JP4325665B2 - Method for manufacturing orthodontic mouthpiece - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an orthodontic mouthpiece.

  As a conventional orthodontic method, a wire is used, and by applying a constant force (static load) to the dentition by the return force of the wire, the arrangement of teeth and biting are cured. . That is, when a constant force is applied to the dentition, the alveolar bone that supports the teeth in the gums is gradually deformed, thereby correcting the dentition.

  However, such an approach takes a very long period, as early as six months, usually several years, and is particularly painful and often does not last for children who are of the right age for orthodontics. Therefore, Non-Patent Document 1 compares a sample in which a constant force is applied to the dentition and a sample in which a vibration force is applied to the dentition, and the sample to which the vibration force is applied is more effective in shortening the correction period. There is research that there is. Similarly, Non-Patent Document 2 compares a sample in which a constant force is applied to the dentition and a sample in which a constant force + vibration force is applied to the dentition. Research has also been done on how to reduce the correction period.

  According to these studies, the period of orthodontics is to be greatly shortened to about 1/2 to 1/3. In addition to that, non-patent document 1 gives only 1.5 hours per day, and non-patent document 2 only applies 2 minutes once every two weeks. That is, in Non-Patent Document 1, treatment may be continued for 1.5 hours per day, and in Non-Patent Document 2, treatment may be continued for 2 minutes once every two weeks. From these studies, it can be understood that applying a vibration force is more effective in significantly shortening the orthodontic period than simply applying a constant force to the dentition with a wire or the like.

  Therefore, as an attempt to put these studies into practical use, Patent Document 1 discloses an apparatus that applies ultrasonic vibration to the surrounding tissue around the mouthpiece attachment site that promotes movement of the correction target tooth. An apparatus for applying ultrasonic vibration to a target tooth has been proposed.

  However, in the techniques of Patent Documents 1 and 2, the ultrasonic supply head is pressed against the skin surface of the cheek, for example, to apply ultrasonic vibration from the outside, and the ultrasonic vibration is accurately applied only to the correction target tooth. There was a problem that it was difficult to give. Further, since an ultrasonic generator is required, there is a problem that treatment cannot be continued unless the patient visits a dental clinic equipped with this device.

  For this reason, the present applicant has previously proposed an orthodontic apparatus that can accurately apply vibration only to the correction target tooth and can simply and safely continue treatment without going to the dental clinic. Such an orthodontic apparatus includes a mouthpiece to be mounted on the dentition, and the mouthpiece has a structure in which an inner piece and an outer piece are overlapped, and an eccentric weight is placed on the portion of the correction target tooth in the overlapped portion. Like the motor which has, it becomes a vibration means and stores the vibration actuator which produces | generates a mechanical vibration.

According to this orthodontic apparatus, mechanical vibration (mechanical stimulation) can be accurately applied from the mouthpiece to the portion of the tooth to be corrected, and a high effect can be obtained. In addition, since the vibration actuator is stored in the mouthpiece, treatment can be continued easily and safely at any time, for example, at home without going to the dental clinic. Furthermore, since the mechanical vibration of the vibration actuator is transmitted to the tooth part to be corrected through the overlapping part of the double mouthpiece, the tooth due to the mechanical vibration being directly transmitted to the tooth to be corrected. Can relieve pain.
Shimizu: Japanese Journal of Dentistry 45: 56-72, 1986 Ohmae et al .: Journal of Japanese Orthodontic Society, 60 (4): 201, 2001 JP 2002-102255 A JP 2004-201895 A

  In the above-described prior art, as usual, a sheet body having heat softening properties is mounted on a user's tooth mold after being heated, pressurized from the outside of the tooth mold with air pressure, and / or from the inside. The softened sheet is brought into close contact with the tooth mold by an air flow generated by suction to create an inner piece. Subsequently, after the dummy of the vibration actuator is mounted on the inner piece, a mold is taken by the same method as that for collecting the tooth mold, a plaster mold is created from the mold, and the plaster mold is heated. An outer piece is created by mounting a sheet body having softening properties. Then, after heating a part of the inner piece and welding the actual vibration actuator, the outer piece and the inner piece are combined, the peripheral part is heated and welded, and the inside is hermetically sealed. .

