Dental instrument for stopping snoring

Abstract

The utility model discloses a dental instrument for stopping snore. The dental instrument comprises a first shell-shaped dental instrument worn on an upper jaw, a second shell-shaped dental instrument worn on a lower jaw, a limiting cavity and a connecting piece, the limiting cavity is formed in the position, close to anterior teeth, of the cheek side of the first shell-shaped dental instrument and comprises two side walls and an opening, wherein the two side walls protrude in the far tooth direction and are sequentially arranged in the mesiodistal direction, and the opening is formed in the maxillary gingiva direction. The first end of the connecting piece is movably connected to the position, close to rear teeth, of the second shell-shaped dental instrument, the second end, away from the first end, of the connecting piece is provided with a mounting part protruding towards the lower jaw, and the connecting piece and the limiting cavity are arranged on the same side; during wearing, the first end of the connecting piece rotates around the normal axis of the cheek side face where the connecting piece is located, and after the mounting part enters the limiting cavity, the mounting part at least abuts against the wall of the distal side of the limiting cavity, so that the lower jaw of the patient is kept at the preset position where the airway can be opened, and movement of the lower jaw of the patient in the sagittal direction is restrained.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The utility model relates to the field of medical instruments, more specifically to the field of oral appliances, and in particular to a dental instrument for stopping snoring. Background Art

[0002] Snoring is a common sleeping phenomenon. Up to now, most people still think that snoring is commonplace and do not take it seriously. Some people even regard snoring as a sign of good sleep. In fact, snoring is the enemy of health. Snoring can lead to daytime sleepiness, fatigue, inattention, headache, decreased work ability, etc. Severe snoring is often accompanied by sleep apnea syndrome. Snoring can even cause repeated pauses in breathing during sleep, resulting in severe hypoxia of the brain and blood, forming hypoxemia, and inducing high blood pressure, cerebrocardia, arrhythmia, myocardial infarction, angina pectoris, etc., seriously affecting the patient's health.

[0003] There are many reasons for snoring, most of which are caused by airway obstruction. The nasal cavity and oral cavity are connected to the airway. When a person is asleep, the airway tissue may collapse due to muscle relaxation, mandibular retraction, and tongue falling back, causing airway obstruction. Especially for obese people, their airways are usually narrower, which makes them more prone to airway obstruction. One way to open the airway is to stretch the mandible forward to increase the muscle tension of the throat, tongue and soft palate, thereby opening the airway that collapses due to muscle relaxation during sleep. Therefore, the way to stop snoring caused by this reason is to pull the mandible forward to the ideal position to open the airway.

[0004] In recent years, in the field of orthodontics, invisible shell-like dental appliances have become increasingly popular because of their advantages of being beautiful and convenient to wear. Various orthodontic manufacturers have also tried to combine anti-snoring devices with invisible shell-like dental appliances. A protrusion is set in the area of ​​the maxillary shell-like dental appliance close to the front teeth, and a connector is set in the area of ​​the mandibular shell-like dental appliance close to the back teeth. One end of the connector is connected to the mandibular shell-like dental appliance, and the other end is provided with a hook portion, that is, the hook portion is provided with an opening toward the back teeth for easy hooking. When wearing, the hook portion is hooked onto the protrusion to complete the installation. After being worn on the upper and lower jaw dentition, the patient's lower jaw can be kept in a forward position, thereby opening the airway to suppress snoring.

[0005] However, the inventors have found in clinical cases that many snoring patients have other oral activities in varying degrees during sleep, such as repeated opening and closing of the upper and lower jaws due to loud snoring, grinding of teeth at night, talking in sleep, etc. These behaviors cause the connecting piece to move frequently in the mesiodistal direction, and the hook portion cannot be limited in the mesiodistal upward direction. Ultimately, the hook portion will be separated from the protrusion, causing the patient's lower jaw to move upward in the sagittal direction and return to its original state, resulting in a prolonged treatment period or directly leading to treatment failure, which will cause unnecessary trouble to the patient.

[0006] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a new anti-snoring device combined with invisible dental equipment. Utility Model Content

[0007] The technical problem solved by the utility model is to overcome the defects of the prior art and provide a dental device for stopping snoring, which can not only combine the advantages of invisible dental devices in terms of beauty and comfort, but also stabilize the patient's mandible within a predetermined position range and limit the movement distance of the mandible in the sagittal direction, thereby ensuring the therapeutic effect of stopping snoring.

