Dental appliance

Abstract

The present invention is a dental oral appliance to open the airway for a sleeping individual who suffers with snoring or obstructive sleep apnea. The appliance includes a base to secure the appliance within the mouth for the individual. Typically, the base will fit over and secure to the lower teeth of the individual. The appliance also includes a tongue restraining device connected to the base. The tongue restraining device has a substantial breach formed therein to permit movement of the tongue so that the user can more easily swallow saliva. A ramp might also be attached to the anterior portion of the base to advance the mandible.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]The applicant hereby claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 009,693 (filed Dec. 31, 2007). The specification of said provisional patent application is incorporated herein by this reference as though set forth in full.[0002]The applicant hereby claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61 / 123,849 (filed Apr. 11, 2008). The specification of said provisional patent application is incorporated herein by this reference as though set forth in full.STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT[0003]Not ApplicableFIELD OF INVENTION[0004]The present invention relates to dental appliances for the treatment of snoring.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0005]Medical studies have shown that snoring can have serious medical consequences for people. Many people who snore suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnea. If not diagnosed or if left untreated, Obstructive Sleep Apnea can result in severe medical consequ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The present invention is a dental appliance that helps reduce snoring and apnea in patients who have sleep apnea. It achieves this by training the tongue to stay in a forward position during sleep. The appliance has a custom-fitted lower teeth portion and a transverse strip that pushes the tongue forward, creating a breach in the airway. The appliance can also be modified for patients with TMJ dysfunction or MPD. The dental appliance can be designed for the upper teeth or the lower teeth, depending on the patient's needs. Overall, the invention helps improve sleep apnea treatment and allows for more relaxed and fuller breathing during sleep."

Problems solved by technology

Medical studies have shown that snoring can have serious medical consequences for people.

If not diagnosed or if left untreated, Obstructive Sleep Apnea can result in severe medical consequences such as systemic high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, stroke and heart attack.

Spouses also suffer through the night from the noise of the snorer.

Snoring not only disturbs the sleeping pattern of the snorer, it is also disruptive to his or her spouse.

This leaves both unrefreshed, tired and sleepy throughout the day.

It can cause sleepiness while driving, reading, working or doing other tasks.

However, most of these are uncomfortable to the user and studies have shown that the vast majority of these devices go unused.

Other treatments for snoring include various surgeries, which are drastic steps that can have significant adverse consequences to the patient and often do not work in any event.

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