JP2023056210A - mouthpiece - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a mouthpiece that can make gnashing or clenching teeth during sleep recognizable and that can make inhibitory effect of gnashing or clenching teeth per se expectable.SOLUTION: A mouthpiece 10 is composed of an elastic resin material bitten by the upper teeth and lower teeth of a user. The mouthpiece is integrally formed with: an outer wall part 11 situated in the front side of the upper teeth and the lower teeth; an inner wall part 12 situated in the rear side of the upper teeth and the lower teeth; and a separated wall part 13 situated between the upper teeth and the lower teeth, all similarly with the mouthpiece fitted inside an oral cavity. In the outer wall part, an air intake hole 14 is provided which opens in the front. In at least one of the outer wall part or the inner wall part, one or more liquid outflow holes 15 are provided which open in the front or in the rear. In the separated wall part, there is formed a conduit part which communicates with the air intake hole and the liquid outflow hole, with a liquid having irritation filled in the conduit part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a mouthpiece, and more particularly to a mouthpiece used during sleep.

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, it is known to wear a mouthpiece in order to suppress damage or wear of teeth or adverse effects on gums due to bruxism or clenching during sleep (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

JP 2016-174890 A

However, although such a mouthpiece can suppress direct interference between upper teeth and lingual teeth, it does not suppress bruxism or clenching itself.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a mouthpiece that allows the user to recognize that they are clenching or clenching their teeth during sleep, and that can be expected to have the effect of suppressing clenching or clenching of their teeth.

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a mouthpiece made of an elastic resin material that is meshed by the upper teeth and lower teeth of the user, wherein the mouthpiece is worn in the oral cavity of the user. The outer wall portion positioned in front of the upper teeth and the lower teeth in the state, the inner wall portion positioned in the back side of the upper teeth and the lower teeth when worn in the user's oral cavity, and the inner wall portion positioned in the user's oral cavity when worn A separation wall portion located between the upper teeth and the lower teeth is integrally formed, the outer wall portion is provided with an air intake hole opening to the front, and at least one of the outer wall portion and the inner wall portion is provided with , one or more liquid outflow holes that are open to the front surface or the back surface are provided, the separation wall section is formed with a conduit section that communicates the air intake hole and the liquid outflow hole, and the conduit section includes: It is filled with an irritating liquid.

The mouthpiece of the present invention can be similar in appearance to known mouthpieces. The mouthpiece has an outer wall positioned in front of the upper teeth and the lower teeth when worn in the user's mouth, and an inner wall positioned behind the upper teeth and the lower teeth when worn in the user's mouth. A portion and a separation wall portion located between the upper teeth and the lower teeth in a state of being worn in the oral cavity of the user are integrally formed of an elastic resin material.

Further, the outer wall of the mouthpiece is provided with an air intake hole that opens to the front, and at least one of the outer wall and the inner wall is provided with one or more liquid outlet holes that open to the front or the back. . A conduit portion is formed in the separation wall portion for communicating the air intake hole and the liquid outflow hole.

Furthermore, the conduit portion is filled with an irritating liquid.

As a result, when the user grinds or clenches his/her teeth while wearing the mouthpiece and sleeps, the separation wall is crushed by the applied pressure, and the irritating liquid filled in the conduit becomes liquid. It flows out from the outflow hole and stimulates the user's tongue.

Therefore, the user can recognize that the user has clenched or clenched his/her teeth by the stimulus, and can expect an effect of suppressing the clenching or clenching of the teeth itself by learning the discomfort.

ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, it can be expected that the bruxism or clenching itself can be suppressed by making the person recognize that they are clenching or clenching their teeth during sleep.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The mouthpiece which concerns on this invention is shown, (A) is a front view, (B) is a perspective view. An example of the relationship between an air intake hole, a liquid outflow hole, and a conduit section is shown, (A) is an explanatory diagram showing the case where the liquid outflow hole faces outward, and (B) is an explanation showing the case where the liquid outflow hole faces inward. It is a diagram. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the mouthpiece of the present invention and the user's teeth when the mouthpiece is worn. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a taste area on the tongue surface of a human body;

Next, a mouthpiece according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the mouthpiece 10 includes an outer wall portion 11 positioned in front of the upper teeth and the lower teeth when worn in the user's oral cavity, and an outer wall portion 11 positioned in front of the upper teeth and the upper teeth when worn in the user's oral cavity. The inner wall portion 12 located on the back side of the lower teeth and the separation wall portion 13 located between the upper teeth and the lower teeth when worn in the user's oral cavity are engaged by the upper teeth and the lower teeth of the user. It is integrally constructed from a resilient resin material to fit together.