  For this reason, there is a problem that the molding process needs to be complicated because the molding process needs to be performed twice together with the mold molding of the tooth mold. Also, since the inner piece and the outer piece that have hardened are bonded together, the part that did not weld well will have a gap and sealing will be insufficient, so that water will soak in later, causing failure, There is also the problem of breeding and becoming unsanitary.

  The objective of this invention is providing the manufacturing method of the orthodontic mouthpiece which can simplify a process and can seal an inside airtightly.

  The method for manufacturing an orthodontic mouthpiece of the present invention has an oscillating means, and the vibration generated by the oscillating means is applied to the dentition of the user who wears the orthodontic mouthpiece, so that the orthodontic can be promoted. A method for manufacturing an orthodontic mouthpiece, comprising: heating and mounting a heat softening sheet on the user's tooth mold; and bringing the softened sheet into close contact with the tooth mold by an air flow. The step of creating an inner piece, the step of mounting the vibration generating means and the configuration related thereto on the inner piece, and the inner piece mounting the configuration related to the vibration generating means are set on the tooth mold of the user. Further, an outer side which heats and mounts a sheet body having heat softening property thereon and tightly seals the structure relating to the vibration generating unit inside by bringing the softened sheet body into close contact with the inner piece by pressure or air flow Characterized in that it comprises a step of creating over scan.

  According to said structure, it has an excitation means in the mouthpiece with which it mounts | wears with a user's dentition, and the orthodontic correction can be accelerated | stimulated by adding the vibration which the oscillating means generate | occur | produced to the mounted dentition. When manufacturing an orthodontic mouthpiece to be made, first, as usual, a heat softening sheet is heated and mounted on the user's tooth mold, and pressure is applied from the outside of the tooth mold by air pressure or the like. And / or the inner piece is created by bringing the softened sheet into close contact with the tooth mold by an air flow generated by suction from the inside. Next, a structure that should be built in a mouthpiece such as a motor having an eccentric weight and a control board provided as necessary, or a dummy that is mounted on the inner piece for mold making In the state where the internal structure itself is mounted directly at a position corresponding to the tooth to be corrected of the inner piece, the inner piece is set on the user's tooth mold so that it does not lose its shape. The outer piece is covered in the same manner as the inner piece, and the configuration relating to the vibration generating means is hermetically sealed.

  Therefore, the second molding is not required to create the outer piece, and the number of processes can be reduced. Also, instead of reheating and bonding the hardened inner piece and outer piece together, the inner piece is softened by the uniform heating of the entire inner piece, including the inner piece, due to the heat of the covered outer piece. And the sheet body for the outer piece are in a semi-molten state and are naturally integrated, so that airtightness can be improved and between the inner piece and the outer piece as in the case of molding using a dummy. There is no problem that a gap occurs or the inner piece does not fit into the outer piece, and a high-quality mouthpiece can be created.

  The orthodontic mouthpiece manufacturing method according to the present invention also includes an adhesive force exerted by a material of the inner piece due to residual heat of the inner piece in the step of mounting the vibrating means and the configuration related thereto on the inner piece. It is characterized by using.

  According to the above configuration, when the vibration generating means and the related configuration are temporarily fixed on the inner piece and the outer piece is covered, the remaining heat of the inner piece is utilized, that is, heat softening is performed on the tooth mold. After the sheet having the property is heated to create the inner piece, the material of the inner piece holds the adhesive force until it cools and hardens, and the adhesive force is used for the temporary fixing.

  Therefore, the temporary fixing can be performed without using another fixing means such as an adhesive.

  Furthermore, in the method of manufacturing an orthodontic mouthpiece according to the present invention, the sheet body which is the inner piece and the outer piece is made of a resin whose softening temperature is lower than the heat resistance temperature of the vibration generating means and the related configuration. It is characterized by that.

  According to the above configuration, since the outer piece is also molded by softening by heating as described above, the softening temperature, the vibration generating means, and the configuration related thereto are also combined with the inner piece integrated with the outer piece. By setting the heat-resistant temperature to the above relationship, it is possible to reliably prevent problems due to heat of the vibration generating means and the related configuration.

