US1409038A - Method of taking dental impressions - Google Patents

Description

C. H. STUBBINS.

METHOD OF TAKING DENTAL IMPRESSIONS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8.1921.

Patented Mar. 7 1922,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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FIGJ.

W! T/VESSES C. H. STUBBINS METHOD OF TAKING DENTAL IMPRESSIONS. APPUCA-TION FILED-JUNE 8. 1 921.

1 309,038. Patented Mar. 7, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. F H3 .3.

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLINTON H. s'rUBBr'Ns, or AsrrNwALL, PENNSYLVANIA.

IHETI -IOD F TAKING DENTAL IMPRESSIONS.

Application filed June 8,

T 0 aZZ whom it may concern. I

Be it known that I, CLINTON H. STUB- BINS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Aspinwall, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Methods of Taking Dental Impressions, of which the following is a specification.

In taking impressions of mouths for forming dental plates, the usual practice is to place a body of moldable or conformable material, such as plaster of Paris, upon an impression tray and to press the tray against the portion of the mouth of which it is desired to obtain the impression. The tray is manipulated entirely by hand in such a manner as to obtain as accurate an impression as is possible under the conditions of operation. This practice is objectionable; first, among other reasons, because it is very diflicult, if not entirely impossible, to obtain an accurate impression of all the irregularities. of the-mouth, and, secondly, because when pressure is applied to the tray and the tray manipulated, some of the molding material occasionally falls .from the tray to the great discomfort of the patient.

The present invention relates to methods of taking impressions for the purpose explained, and the object thereof is to provide a method whereby a true and accurate impression may be easily taken. even by those not particularly skilled in the art, and without the liability of causing discomfort to the patient.

In the practice of the invention an impression of either an upper or lower jaw or gum of a mouth is formed by placing under pressure a body of fluid molding material contained in a pocket which has a wall of flexible material on the side adjacent to the surface of which the impression is being taken and a rigid wallon the other side. The pocket may be formed by a thin fabric and may be laid upon the usual or any desired form of impression tray which forms the rigid wall. hen the impression tray, provided wit-h such a pocket, is properly positioned in a mouth, the material for taking the impression may be caused to flow into the pocket through a suitable conduit connected to it, and pressure is applied to the material by the force impelli'ng the flow of the material into the pocket. The pressure upon the molding material causes the material to accurately conform to all the irregof view being indicated by Specification of Letters Patent. H Patented Li 7 1922 1921. Serial No. 475,906.

ularities of the month without moving the impression tray. After the mold has been thus formed, the pressure may be removed from the material, and, allowing for a brief set-ting period, the tray and the mold which it contains may be removed-from the mouth. The completed mold is entirely confined within the pocket and is faced by the wall of flexible material. If desired the mold may be removed from the tray, which may be im mediately used for taking a further impression. I

\Yhile the practice of the invention is unllmlted to the use of any particular form of apparatus, it may be advantageously practlced by the apparatus shown in the accompanying sheets of drawings, of which Fig. 1 is a front view of apparatus for supporting impression trays; Fig. 2 a plan view thereof; Fig. 3 a combined vertical section and side view of the apparatus, the plane the broken line III-III, Fig. l; and Fig. at a plan view to enlarged scale of an impression tray for the upper awor gum of a mouth, the tray being provided with a flexible pocket.

The apparatus includes means for rigidly supporting two impression trays, one for the upper and the other for the lower jaw, either separately or simultaneously, and means for separately adjusting the positions of the trays. The support for the upper tray 1 comprises a pair of horizontally disposed rods 2 which are mounted for longitudinal adjustment in a frame 3 and may be held in their desired adjustable positions by means of set screws 4. In a similar way, the lower impression tray 5 is supported'by a pair of rods 6 mounted for longitudinal adjustment in a frame 7. The frames3 and? may be attached to each other for vertical adjustment by means of rods 8 extending through the frames and provided with suitable clamping nuts. Attached to the upper frame 3, there is a stem 9 clamped for verticaladjustment to a bracket 10 by means of a set screw 11. To hold the bracket 10 firmly in position, it is attached to a strap 12 adapted to extend around the head of a patient and to be clamped thereon by means of a screw 13 and a thumb nut 14. The back portion of the strap 12 may have attached to it a positioning pad 15 adapted to fit the back of a patients head so that the strap may not slip upwardly 0r downwardly.

For preventing movement of the lower jaw when an lmpression 1s belng taken of it, chin- engaging members 16 and 25 may be tend for clamping the plate to the frame 3.

This chin-engaging member presses onthe front of a chin. The lower chin-engaging member 25 lies below the chin and is adjustably attached to the member 16 by means of set screws 20. 'By properly adjusting the members 25 and 1G, they may be brought to the required position for firmly holding the lower jaw against being either closed or opened during the impressiontaking operation.

In Fig. 'the upper impression tray 1 is illustrated to enlarged scale, and is shown as supporting a pocketQl which may be formed of flexible material such as cloth, then rubber and the like. ,The pocket is entirely closedexcept for its connection to a conduit 22 through which the molding material is caused to flow. Tube 22 extends to a suitable source of supply of such material such as an injector e gun or pump filled with the material and which may be operated first to force the material into the pocket and thereafter to apply pressure to the material.

; When taking" an impression of the upper jaw or gum, according to the method described herein and with the. apparatus shown in the drawings, a tray 1 pro ided with a pocket 21 issupported by the frame 3 and the strap 2is clamped to the-head of a patient. The supporting rods 2 of the tray and the stem!) attached to the frame 3 are then adjusted to bring the impression tray to its properposition in the mouth of the patient." Molding material is then caused to flow through the conduit 22 into the pocket 21 and pressure isapplied to the material to cause it to conform accurately to the configurations of the mouth. After a brief time has been allowed for set ting,- the apparatus is removed from the head of the patient and the pocket contaim set my hand.

ing the mold may be removed from the int pression tray. .From this mold, the negative mold for making the dental plate is formed, it being understood that it is. un; necessary to'remove from the mold the flexible material forming its face. .In a similar manner an impression'of a lower jaw or "gummay bemade by lacing a pocket in the impression tray 5 ant adjusting it and the tion may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described herein, andwith the use of other forms of apparatus. 7

..-I claim:

1. The method of-taking an impression of a-mouth for forming a dental plate,

which comprises placing under pressure a body-of flu d molding material contained in a pocket having a flexible wall'on the side 7 adjacent to the surface ofwhichan impres sion is being taken and having a rigidwall on the other side, whereby said material faced bytlieflexible wall is causedto conform to the mouth- I F. i

i The method oftaking an impression of a mouth for forming a dental plate, which comprises firmly positioning-in the mouth of a patient a pocket having a flexible wall on the side adjacent to thesurface of which an impression is to be taken and having a rigid wall on'the other side,'causing a body of fluidmolding material to flow-into said pocket, and applying pressureto said body of molding material in the pocket. 1 j In testimony whereof, I. have hereunto CLINTON H. STUBBINS. Witness: p l

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