The outer wall portion 11 is provided with an air intake hole 14 that opens to the front surface, and the outer wall portion 11 (or at least one of the inner wall portions 12) has one or more liquid outflow holes 15 that open to the front surface (or the rear surface). (four in the figure) are provided.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 2A (or FIG. 2B), a conduit portion 16 is formed in the separation wall portion 13 so as to communicate the air intake hole 14 and the liquid outflow hole 15. there is Further, the conduit portion 16 is filled with, for example, an irritating liquid (not shown) injected from the air intake hole 14 .

The mouthpiece 10 has, for example, a width W of 6.0 cm, a height H of 2.5 cm, and a depth D of 4.5 cm. Moreover, the material of the mouthpiece 10 is preferably used for tableware or the like that comes into direct contact with the mouth of a person and has elasticity, and thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) or the like is preferable as the resin material.

In addition, the hardness and various sizes (for example, the thickness of the outer wall portion 11, etc.) vary depending on the user's deformability when wearing and removing from the oral cavity, shape retention when wearing, and pressure when applying pressure due to bruxism or clenching. It can be appropriately set in consideration of the deformability.

For example, as shown in FIG. 4, the surface of the human tongue has a sweet and unsweetened area, a salty area that feels salty, an area that feels sour, and a bitter area that feels bitter. Because of the presence of the taste identification areas, the liquid can have each of these tastes. In addition to the gustatory stimulus, it may also contain an odor that stimulates the nasal cavity, such as mint, for example.

The air intake hole 14 is preferably formed at one location near the center of the user's oral cavity on the left and right sides so that the user's lips are less likely to block the inflow of air.

As described above, the irritating liquid contains taste components corresponding to at least one taste area among the taste identification areas present on the surface of the tongue, so the liquid outflow hole 15 corresponds to the one taste area. It is possible to facilitate the transmission of the stimulus of the liquid to the user by providing it in correspondence with the site.

Here, the irritating liquid contains a bitter component corresponding to the bitterness identification area (circumvallate papillae) among the taste identification areas present on the surface of the tongue, and the liquid outflow holes 15 are as shown in FIG. In addition, it is more preferable to provide the area near the molars corresponding to the bitterness identification area. This makes it possible for the user to easily recognize the stimulus due to the strongly irritating bitterness that easily wakes up even during sleep.

Here, the following oral symptoms (adverse effects) caused by bruxism or clenching are considered.

(1) Teeth sting People who grind or clench their teeth may experience tooth stinging. Grinding or clenching the teeth causes the roots of the teeth to be scraped or receded, making the nerves of the teeth sensitive and the teeth to be sensitive to cold things. Back teeth often sting.

(2) Painful teeth Grinding or clenching your teeth may cause toothache due to long-term strain on the teeth. Even if you go to the dentist, you won't find any cavities. Pain often occurs in the upper and lower teeth.

(3) Pain when chewing If teeth are shaken by grinding or clenching, pain and discomfort are felt when chewing. Teeth have a periodontal ligament, which determines whether something is hard or soft when chewing. Bruxism or clenching of the teeth exerts a strong force on this membrane, which is felt as pain when chewing.

(4) The root of the tooth is scraped If you notice that the root of the tooth is scraped or there is a step, it is possible that you are clenching or clenching your teeth. When a strong force is applied to the root of the tooth due to bruxism or clenching, stress is concentrated and the root of the tooth is scraped like a wedge.

(5) Shortening of the teeth Bruxism or clenching of the teeth may wear away the chewing surface of the teeth, resulting in shortening of the teeth. Front teeth may become more jagged or even flatter. In the back teeth, the enamel on the surface of the teeth is worn away, and the dentin in the middle of the teeth becomes visible, making the teeth look yellow.

(6) Drooping gums Grinding or clenching your teeth can shake your teeth and cause drooping gums. Symptoms such as teeth appearing longer and hyperesthesia may occur.

(7) Fillings can come off Sometimes fillings or crowns can come off. It becomes easier for silver teeth to come off, ceramics to crack, and plastic fillings to come off.

(8) Cracked teeth Grinding or clenching the teeth may crack the surface of the teeth or crack the roots. Severe pain can occur when a tooth with a nerve is cracked.

(9) Periodontal disease does not improve Teeth are shaken by clenching or clenching, and the bone supporting the teeth dissolves, resulting in periodontal disease. Since teeth are constantly shaken by bruxism or clenching, periodontal disease tends to progress rapidly. You need to remove tartar regularly and protect your teeth with mouthpieces.

(10) Pain in the jaw The joint of the jaw is strongly pressed by clenching or clenching the teeth, causing pain. The temporomandibular joint is a joint that connects the jaw and the head, and there is a cartilage called a joint disc between the joints, and this joint disc has the function of moving the jaw smoothly. Compressed, misaligned, or perforated, preventing smooth jaw movement.