  As described above, the method for manufacturing an orthodontic mouthpiece according to the present invention has a vibrating means in the mouthpiece to be mounted on the user's dental row, and the dental row to which the vibration generated by the vibrating means is mounted. In manufacturing an orthodontic mouthpiece that can facilitate orthodontic treatment by adding to the sheet, first, as usual, a heat-softening sheet body is heated and mounted on the user's tooth mold as usual. For example, the softened sheet body is brought into close contact with the tooth mold by an air flow generated by, for example, air pressure from the outside of the tooth mold and / or suction from the inside to create an inner piece, The structure to be incorporated in the mouthpiece such as a motor having an eccentric weight and a control board provided as necessary corresponds to the tooth to be corrected of the inner piece that has transferred the shape of the user's tooth shape. did Set directly location, covered outer piece in the same manner as the inner piece thereon, which hermetically seals the structure relating to the excitation means therein.

  Therefore, the second molding is not required to create the outer piece, and the number of processes can be reduced. Also, instead of reheating and bonding the inner piece and the outer piece once solidified, the inner side that has been softened by the uniform heating of the entire inner piece, including the inner piece, by the heat of the outer piece Since the piece and the sheet for the outer piece are in a semi-molten state and are naturally integrated, the airtightness can be improved and the space between the inner piece and the outer piece as in the case of molding with a dummy is used. There is no problem that a gap occurs in the inner piece or the inner piece does not fit into the outer piece, and a high-quality mouthpiece can be created.

  The orthodontic mouthpiece manufacturing method of the present invention, as described above, temporarily fixes the vibration generating means and the configuration related thereto on the inner piece and covers the outer piece. Using the residual heat, that is, after heating the sheet body having heat softening properties on the tooth mold to create the inner piece, until the material is cooled and solidified, the material of the inner piece retains adhesive force, The adhesive force is used for the temporary fixing.

  Therefore, the temporary fixing can be performed without using another fixing means such as an adhesive.

  Furthermore, as described above, the manufacturing method of the orthodontic mouthpiece of the present invention is such that the outer piece is also formed by softening by heating. Therefore, the softening temperature of the inner piece integrated with the outer piece is also adjusted. Is set lower than the heat-resistant temperature of the vibration generating means and the configuration related thereto.

  Therefore, it is possible to reliably prevent problems due to heat of the vibration generating means and the related configuration. Furthermore, the mounting of the electrical components incorporated in the mouthpiece and the heating (melting) molding of the resin, which is a mouthpiece creation process, can be performed simultaneously. In other words, the electrical component mounting process can be incorporated into a normal mouthpiece creation process and processed at the same time, so that the step of mounting a built-in component can be omitted.

[Embodiment 1]
FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a state in which a mouthpiece 7 according to an embodiment of the present invention is mounted on a user's lower jaw, and FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a user's lower jaw tooth mold 1. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along section line III-III in FIG. In the example of FIG. 2, brackets (wire locking metal fittings) 4 are fixed to the outer surface portions of the teeth 3b to 3m excluding the back teeth 3a and 3n among the teeth 3a to 3n of the tooth row 3, A wire 5 is locked in series across the bracket 4. Then, by applying a constant force (static load) to the dentition 3 with the return force of the wire 5, the teeth are aligned and bitten with these correction tools. In addition, the bracket 4 which latches the tooth | gear which fixes the bracket 4, and the wire 5 is not restricted to what was illustrated in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the mouthpiece 7 of the present embodiment is attached to the dentition 3 to which the wire 5 is attached. As shown in FIG. 3, the mouthpiece 7 includes an inner piece 7A that is in direct contact with the dentition 3, an outer piece 7B that is placed on the outer side of the inner piece 7A, and an airtight (watertight that does not allow moisture to enter) therebetween. And is provided with a vibration actuator 8 serving as a vibration generating means provided in a portion of the correction target tooth (3g, 3h in the example of FIG. 1).