[0008] In order to achieve the above purpose, the technical solution adopted by the utility model is as follows:

[0009] A dental device for stopping snoring, comprising a first shell-shaped dental device, a second shell-shaped dental device, a limiting cavity and a connecting piece; the first shell-shaped dental device is worn on the patient's upper jaw to accommodate the patient's upper jaw dentition; the second shell-shaped dental device is worn on the patient's lower jaw to accommodate the patient's lower jaw dentition; the limiting cavity is arranged at the buccal side of the first shell-shaped dental device near the front teeth, the limiting cavity comprises two side walls protruding towards the distal teeth and arranged in sequence along the mesiodistal direction and an opening arranged towards the maxillary gum direction; the first ... second shell-shaped dental device is worn on the patient's lower jaw to accommodate the patient's lower jaw dentition; the limiting cavity is arranged at the buccal side of the first shell-shaped dental device near the front teeth, the limiting cavity comprises two side walls protruding towards the distal teeth and arranged in sequence along the mesiodistal direction and an opening arranged towards the maxillary gum direction; the second shell-shaped dental device is worn on the patient's lower jaw to accommodate the patient's lower jaw One end is movably connected to the second shell-shaped dental appliance at the position close to the posterior teeth, and the second end of the connecting member away from the first end is provided with a mounting portion protruding toward the mandible, and the connecting member is arranged on the same side as the limiting cavity; wherein, when worn, the first end of the connecting member rotates around the normal axis of the buccal side thereof, and after the mounting portion enters the limiting cavity, the mounting portion at least abuts against the wall of the distal side of the limiting cavity, so as to keep the mandible of the patient at a predetermined position capable of opening the airway, and restrict the movement of the mandible of the patient in the sagittal direction. The design of the limiting cavity, on the one hand, can be installed with the mounting portion, so that the connecting member connects the first shell-shaped dental appliance and the second shell-shaped dental appliance, and guides the mandible of the patient forward to a position capable of opening the airway, thereby suppressing snoring, and on the other hand, the limiting cavity has at least two side walls in the mesiodistal direction, which can limit the movement of the mounting portion in the sagittal direction, especially the mesiodistal direction, so that the connecting member can be kept within a range sufficient to open the patient's airway, thereby further ensuring its effect of suppressing snoring.

[0010] Preferably, the two side walls respectively have a fixed end and a connecting end, and the two fixed ends are respectively fixedly connected to the first shell-shaped dental appliance, wherein the two connecting ends are directly connected, or the two connecting ends are connected via a connecting wall.

[0011] Preferably, the opening is arranged toward the posterior teeth, and the opening direction is arranged at a preset angle α with the jaw plane, wherein 30°≤α<90°. Such an opening design facilitates the insertion and extraction of the mounting portion.

[0012] Preferably, the shapes of the two surfaces of the limiting cavity and the mounting part that abut against each other match, and when abutting against each other, the two surfaces of the limiting cavity and the mounting part that abut against each other fit together. Such a structural design enables the mounting part to be more securely accommodated in the limiting cavity after being inserted into the limiting cavity without shaking.

[0013] Preferably, the mounting part is made of an elastic material; or, an elastic layer is provided on the outer wall of the mounting part. The mounting part made of an elastic material or the mounting part with an elastic layer on the outer wall can not only utilize the space when the mounting part is elastically deformed to enable the mounting part to be inserted into or pulled out of the limiting cavity, but also when the mounting part is accommodated in the limiting cavity, the elastic material or the elastic layer has the force to restore the elastic deformation, thereby firmly contacting the mounting part with the limiting cavity, so that the patient's airway remains stable at a predetermined position, thereby ensuring the effect of suppressing snoring.

[0014] Preferably, an inner surface of the limiting cavity is provided with elastic parts, and the elastic parts are continuously or spaced apart along the inner surface of the limiting cavity.

[0015] Preferably, the inner surface of the limiting cavity is provided with a positioning portion, and the positioning portion is a protrusion extending from the inner surface of the limiting cavity to the opposite side thereof; the side near the free end of the mounting portion is provided with a groove matching the protrusion, and when the mounting portion is inserted into the limiting cavity, the groove and the protrusion are locked. Through the locking cooperation between the protrusion and the groove, not only can the mounting portion be quickly positioned at the required predetermined position, but also the mounting portion can be limited to the predetermined position of the limiting cavity after installation, so that the patient's mandible can be stabilized at a position that can open the airway to suppress snoring.

