WO1997029719A1

WO1997029719A1 - Anti-snoring device

Info

Publication number: WO1997029719A1
Application number: PCT/SE1997/000263
Authority: WO
Inventors: Mats Larsson
Original assignee: Dentalgruvan 2000 Ab
Priority date: 1996-02-19
Filing date: 1997-02-18
Publication date: 1997-08-21
Also published as: SE9600602L; SE511571C2; SE9600602D0; AU1819297A

Abstract

The invention refers to a device for preventing or reducing snoring and a procedure for manufacturing said device. The device consists of bite rails (5, 6) fixable over on the teeth (2) of an upper jaw (1) and the teeth (4) of a lower jaw (3), said two bite rails (5, 6) are formed from a laminate (7), including at least one layer of material (8) in close flexible contact with the teeth (2, 4) and at least one outer hard layer of material (9), said laminate (7) in cross section being substantially U-shaped including the flexible layer of material (8) and said bite rails (5, 6), after establishing the correct position of the lower jaw (3) in relation to the upper jaw (1), have been permanently sealed to each other via the outer layer of material by at least one flexible, strong, and hygienic seal (11). In the process of manufacturing the device for preventing or reducing snoring the two bit rails (5, 6) are temporarily fixed to each other by fixing in position to each other at least once by a curable material at least at two points or places (10) while establishing the correct position of the lower jaw (3) in relation to the upper jaw (1), whereafter, after the final confirmation of the correct position of the jaw (1, 3), they are permanently fixed to each other by at least one flexible, strong, and hygienic seal (11).

Description

Anti-snoring device

The present invention refers to a device for preventing or reducing snoring and a method for manufacturing it. which device is based on the knowleee that this can be achieved by fι>_ation of a person ^'s lower jaw in a predetermined forward position in relation to the upper jaw by the aid of bite rails.

The bite rails or snoring rails in the market today are manufactured in hard plastics, produced by dental technicians by means of a bite index made by a dentist. This bite-index will then be used with varying precision by the dental technician to manufacture an activator with its lingual bar and some kind of retaining clamps. In addition to the cumbersome manufacturing process, these snoring rails have the disadvantage of "straining" if there is the slightest misfit lo the jaws of a person or patient. This characteristic is also known from manufacturing other kinds of bite rails in the same hard plastic material.

The source of error most commonly influencing the end result is aforementioned bite index. Possible uneven distribution of height between right and left side of the bite rail is doubled because of the lever principle of the jaw joint. There is a great risk that an orthodontic effect will result from the use of this type of bite rail. Such an irregularity may even cause problems of varsing severity in the jaw joint for the person or patient using the bite rail in question. Furthermore, it is impossible to adjust the function as snoring inhibitor of the rails, using present manufacturing processes. Thus, the object of the present invention is to provide a device for preventing or reducing snoring and a method for manufacturing this device in which the aforementioned disadvantages are eliminated. The characterisics of the invention are described in the following claims.

Thanks to this invention there has now been achieved a device, that in an exellent manner fulfils its purposes at the same time as it is simple and inexpensive to manufacture. As the bite rails, that this invention refers to. are manufactured from a lamninate consisting of one harder and one softer plastic, where the softer plastic is intended to make contact with and include substantially all teeth in both upper and lower jaw. no orthodontic effect will be caused by the bite rails. Furthermore, no bite index is any longer nessesary as the rails are fixed to each other directly in the mouth of the patient. The advantages of the bite rails according to this invention furthermore consist of their having a good fit they are easy to adjust before the final preparation, that the risk for jaw joint trouble is reduced to a minimum, and owing to the structure of the bite rails, a suction effect is achieved, that eliminates the need for clasps that are nessessary in known structures. During the establishment of a final, correct position of the lower jaw in relation to the upper jaw, the jaws are put in position by means of bite rails in a position that is efficacious, considering both function and comfort and in which adjusted position the bite rails are fixed to each other directly in the mouth at least at two points or places by a light-curing material. Should during the adjustment an incorrect position be achieved, it is easy to break the temporary seal and try out another appropriate position of the jaws by means of the bite rails. When it is finally established that that the position of the lower jaw in relation to the upper jaw is correct the bite rails are permanently fixed to each other by e.g a dental technician, through the outer layer of material by means of at least one flexible, strong, and hygienic seal.