  As the material of the inner piece 7A and the outer piece 7B, a material that is widely used as a mouthpiece (or mouthguard) and in which hygienic safety is ensured is used. For example, EVA (ethylene) which is a polymer material is used. It is preferable to form the (vinyl acetate resin) sheet as will be described later, since the effects of allergies to teeth and gums can be suppressed. The material of the inner piece 7A and the outer piece 7B is not limited to the EVA sheet, but the EVA sheet is more preferable because it has electrical insulation and functions as a heat insulating material. In particular, when an EVA sheet is used for the inner piece 7A, the inner piece 7A can be made soft, and thereby, a high-speed component of mechanical vibration transmitted from the vibration actuator 8 described later to the correction target teeth 3g and 3h. Therefore, it is possible to prevent damage to the correction target teeth 3g and 3h.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a bulge portion 7a corresponding to the vibration actuator 8 is formed on the correction target teeth 3g and 3h of the outer piece 7B, and a small and lightweight vibration actuator is formed in the bulge portion 7a. 8 is stored sideways (so that the vibration direction is substantially perpendicular to the tooth row 3). The vibration actuator 8 has a structure that generates mechanical vibration with an eccentric weight attached to a rotating shaft of a motor, and is widely used as a vibrator of a mobile phone.

  When the eccentric weight is in direct contact with the inner surface of the bulging portion 7a and the like, vibration is easily restrained, and therefore the eccentric weight is stored in advance in a metal or high polymer material housing such as rubber rubber in a state where vibration force is not restrained. It is preferable that the vibration actuator 8 is stored in the bulging portion 7a. The power supply line 9 to the vibration actuator 8 is drawn out from a through hole (not shown specifically) formed in the bulging portion 7a of the outer piece 7B to the outside, and further drawn out from between the lips to the outside of the mouth. Is done. When the motor in the vibration actuator 8 is a direct current (DC) motor, the intensity and period of vibration can be adjusted by supplying electric power from a battery (battery) via a switch and a variable resistor. it can. The number of rotations of the vibration actuator 8, that is, the vibration frequency (frequency) is preferably about several Hz to several hundred Hz. The vibration actuator 8 may be an alternating current (AC) motor. In addition to the vibration actuator 8, the control board and the like may be provided in the mouthpiece 7 as necessary.

  Here, if the power source for driving, control parts, etc. can be stored together with the vibration actuator 8 in the mouthpiece 7 having a structure in which the inner and outer layers are overlapped, the power supply line from the mouthpiece 7 can be passed from between the lips to the outside of the mouth. There is no need to pull out and connect to an external device (battery, control component, etc.).

  Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, when the power source of the vibration actuator 8 is a small button battery 111, the bulge portion 7a for storing the vibration actuator 8 formed on the outer mouthpiece 7B. It is also possible to form a storage bulge portion 7d of the button battery 111 in the vicinity of and to directly join the vibration actuator 8 and the button battery 111 to each other within the bulge portions 7a and 7d by a feeder line or the like. A switch 113 that is turned on / off by a push / push operation from the outer surface of the outer mouthpiece 7B can be incorporated in the power supply path.

  In that case, the insulation between the vibration actuator 8, the button battery 111, the switch 13, etc. stored in the mouthpiece 7 may be subjected to a normal insulation process, but the insulating effect is applied to the mouthpiece material itself as a structural material. Therefore, the structure of the outer piece 7B may be used. Further, when storing the flexible substrate for the control unit in the mouthpiece 7, by mounting these on the flexible substrate, the vibrating actuator 8, drive power source, Control parts can be stored.

  By configuring in this way, it is possible to remove external wiring and connection parts as described above, the appearance of the device is only a mouthpiece, and the feeder 9 does not touch the inside of the oral cavity, which is electrically safe. Can be ensured and improvement in wearing feeling can be expected. In addition, carrying becomes convenient, and practical value increases. For the reasons described above, the power source to be stored is preferably a small and thin power source such as the button battery 111.

  FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the manufacturing apparatus 11 for the mouthpiece 7 configured as described above. The manufacturing apparatus 11 includes a stage 12 on which the tooth mold 1 is mounted, and a main body 14 including a pump that performs suction from a plurality of suction holes 13 formed in the stage 12, and a stand on the main body 14. It can be moved up and down by a support column 18 provided, and includes a pair of upper and lower sheet fixtures 16 and 17 sandwiching the EVA sheet 15 and an electric heater 19 mounted on the support column 18.

  FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a manufacturing method of the mouthpiece 7 using the manufacturing apparatus 11 described above. First, in step S1, an impression material is attached to the user's dentition 3 at the dental clinic to mold, and in step S2, gypsum is poured into the impression material holding the dentition shape in the dental laboratory. The plaster mold 1 is completed by taking out the plaster after solidification. Here, when a corrector such as a bracket 4 or a wire 5 is attached to the user's dentition 3, when the mouthpiece 7 is attached to or detached from the dentition 3, the inner piece 7A is pulled to the edge of the corrector. The inner piece 7A may be damaged or the bracket 4 may come off the tooth surface. In order to prevent such inconvenience, the gap between the bracket 4 and the wire 5 of the tooth mold 1 may be filled with a wax agent or the like to eliminate the edge. According to this method, when an impression is taken from the user, the burden on the user is reduced as compared with a method in which a non-toxic wax agent or the like that can be washed with water is filled in the gap between the bracket 4 and the wire 5 in advance. .

  It should be noted that in the present embodiment, the inner piece 7A, the outer piece 7B, and the like are thereafter mounted on the tooth mold 1 in the present embodiment. The tooth mold 1 is mounted on the stage 12 of the manufacturing apparatus 11 in step S3. On the other hand, the EVA sheet 15 sandwiched between the sheet fixtures 16 and 17 is heated in the vicinity of the electric heater 19 when the sheet fixtures 16 and 17 rise on the support column 18 and soften. Descends and the EVA sheet 15 is gradually covered on the tooth mold 1. At this time, suction is performed from the suction hole 13, so that the EVA sheet 15 comes into close contact with the tooth mold 1 by the air flow. Therefore, the tooth mold 1 is provided with a notch 1a for suction so that the mold can be accurately taken. This is schematically shown in FIG.

  At this time, the electric heater 19 may also be lowered and continuously heated. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 7B, the entire EVA sheet 15 may be molded by pressurizing the whole from the outside with air pressure or the like. Alternatively, pressurization and suction may be used in combination. By performing the molding in this way, the inner piece 7A is completed. Up to this step S3, the conventional mouthpiece manufacturing method is the same. FIG. 7 is the same as FIG. 2-11 shown on page 15 of “Mouthguard not only! Molding Machine Usage Manual” (Maeda / Matsuda, Quintessence Publishing).

  Next, it should be noted that in the present embodiment, in step S4, the vibration actuator 8 is attached while the inner piece 7A is hot. Here, the material of the mouthpiece 7, especially the EVA, exhibits a high viscosity at the time of melting as it is used as a main raw material for so-called hot bonds. Therefore, as described above, the inner piece 7A immediately after being molded in the semi-molten state in step S3 has heat and exhibits high viscosity until it cools. Therefore, by using the adhesive force exerted by the material of the inner piece 7A due to the residual heat of the inner piece 7A, it is simply installed by pressing the vibration actuator 8 without using any fixing means such as an adhesive. The vibration actuator 8 can be temporarily fixed. If the adhesive force is insufficient, a protrusion may be provided on the vibration actuator 8 side and inserted into the inner piece 7A, or heated EVA may be injected as an adhesive.

  It should be further noted that in this embodiment, in step S5, the heated EVA sheet 15 is placed on the inner piece 7A on which the vibration actuator 8 is mounted as described above, as in step S3. By creating the outer piece 7B by suction, the inner piece 7A and the outer piece 7B seal the vibration actuator 8 inside in an airtight manner.

  Here, the EVA sheet 15 serving as the inner piece 7 </ b> A and the outer piece 7 </ b> B has a softening temperature set lower than the heat-resistant temperature of the vibration actuator 8. Specifically, when the heat-resistant temperature of the vibration actuator 8 is 100 ° C., the EVA sheet 15 having a softening point of 60 to 70 ° C. is selected. Thus, the outer piece 7B can be directly melt-molded from above while reliably preventing the vibration of the vibration generating actuator 8 from occurring. As the EVA sheet 15 as described above, “Bioplast” can be used as a specific product name.