[0016] Preferably, the positioning portion is adjacent to the end of the limiting cavity away from the opening, and the positioning portion is arranged at a preset distance from the end of the limiting cavity away from the opening, wherein the preset distance is 0 to 1 / 4 of the height of the side wall of the limiting cavity. Such a setting position facilitates the insertion of the mounting portion.

[0017] Preferably, the dental device for stopping snoring further comprises a retaining member, and after the mounting portion is inserted into and accommodated in the limiting cavity, the retaining member, the limiting cavity and the mounting portion are installed in cooperation with each other to prevent the mounting portion from falling off in a direction opposite to its insertion direction.

[0018] Preferably, the limiting cavity further includes a first through hole and a second through hole respectively penetrating the side walls of the limiting cavity in the proximal and distal directions, and the mounting portion is provided with a third through hole penetrating the mounting portion in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction of the mounting portion; wherein, after the mounting portion is accommodated in the limiting cavity, the third through hole is located on the same straight line as the first through hole and the second through hole, and the retaining member sequentially penetrates the first through hole, the third through hole and the second through hole to limit the movement of the mounting portion in the direction opposite to the insertion direction thereof. Through such mechanical cooperation, the movement of the mounting portion in the direction opposite to the insertion direction thereof can be very reliably limited, so that after the mounting portion is inserted into the limiting cavity, the patient's airway can be kept stable at a predetermined position (especially the sagittal position), thereby ensuring the effect of suppressing snoring.

[0019] Preferably, the limiting cavity further includes a fourth through hole penetrating through the side wall of the limiting cavity in the proximal and distal directions. After the mounting portion is accommodated in the limiting cavity, the retaining member penetrates the fourth through hole, and the mounting portion abuts against the side wall of the limiting cavity opposite to the fourth through hole. Such a structural design can not only keep the patient's airway stable at a predetermined position (especially the sagittal position), but also prevent the patient's oral discomfort caused by an overly long retaining member.

[0020] Preferably, the limiting cavity further comprises a bottom wall, and the bottom wall and the two side walls in the proximal and distal directions enclose a cavity with a closed bottom. The design of the bottom wall makes the structure more stable after the two side walls and the bottom wall are connected, thereby enhancing the overall structural strength of the limiting cavity. Finally, when the mounting part is inserted into the limiting cavity and abuts against one of the side walls, it can be more secure and can stably open the patient's lower jaw to the predetermined position of the airway to suppress snoring.

[0021] Preferably, the free end of the mounting portion is provided with a first magnetic portion, and the bottom wall of the limiting cavity is provided with a second magnetic portion having a magnetic property opposite to that of the first magnetic portion, and when the mounting portion is installed, the first magnetic portion and the second magnetic portion are magnetically attracted to each other. Such a structural design makes it easy to position and install the mounting portion and the structure is simple, and after the mounting portion is installed in place, the mounting portion is relatively stable in position in the limiting cavity due to the magnetic attraction.

[0022] Preferably, the inner contour size of the end of the limiting cavity adjacent to the opening is greater than or equal to the inner contour size of the end of the limiting cavity away from the opening, and the mounting portion is provided with a structure whose outer contour shape matches the inner contour shape of the limiting cavity. Such a structural design makes the outer contour size of the end of the mounting portion close to the opening smaller, while the outer contour size of the end away from the opening larger. When inserting, the smaller end of the mounting portion first enters the larger opening of the limiting cavity, which is more convenient. After the mounting portion is accommodated in the limiting cavity, the outer contour shape of the mounting portion matches the inner contour shape of the limiting cavity, which can prevent the mounting portion as a whole from shaking in the limiting cavity, thereby not affecting the anti-snoring effect. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] One or more embodiments are exemplarily described by pictures in the corresponding drawings, and these exemplified descriptions do not constitute limitations on the embodiments. Elements with the same numerical labels represent similar elements, and unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings do not constitute proportional limitations.