The invention will be described below in more detail by means of a preferred embodiment with reference to the to enclosed drawing, in which

fig. 1 scematically shows the bite rails clamped in position on the teeth of an upper jaw and the teeth of a lower jaw in a mouth, which have been fixed in position relative each other by a flexible, permanent seal in such way that the lower jaw is placed in the correct position relative the upper jaw, which has been accieved. when the lower jaw is brought forward approx. 3-5 mm, and

fig. 2 shows a cross-section along the line IHI in fig.l .

As the drawing shows, the present invention includes according to a preferred embodiment a device for preventing or reducing snoring by fixation of the position of the lower jaw of a person or patient in a predetermined, forward position relative the upper jaw. The device according to the invention consists of one over the teeth 2 of the upper jaw 1 and one over the teeth 4 of the lower jaw 3 attachable bite rail 5, 6 respectively, said two bite rails 5, 6 are molded by a laminate 7 including at least one flexible layer of material 8 in close contact with the teeth and at least one outer, hard layer of material 9. The laminate 7 has a substantially U-shaped cross-section and encloses in itself the flexible layer of material 8. The bite rails 5, 6 have been permanently sealed together through the outer, hard layer of material 9 by a flexible, strong, and hygienic seal 11, after securing the correct position of the lower jaw 3 relative the upper jaw 1 by means of at first made temporary fixations at least at two points or places 10 of the bite rails 5, 6 to each other directly in the mouth. The lower bite rail 6 will be fixed to the upper bite rail 5 in a position corresponding to a position of the lower jaw 3 brought forward approximatly 3-5 mm. The laminate 7. from which the bite rails are manufactured and which in the presented example consists of two layers 8 and 9. preferably consists of a thermo-plastic material of different degrees of hardness. As the flexible layer of material 8 in the laminate 7 is intended to be in contact with the teeth 2. 4 . there will be no orthodontic effect as mentioned above, by the use of the bite rails 5. 6.

In securing the correct position of the lower jaw 3 in relation to the upper jaw 1 , the bite rails 5. 6 will be temporarily fixed to each other directly in the mouth at least at two points or places 10 by a light-curing plastic or any other suitable fast-curing material, to achieve a correct fitting, before the bite rails 5. 6 are permanently fixed to each other. Thus, during the fitting procedure it is easy to break the temporary seal, if this would prove to be less suitable, and a new fixation of position is just as easy to achieve by the temporary fixation by means of the light-curing plastic. This phase of fitting is normally conducted at a dentist's. After securing the correct position for the upper respectivly lower jaw while the bite rails are in place in the mouth, the dentist will send the temporarily fixed bite rails to a dental technician, who will then permanently seal the bite rails to each other by a flexible, strong, and hygienic seal. This will preferably consist of suitable plastic, preferably silicone. and it can be applied in at least two places in common with the temporary seal.

A method for manufacturing a device for inhibiting or reducing snoring might be as follows. The bite rail 5, 6 designed for respective jaw 1, 3 , is formed according to a cast from substantially all teeth in the upper and the lower jaw 1, 3, from a laminate 7, including at least one flexible and one hard layer of material 8, 9, of which the flexible layer of material 8 in forming the bite rail 5, 6, constitutes the contact surface with the teeth 2, 4, while the hard layer of material 9 constitutes the outer envelope of the bite rail. The two bite rails are pressed firmly onto the teeth 2, 4, in respective jaw 1, 3 and are temporarily fixed in position against each other directly in the mouth by a fast-curing material at least at two points or places, while the correct position of the lower jaw 3 in relation to the upper jaw 1 is acertained. After the final confirmation of the correct position of the jaws 1 , 3. by the bite rails 5, 6 they are fixed to each other by at least one permanent flexible, strong, and hygienic seal 11, as illustrated in fig. 2. placed outside and inside the temporary seal 10. The forming of the bite rails 5. 6 will take place in such a manner that they will form a substantially U- shaped cross-section, whereby at least the upper part of the teeth 2. 4 shown in the upper, respective lower jaw are enclosed at the same time as the bite rails 5. 6 in their longitudinal direction are being shaped according to the orientation of the teeth 2, 4 along respective jaw 1, 3.