  On the other hand, when the heat resistant temperature of the vibration actuator 8 is higher, instead of the EVA material, for example, a polyolefin material having a softening point of around 100 ° C., a specific product name is “MG-21”. Furthermore, PET-G material having a softening point of hundreds of tens of degrees Celsius, and “Duran” can be used as a specific product name.

  After the thus created mouthpiece 7, the EVA of the lead wire 8 a portion of the vibration actuator 8 of the outer piece 7 B is peeled off in step S 6, and the feeder 9 is connected to the lead wire 8 a. In step S7, the end of the EVA tube 10 covered with the power supply line 9 is locally heated with a dryer or the like, and the connection portion with the outer piece 7B is hermetically sealed, whereby the mouthpiece 7 is completed. .

  Therefore, conventionally, when the inner piece 7A is completed, the vibration actuator 8 and its dummy are mounted on the inner piece 7A, and the die is molded by the impression material. A gypsum mold is created again, and the EVA sheet 15 is attached to the gypsum mold. After the outer piece 7B is covered, the inner piece 7A on which the actual vibration actuator 8 is mounted and the outer piece 7B are welded, and two molds are required to make the outer piece 7B. In contrast, the present embodiment can be completed only once, and the number of processes can be reduced. In addition, the entire inner piece 7A including the inner piece 7A is uniformly heated by the heat of the EVA sheet for the outer piece 7B that is covered, as compared with the case where the inner piece 7A and the outer piece 7B that have been solidified are bonded together. Since the softened inner piece 7A and the EVA sheet for the outer piece 7B are in a semi-molten state and are naturally integrated, the airtightness can be improved and the inner piece as in the case of molding using a dummy There is no problem that a gap is generated between 7A and the outer piece 7B or the inner piece 7A does not fit into the outer piece 7B, and a high-quality mouthpiece can be created.

[Embodiment 2]
FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a method for manufacturing a mouthpiece according to another embodiment of the present invention. The manufacturing method of the present embodiment is similar to the manufacturing method shown in FIG. 5 described above, and corresponding portions are denoted by the same step numbers and description thereof is omitted. It should be noted that the process of creating the outer piece 7B in step S5 is changed as shown in step S5 ′ in this embodiment, and the inner piece 7A on which the vibration actuator 8 side is mounted is set. The tooth mold 1 is set on the stage 12 so as to be inclined so that the tooth row 3 is not shaded by the vibration actuator 8. Specifically, in the tooth mold 1, the gantry 21 is sandwiched between the back side of the portion where the vibration actuator 8 is mounted.

  Therefore, when the tooth mold 1 is set horizontally as in step S5, the portion of the vibration actuator 8 protrudes, and the EVA sheet 15 that becomes the outer piece 7B even when sucked from the suction hole 13 is While it may hang down from the protruding portion and not adhere to the inner piece 7A, there is a possibility that an air gap may be generated. On the other hand, by setting it tilted as described above, the influence of the protrusion is reduced and an air gap is generated. The outer piece 7B can be brought into close contact with the inner piece 7A. As a result, the lower portion (undercut portion) of the protrusion can be well formed.

  As the material of the inner piece 7A and the outer piece 7B, if the temperature of the softening point is lower than the heat resistance temperature of the vibration actuator 8 and is not harmful to the human body, from the hardness required for each after molding, Can be arbitrarily selected. However, since the stimulation of the vibration actuator 8 is alleviated, the load applied to the teeth and gums can be reduced, discomfort such as pain can be reduced, and the wearing feeling is better than that of a hard mouthpiece. In the use of the mouthpiece 7, the soft resin is mainly used.