[0024] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of the dental device for stopping snoring in the utility model;

[0025] Figure 2 for Figure 1 A partial enlarged view of the middle A area;

[0026] Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of the normal axis of the buccal side where the second end of the connecting member is located in the utility model;

[0027] Figure 4 This is a schematic structural diagram of a dental device for stopping snoring in another embodiment of the utility model;

[0028] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A partial enlarged view of the middle B area;

[0029] Figure 6 This is a schematic structural diagram of a dental device for stopping snoring in another embodiment of the utility model;

[0030] Figure 7 for Figure 6 A partial enlarged view of the middle C area;

[0031] Figure 8 This is a schematic structural diagram of a dental device for stopping snoring in another embodiment of the utility model;

[0032] Fig. 9 This is a schematic structural diagram of a dental device for stopping snoring in another embodiment of the utility model;

[0033] Fig.10 is a schematic diagram of the jaw plane;

[0034] Fig.11 It is a schematic diagram of the opening direction in the utility model;

[0035] Fig.12 for Fig.11 A partial enlarged view of the D area in the middle;

[0036] Fig.13 It is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of the installation part of the utility model at a viewing angle;

[0037] Figures 14 to 17 It is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of the limiting cavity at a viewing angle in some embodiments of the utility model;

[0038] Figures 18 to 21 It is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of the limiting cavity in some other embodiments of the utility model at a viewing angle;

[0039] Fig. 22 , Fig.23 It is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of the limiting cavity at a viewing angle in some embodiments of the utility model;

[0040] Fig.24 It is a partial cross-sectional schematic diagram of a limiting cavity in another embodiment of the utility model at a viewing angle;

[0041] Fig.25 This is a schematic structural diagram of a dental device for stopping snoring in another embodiment of the utility model;

[0042] Fig.26 for Fig.25 A partial enlarged view of the E area. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0043] In order to make the purpose, technical scheme and advantages of the embodiments of the utility model clearer, the various embodiments of the utility model will be described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, it can be understood by those skilled in the art that in each embodiment of the utility model, many technical details are proposed in order to enable readers to better understand the utility model. However, even without these technical details and various changes and modifications based on the following embodiments, the technical scheme claimed for protection of the utility model can also be implemented. The division of the following embodiments is for the convenience of description and should not constitute any limitation on the specific implementation of the utility model.

[0044] Directional terms such as "upper", "lower", "left", and "right" used in this article are directions in the drawings and do not refer to special limitations. Unless otherwise specified and limited, the term "connection" in this article should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection, and can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium.

[0045] The "posterior tooth area" mentioned in each embodiment of the present invention is defined according to the classification of teeth in the second edition of "Introduction to Stomatology" published by Peking University Medical Press, pages 36-38, including premolars and molars, which are teeth 4-8 in the FDI marking method, and teeth 1-3 in the anterior tooth area in the FDI marking method. The teeth in the anterior tooth area include central incisors, lateral incisors and canines.

[0046] As can be seen from the background technology, although orthodontic manufacturers have tried to combine anti-snoring devices with invisible shell-shaped dental instruments, the problems existing in the current anti-snoring devices are: many snoring patients will have other oral activities to varying degrees during sleep, such as repeated opening and closing of the upper and lower jaws due to large snoring, nighttime teeth grinding, talking in sleep, etc. These behaviors cause the connecting piece to move frequently in the mesiodistal direction, and the hook portion cannot be limited in the mesiodistal upward direction. Ultimately, the hook portion will be separated from the protrusion, causing the patient's lower jaw to move upward in the sagittal direction and return to its original state, resulting in an extension of the treatment period or directly leading to treatment failure, which will bring unnecessary trouble to the patient.

[0047] Based on this, the inventor proposes a dental device for stopping snoring, comprising a first shell-shaped dental device, a second shell-shaped dental device, a limiting cavity and a connecting piece; the first shell-shaped dental device is worn on the patient's upper jaw to accommodate the patient's upper maxillary dentition; the second shell-shaped dental device is worn on the patient's lower jaw to accommodate the patient's lower jaw dentition; the limiting cavity is arranged at the buccal side of the first shell-shaped dental device near the anterior teeth, the limiting cavity comprises two side walls protruding in the distal teeth direction and arranged in sequence along the mesiodistal direction and an opening arranged in the maxillary gum direction; the first end of the connecting piece is movably connected to the second shell-shaped dental device near the posterior teeth position, and is arranged on the same side as the limiting cavity, and the second end of the connecting piece away from the first end is provided with a mounting portion protruding in the mandibular gum direction; wherein, when worn, the first end of the connecting piece rotates around the normal axis of the buccal side thereof, so that the mounting portion abuts against at least one side wall of the limiting cavity, so as to restrict the movement of the patient's lower jaw in the sagittal direction, and keep the patient's lower jaw at a predetermined position capable of opening the airway, thereby playing a role in suppressing snoring.