(11) Stiff shoulders Grinding or clenching your teeth makes your muscles tense, making your shoulders more likely to become stiff. During bruxism or clenching, you unconsciously clench your teeth with great force. At that time, the muscles that generate the force to chew are connected to the shoulders, neck, and head, and the shoulders and neck muscles become stiff due to the tension in those muscles.

(12) Migraine Migraine may be caused by clenching or clenching teeth. Among the muscles that move when you grind or clench your teeth, there is a muscle (temporal muscle) that connects from your jaw to the side of your head.

In addition, brain abnormalities during sleep are thought to be one of the causes of the mechanism of bruxism or clenching. Bruxism or clenching of the teeth during sleep can be divided into ``grinding,'' in which the teeth are rubbed together with noise, and ``clenching,'' in which the teeth are clenched without rubbing. This clenching or clenching of teeth during sleep is caused by brain excitement, and occurs during light sleep (non-REM sleep).

Therefore, if you can recognize that you are clenching or clenching your teeth (including clenching), you will be able to learn because it interferes with sleep, and it is expected that you will be able to suppress clenching or clenching your teeth. can be done.

For example, as a vibration splint, a pressure-sensitive film is embedded in a mouthpiece for bruxism or clenching, and when bruxism or clenching is detected, a vibration stimulus is applied. It was demonstrated that bruxism or clenching can be suppressed by about 50%. Therefore, it is considered that a similar bruxism or clenching inhibitory effect can be expected even with a taste (or smell) stimulus.

The embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it goes without saying that the scope of the technical idea of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described here. Those who have ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs can conceive various changes, modifications, combinations, etc. within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention described in the claims. Clearly it can be done. Therefore, the later techniques such as these changes, modifications, combinations, etc. naturally belong to the scope of the technical idea of the present invention.

In addition, although not exemplified one by one, the present invention can be implemented with various modifications within the scope of the invention.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 mouthpiece 11 outer wall 12 inner wall 13 conduit 14 air intake hole 15 outflow hole 16 conduit

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a mouthpiece made of an elastic resin material that is meshed by the upper teeth and lower teeth of the user, wherein the mouthpiece is worn in the oral cavity of the user. The outer wall portion positioned in front of the upper teeth and the lower teeth in the state, the inner wall portion positioned in the back side of the upper teeth and the lower teeth when worn in the user's oral cavity, and the inner wall portion positioned in the user's oral cavity when worn A separation wall portion located between the upper teeth and the lower teeth is integrally formed, the outer wall portion is provided with an air intake hole opening to the front, and at least one of the outer wall portion and the inner wall portion is provided with , one or more liquid outflow holes that are open to the front surface or the back surface are provided, the separation wall section is formed with a conduit section that communicates the air intake hole and the liquid outflow hole, and the conduit section includes: A mouthpiece filled with a liquid having a bitter component , wherein the air intake hole is formed in the vicinity of the left and right center of the user's oral cavity, and the liquid outflow hole is formed in the back teeth where stimulation by the bitter taste is likely to be recognized. When a user wearing the mouthpiece while sleeping wears the mouthpiece and clenches or clenches his or her teeth, the pressure applied by the clenching or clenching of the teeth crushes the separation wall and fills the conduit. The user is awakened from sleep by stimulating the user's tongue by causing the liquid containing the bitter component to flow out from the liquid outflow hole.

Claims (4)

A mouthpiece made of an elastic resin material that is meshed with a user's upper teeth and lower teeth,
The mouthpiece is
an outer wall portion positioned in front of the upper teeth and the lower teeth when worn in the user's oral cavity;
an inner wall portion located behind the upper teeth and the lower teeth when worn in the user's oral cavity;
a separation wall positioned between the upper teeth and the lower teeth when worn in the oral cavity of the user;
are formed together,
The outer wall portion is provided with an air intake hole opening to the front,
At least one of the outer wall portion and the inner wall portion is provided with one or more liquid outflow holes opening to the front surface or the back surface,
A conduit portion communicating between the air intake hole and the liquid outflow hole is formed in the separation wall portion,
The conduit portion is filled with an irritating liquid,
A mouthpiece characterized by: The mouthpiece of claim 1,
The air intake hole is formed near the left-right center of the user's oral cavity,
A mouthpiece characterized by: In the mouthpiece according to claim 1 or claim 2,
The irritating liquid contains a taste component corresponding to at least one of the taste identification areas present on the surface of the tongue,
The liquid outflow hole is provided at a portion corresponding to the one taste area,
A mouthpiece characterized by: In the mouthpiece according to claim 1 or claim 2,
The irritating liquid contains a bitter component corresponding to the bitterness identification area of the taste identification area present on the surface of the tongue,
The liquid outflow hole is provided near the molar corresponding to the bitterness identification area,
A mouthpiece characterized by:

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