the back tooth part of a lower jaw. In this way, the covering portion 40 is aligned with the outer side surface of the back tooth portion, and the position of the holding portion 50 is adjusted, and then sequentially aligned toward the front tooth portion, and the entire mouthpiece 30 is mounted in the oral cavity.

  When the tooth cover 52 of the holder 50 is bent and difficult to wear, the bent tooth cover 52 is modified by inserting a finger from the air passage opening 60 and the mouthpiece 30 is mounted. Also good.

  Then, the mounting position of the mouthpiece 30 is finely adjusted so that the opening 60 for passing air is positioned near the center of the mouth so that it can easily breathe.

  The covering portion 40 is sandwiched and held between the dentitions 10 and 20 and the gums 11 and 21 and the lips 12 and 22 and the cheeks, and the holding portion 50 is put on the back teeth of the lower jaw. Since the tooth covering 52 is sandwiched and held between the inner side of the lower molar and the tongue 15, the mouthpiece 30 can be stably held in the oral cavity.

  By wearing the mouthpiece 30, when the body is resting or sleeping, the front of the dentitions 10 and 20 and the gums 11 and 21 can be opened even when the mouth is breathing and the mouth is open. It can be covered with the covering portion 40. Further, the elastic valve part 70 keeps the opening area of the opening part 60 to a minimum. For this reason, it is difficult for the temperature and humidity in the oral cavity to escape, and it is possible to prevent these from changing greatly. As a result, the temperature and humidity in the oral cavity can be kept relatively high, and drying in the oral cavity can be suppressed. Since dryness in the oral cavity is suppressed, the effect of preventing infection (antibacterial / cleaning) of saliva can be exerted, which can be useful for the prevention and treatment of periodontal disease.

  When the moisture content on the tongue surface was measured by experiment, the moisture content on the tongue surface was kept at 10% or more, and it was confirmed that the effect of suppressing dryness in the oral cavity could be exhibited.

  Further, when a coating agent such as a gel having a bactericidal / antibacterial effect for oral cavity is used in combination, the coating agent adheres to the gums 11 and 21 in a form sandwiched between the covering part 40, so The effect can be sustained. Furthermore, since the covering portion 40 has a corrugated shape that can be expanded and contracted, even when the diseased portion is swollen, the burden on the diseased portion can be reduced and the mouthpiece 30 can be easily attached.

  As described above, the mouthpiece 30 of the present embodiment covers the front surfaces of the upper and lower dentitions 10 and 20 and the front surfaces of the upper and lower gums 11 and 21 and is sandwiched between the lips 12 and 22 and the cheeks. A covering portion 40, a holding portion 50 that holds the covering portion 40 with respect to the tooth portion excluding the front tooth portion of the maxillary dentition 10 or the lower jaw dentition 20, and a portion of the covering portion 40 that faces the front tooth portion. Since the air passage opening 60 that penetrates the covering portion 40 is always formed and elastically displaced, and the elastic valve portion 70 that can change the size of the opening area of the opening 60 is provided. The mouthpiece 30 that can be used for preventing diseases in the oral cavity such as periodontal disease by suppressing the dryness in the oral cavity and exerting the effect of preventing infection (antibacterial / cleaning) of saliva can be provided. In addition, when a coating agent such as a gel having a bactericidal / antibacterial action for the oral cavity is used in combination, the coating agent adheres to the gums 11, 21, etc. in a form sandwiched between the covering part 40. Can last.

  Since the elastic valve part 70 has a shape in which a plurality of small pieces 71 are arranged, it is easy to adjust the size of the opening area of the opening part 60. In addition, since the plurality of small pieces 71 are individually displaceable, the shape of the air passage opening 60 can be easily matched to the shape of the front teeth of the user, and the user can easily breathe.

  Since the covering portion 40 has a corrugated shape that can be expanded and contracted, it absorbs the difference in the size of the upper and lower jaws and the difference in the dentitions 10 and 20 to match the shape of the teeth and gums 11 and 21 with the mouse. It becomes easy to mount the piece 30. Also, when the diseased part is swollen, the burden on the diseased part is reduced and the mouthpiece 30 can be easily worn. Furthermore, when applying a coating agent such as a gel, the coating agent is easily attached to or retained on the coating portion 40, and the sterilization and antibacterial action by the coating agent can be further maintained.

  Since the holding part 50 has a plate-like occlusal part 51 which is provided so as to protrude toward the back surface 40 a side of the covering part 40 and is bitten by the upper and lower jaw teeth 10, 20, the user bites the occlusal part 51. The covering portion 40 can be held with respect to the tooth portion. Further, since the occlusal portion 51 is sandwiched between upper and lower teeth, it has an effect of preventing bruxism at bedtime and can also play a role of reducing the burden on the teeth.