[0048] Please see Figures 1 to 3As shown, the dental device 100 for stopping snoring in the present application comprises a first shell-shaped dental device 1, a second shell-shaped dental device 2, a limiting cavity 3 and a connecting piece 4; the first shell-shaped dental device 1 is worn on the patient's upper jaw, and comprises a plurality of hollow cavities arranged in a U shape for accommodating a plurality of teeth, the geometry of the hollow cavities being consistent with the maxillary dentition, and being used to accommodate the patient's maxillary dentition; the second shell-shaped dental device 2 is worn on the patient's lower jaw, and comprises a plurality of hollow cavities arranged in a U shape for accommodating a plurality of teeth, the geometry of the hollow cavities being consistent with the mandibular dentition, and being used to accommodate the patient's mandibular dentition; the limiting cavity 3 is arranged at the buccal side of the first shell-shaped dental device 1 near the front teeth, and the limiting cavity 3 comprises at least two side walls protruding in the distal tooth direction and an opening 32 arranged in the maxillary gum direction; wherein the two side walls are arranged in sequence along the mesiodistal direction, which means that the two side walls are relative to the position of the maxillary shell-shaped dental device 1, as shown in FIG. Figure 2 As shown, the mesial wall 314 is arranged at a position close to the middle direction on the maxillary shell-shaped dental instrument 1, and the distal wall 315 is arranged at a position close to the middle direction on the maxillary shell-shaped dental instrument 1; the shape of the side wall can be a flat plate structure as described in the present embodiment, or a curved surface structure, which is not limited in the present application; the first end 41 of the connecting member 4 is movably connected to the second shell-shaped dental instrument 2 at the position close to the posterior teeth, and is arranged on the same side as the limiting cavity 3, and the second end 42 of the connecting member 4 away from the first end 41 is provided with a mounting portion 43 protruding toward the mandibular gum direction. The mounting portion 43 can be formed by integrally molding with the connecting member 4 at the second end 42 of the connecting member 4, or can be manufactured separately and then mounted to the second end 42 of the connecting member 4 by bonding, welding or other methods, which is not limited in the present application. The design of the opening 32 enables the mounting portion 43 to enter the limiting cavity 3. In the present application, the applicant does not limit the specific connection method between the first end 41 of the connecting member 4 and the second shell-shaped dental appliance 2. It is only necessary to satisfy that when the patient wears the dental appliance 100, the first end 41 of the connecting member 4 can rotate around the normal axis Z of the buccal side P of the connecting member 4, so that the mounting portion 43 can enter the limiting cavity 3 through the opening 32 and at least abut against the wall 315 on the distal side of the limiting cavity 3 to complete the installation of the dental appliance 100. Figure 1 and Figure 2As shown, the mounting portion 43 abuts against the distal wall 315, wherein the two side walls (the mesial wall 314 and the distal wall 315) arranged in the mesial-distal direction can prevent the mounting portion 43 from moving in the mesial-distal direction, and prevent the mounting portion 43 from being separated from the limiting cavity 3 from the mesial direction, thereby ensuring that the connecting member 4 can stably maintain the patient's mandible at a predetermined position capable of opening the airway after being connected to the first shell-shaped dental appliance 1 and the second shell-shaped dental appliance 2, thereby playing a role in suppressing the patient's snoring. Please refer to Figure 3 As shown, the normal axis of the buccal side where the connecting member 4 is located is indicated by Z, and the buccal side where the connecting member 4 is located is indicated by P, and the normal axis Z is perpendicular to the buccal side P where the connecting member 4 is located. This design makes it easy for the mounting portion 43 to be inserted into and pulled out of the limiting cavity 3 when wearing and removing the dental device 100 described in the present application. After the patient wears the first shell-shaped dental device 1 and the second shell-shaped dental device 2, the mounting portion 43 of the connecting member 4 is located on the side of the opening 32 in the distal direction, and the connecting member 4 is rotated counterclockwise around the Z axis so that the mounting portion 43 enters the limiting cavity 3 through the opening 32, thereby completing the installation of the dental device 100; if the dental device 100 is to be removed, the connecting member 4 can be rotated clockwise around the Z axis so that the mounting portion 43 is pulled out of the limiting cavity 3, and finally the first shell-shaped dental device 1 and the second shell-shaped dental device 2 are removed respectively. Of course, in other embodiments, the operation of inserting and removing the mounting portion 43 from the limiting cavity 3 can be completed outside the oral cavity, that is, the mounting portion 43 can be inserted into the limiting cavity 3 outside the oral cavity before being worn. When removing, the dental device 100 is first taken out of the oral cavity, and then the mounting portion 43 is pulled out of the limiting cavity 3 outside the oral cavity. The insertion and removal of the mounting portion 43 are completed outside the oral cavity, avoiding the installation and connection of the connector 4 in a narrow oral space, reducing the difficulty of installation, and improving the patient's experience and comfort. As for the operation of inserting and removing the mounting portion 43 from the limiting cavity 3, it is consistent with the above-mentioned operation in the oral cavity, and will not be repeated here.