  The hard resin mouthpiece has the advantages that it can be precisely molded and that it is easy to maintain quality without being deformed by the storage environment. Accordingly, a hard resin may be employed when emphasizing such advantages. In addition, in the double-piece mouthpiece in which the inner piece 7A is made of a soft resin and the outer piece 7B is made of a hard resin, the impact of the actuator is mitigated by a soft portion inside, and a burden is applied to the target teeth and gums. No vibrating mouthpiece can be made of hard resin. This mouthpiece has a merit that it is hard to be deformed by the environment due to the hard resin on the outside, it can be easily stored, and a mouthpiece with a precise shape can be produced. Conversely, if the inner piece 7A is made of a hard resin and the outer piece 7B is made of a soft resin, the impact from the outside can be absorbed by a soft part. Tooth damage can be prevented and a mouthpiece with good wearing feeling can be produced. Because there is a hard part inside, it is easier to hold the shape than a mouthpiece that uses a completely soft resin. Furthermore, it is possible to manufacture a mouthpiece in which a soft portion and a hard portion are mixed in a single mouthpiece. Thus, it is possible to separate a portion where the stimulation is transmitted strongly and a portion where the stimulation is transmitted weakly while giving the same stimulation to the dentition 3.

  Examples of the soft resin and the hard resin include EVA → polyolefin → polyester in the order of softness. Even with the same material, the blending ratio varies from product to product and the hardness is different, but the EVA is an almost soft material with a Shore hardness of about 80-90, and is widely used as a material for soft mouthpieces, and polyester is mostly hard This material is widely used as a material for rigid mouthpieces. There are a plurality of types of polyolefins such as soft ones and hard ones depending on the blending ratio, but they are used as an intermediate between the two.

  The mouthpiece 7 of the present embodiment is applied to the tooth row 3 to which the wire 5 is attached, so that a constant force + vibration force is applied. However, the mouthpiece 7 is attached to the tooth row 3 to which the wire 5 is not attached. Thus, only the vibration force can be applied by the vibration actuator 8. In this case, at least the inner piece 7A may be formed of a hard resin so as to give a certain force (correction force) to the portions of the correction target teeth 3g and 3h. If comprised in this way, even if it does not attach the wire 5 to the dentition 3, since a fixed force + vibration force can be provided to the part of the correction object teeth 3g and 3h, practical value will come to increase.

It is a perspective view which shows the state which mounted | wore the user's lower jaw with the mouthpiece which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view of a user's lower jaw tooth type. It is sectional drawing seen from the cut surface line III-III of FIG. It is a perspective view of the manufacturing apparatus of a mouthpiece. It is a figure for demonstrating the manufacturing method of the mouthpiece which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention using the manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the manufacturing method of the mouthpiece which concerns on other embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows typically the mode at the time of shape | molding a mouthpiece with an EVA sheet | seat. It is the mouthpiece of another embodiment of this invention, (a) is a perspective view, (b) is sectional drawing seen from VIII-VIII of (a).

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Tooth type 3 Tooth row 5 Wire 7 Mouthpiece 7A Inner piece 7B Outer piece 7a Swelling part 8 Excitation actuator 9 Feeding line 11 Manufacturing apparatus 12 Stage 13 Suction hole 14 Main body 15 EVA sheet 16, 17 Sheet fixture 19 Electric heater 21 Stand

Claims (3)

A method of manufacturing an orthodontic mouthpiece that has an oscillating means and allows vibrations generated by the oscillating means to be applied to the user's dentition, thereby facilitating orthodontics,
A step of heating and mounting a sheet body having heat softening properties on the user's tooth mold, and making the softened sheet body in close contact with the tooth mold by an air flow to create an inner piece;
Mounting the vibration generating means and the configuration related thereto on the inner piece;
The inner piece on which the configuration relating to the vibration generating means is mounted is set on the user's tooth mold, and a heat softening sheet body is heated and mounted thereon, and the softened sheet body is subjected to pressure and airflow. A method of manufacturing an orthodontic mouthpiece, comprising: creating an outer piece that tightly contacts the inner piece and hermetically seals the structure relating to the vibration generating means inside.   2. The dentition according to claim 1, wherein in the step of mounting the vibration generating unit and the configuration related thereto on the inner piece, an adhesive force exerted by a material of the inner piece due to residual heat of the inner piece is used. A method of manufacturing a straightening mouthpiece.   The orthodontic mouse according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sheet body serving as the inner piece and the outer piece is made of a resin having a softening temperature lower than a heat resistant temperature of the vibration generating means and the related configuration. Piece manufacturing method.

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