  Since the holding part 50 further includes a tooth part covering part 52 extending from the occlusal part 51 along the inner side surface of the tooth part, the holding part 50 has a shape that covers the tooth part, and the tooth part covering part 52 further has a shape. Since it is sandwiched between the tooth part and the tongue 15, the covering part 40 can be stably held with respect to the tooth part, and displacement of the mounting position of the mouthpiece 30 can be prevented.

(Modification)
6 (A) and 6 (B) are diagrams showing another shape example of the elastic valve portion.

  The shape of the opening 60 and the shape of the small piece 71 of the elastic valve portion 70 that always forms the opening 60 can be modified as appropriate. In the embodiment described above, the upper and lower small pieces 71 have a shape such that almost the entire upper and lower small pieces 71 mesh with each other (see FIG. 4A), but as shown in FIG. , It may have a shape that does not mesh. Further, as shown in FIG. 6B, the upper and lower small pieces 71 may have a shape such that only the tip portion is engaged.

  FIGS. 7A and 7B are cross-sectional views showing the main part of a mouthpiece 30 according to a modification, and are cross-sectional views corresponding to FIG.

  Referring to FIGS. 7A and 7B, the covering portion 40 of the mouthpiece 30 according to the modified example has an accommodating portion 81 that is disposed on the back surface 40a side and can hold a medicine. The accommodating portion 81 is formed between a pair of convex portions 82 protruding from the back surface 40a side of the covering portion 40 (FIG. 7A), or a concave portion 83 formed by recessing the back surface 40a of the covering portion 40. The form (FIG.7 (B)) formed from can be illustrated. By applying the coating agent to the storage portion 81, the coating agent is more easily held, and the sterilization / antibacterial action by the coating agent can be further maintained. Further, even when a solid medicine other than a coating medicine, for example, a medicine 80 having a film shape, is housed in the housing portion 81, the medicine 80 having a film shape is held in the covering portion 40, and the medicine 80 having a film shape. The sterilization and antibacterial action can be maintained.

  In addition, although embodiment which uses the mouthpiece 30 as a prevention and treatment tool of periodontal disease was described, this invention is not limited to this case. The mouthpiece according to the present invention can also be applied to uses where it is indispensable to increase moisture retention in the oral cavity as a countermeasure for other dry mouth diseases.

  Further, although the embodiment in which the corrugated shape in the covering portion 40 is given to the corrugated shape upper portion 44 and the corrugated shape lower portion 45 has been described, the corrugated shape is given to the entire covering portion 40 including the central portion 43. May be.

  Further, although the embodiment has been described in which the holding unit 50 is configured to hold the covering unit 40 with respect to the tooth part excluding the front tooth part of the lower jaw dentition 20, the holding part 50 is the You may comprise so that the coating | coated part 40 may be hold | maintained with respect to the tooth part except the front tooth part.

10 maxillary dentition,
11, 21 upper and lower gums,
12, 22 lips,
20 Mandibular dentition,
30 mouthpiece,
40 covering part,
40a The back side of the covering part,
50 holding part,
51 occlusion,
52 tooth cover,
60 opening for air passage,
70 elastic valve part,
71 pieces,
80 drugs,
81 container.

Claims (6)

A plate-like covering that covers the front of the upper and lower dentition and the front of the upper and lower gums and is sandwiched between the lips and cheeks;
A holding part for holding the covering part with respect to the tooth part excluding the front tooth part of the upper dentition or the lower dentition, and
An elastic valve that constantly forms an opening for passing air through the covering portion at a portion facing the front tooth portion of the covering portion, and is elastically displaced to change the size of the opening area of the opening portion. A mouthpiece having a portion.   The mouthpiece according to claim 1, wherein the elastic valve portion has a shape in which a plurality of small pieces are arranged.   The mouthpiece according to claim 1, wherein the covering portion has an elastic wave plate shape.   The mouthpiece according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the covering portion includes an accommodating portion that is disposed on the back surface side and is capable of holding a medicine.   The said holding | maintenance part protrudes and is provided in the back surface side of the said coating | coated part, and has a plate-shaped occlusion part which is bitten by the dentition of the upper and lower jaws. Mouthpiece.   The mouthpiece according to claim 5, wherein the holding portion includes a tooth portion covering portion that extends from the occlusal portion along an inner surface of the tooth portion.

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