The laminate 7 forming the bite rails 5, 6 is composed of at least two different layers of material 8, 9 which consist of a non-rigid plastic of different degrees of rigidity and which preferably consists of a thermoplastic material. The temporary fixation of the position of the bite rails 5. 6 will be acceived by a fast-curing material, preferably a light-curing plastic, applied between the bite rails 5. 6 as they are situated in the mouth, at least at two, and preferably three, points or places between the outer layers 9 of the bite rails 5, 6, said layers 9 consisting of a harder material. The final, permanent seal of the bite rails 5. 6 is accompished by a seal 10 consisting of a plastic material, preferably silicone, by which the rails 5, 6 through their outer envelopes 9 will remain immovably fixed to each other.

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a device for preventing or reducing snoring by fixation of a person's lower jaw (3) in a predetermined, forward position in relation to the upper jaw (1) using bite rails (5, 6), forming the bite rail designed for respective jaw, from casts of substantially all teeth in the upper and lower jaws, from a laminate (7) including at least one flexible and one hard layer of material, of which the flexible layer of material (8) during forming of the bite rail (5, 6) constitutes the connecting surface to the teeth (2, 4) and the hard layer of material (9) constitutes the outer envelope of the bite rail, characterized in that the two bite rails (5, 6) in a first phase are temporarily fixed to each other by fixation in position relative each other at least one time by means of a curable material at least at two points or places (10) in placing the lower jaw (3) in the correct position in relation to the upper jaw ( 1 ) and that they, after the final establishment of the correct positioning of the jaws (1.3) by means of the temporary fixation of the bite rails (5.6). in a second phase are permanently fixed to each other by at least one strong and hygienic seal (11).

2. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the bite rails (5, 6) by their outer envelopes (9) are fixed in position to each other by a fast-curing material, preferably a light-curing plastic.

3. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the final permanent fixation of the bite rails (5.6) to each other by their outer envelopes is accomplished at least at two points by a flexible seal (11) in the form of a plastic material, preferably silicone.

4. A device for preventing or reducing snoring by fixation of a persons lower jaw (3) in a predetermined, forward position in relation to the upper jaw (1 ) by means of bite rails (5.6). which are attached to the teeth (2) of the upper jaw (1) and to the teeth (4) of the lower jaw (3) and which two bite rails are shaped from a laminate (7) including at least one flexible, attachable layer of material (8) and at least one outer, hard layer of material (9), which laminate is substantially U-shaped in its cross-section including the flexible layer of material (8). characterized in that the bite rails (5.6) after establishing the correct position of the lower jaw (3) in relation to the upper jaw ( 1 ) by temporarih fixing these to each other, are permanently fixed to each other through the outer layer of material by at least one strong and hygienic seal (11).

5. A device according to claim 4. characterized in that the lower bite rail (6) is fixed to the upper bite rail (5) in a position corresponding to a forward position of the lower jaw (3) by 3 - 5 mm.

6. A device according to claim 4. characterized in that the bite rails (5, 6) during the establishment of the correct position of the lower jaw (3) in relation to the upper jaw (1 ) are temporarih fixed to each other at least at two points or places (10) by a fast-curing plastic and that the bite rails (5.6) at the permanent sealing are fixed to each other at least at two places (11 ) by a flexible plastic material, preferably silicone.