[0049] Please continue to see Figure 1 and Figure 2, the inner contour dimension of the limiting cavity 3 formed by the two side walls in the mesiodistal direction is greater than the outer contour dimension of the mounting portion 43 in the mesiodistal direction. Such a size difference design can provide the mounting portion 43 with a movable space in the mesiodistal direction. On the one hand, the space is convenient for the insertion and removal of the mounting portion 43. On the other hand, the space allows the connector 4 to move slightly in the sagittal direction, which can effectively increase the comfort of the patient after wearing the dental device 100. In other embodiments, when the rigidity of the two side walls is sufficient to keep the patient's mandible at a predetermined position that can open the airway to suppress the patient's snoring, the size difference between the two side walls or the mounting portion 43 can be 0 when the following conditions are met, that is, when the mounting portion 43 enters the limiting cavity 3 formed by the two side walls through the opening 32, the two side walls or the mounting portion 43 can undergo elastic deformation, and the elastic deformation space can allow the mounting portion 43 to enter the limiting cavity 3.

[0050] Typically, the limiting cavity 3 is provided on both sides of the buccal side of the first shell-shaped dental instrument 1, and the connecting member 4 (not shown) is provided on both sides of the buccal side of the second shell-shaped dental instrument 2, and the limiting cavity 3 on the same side is connected to the connecting member 4 on the same side; further, the limiting cavity 3 and the connecting member 4 are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the buccal side of the first shell-shaped dental instrument 1 and the second shell-shaped dental instrument 2, respectively, so that the left and right mandibles of the patient are subjected to equal sagittal forward force, thereby improving the patient's comfort.

[0051] During the design, for different patients, in order to achieve the purpose of suppressing their snoring, the distance of moving the mandible sagittally forward required to open the airway is not the same. Therefore, when the applicant designs the dental device 100 for stopping snoring, the important link is to design and determine the setting position of the limiting cavity 3 in the first shell-shaped dental device 1 and the setting position of the connecting member 4 in the second shell-shaped dental device 2 according to the individual characteristics of each patient. The design of these two setting positions can keep and stabilize the patient's mandible at a predetermined position, thereby opening the airway and suppressing snoring. Usually, the predetermined position is designed to be the position when the patient's airway is most fully opened during sleep. In some design schemes, the predetermined position can also be designed to be the most suitable position for the patient. The predetermined position is not necessarily the best position for opening the airway, but it can have the function of opening the airway to suppress snoring and keep the patient's mandible at a more comfortable predetermined position.

[0052] In some embodiments, please continue to see Figure 2 , and combined with Figures 4 to 7As shown, the two side walls respectively have a fixed end 311 and a connecting end 312, the fixed end 311 is fixedly connected to the first shell-shaped dental instrument 1, and the connecting end 312 is an end away from the fixed end 311, wherein the two side walls can be as shown Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the two connecting ends 312 are directly connected to enclose a limiting cavity 3. In order to prevent the sharp connecting end 312 from irritating the perioral muscles of the patient's upper jaw and causing discomfort, the connecting end 312 can also be rounded or chamfered to make its outer contour smoother, thereby improving the patient's comfort. Figure 6 and Figure 7 As shown, the limiting cavity 3 may further include a connecting wall 313, and the proximal and distal ends of the connecting wall 313 are respectively connected to the two connecting ends 312. The connecting wall 313 may be a flat plate structure as shown in this embodiment, or may be an arcuate structure (not shown). For example, the arcuate surface of the arcuate structure may protrude toward the distal tooth direction, so that the two side walls and the arcuate connecting wall 313 are connected to form an outer contour that is relatively smooth, rather than having edges and corners, which is not easy to stimulate the perioral muscles of the patient's upper jaw, and can improve the patient's comfort.

[0053] In some embodiments, see Figure 8 and Fig. 9 As shown, the limiting cavity 3 may also include a bottom wall 38, and the two ends of the bottom wall 38 along the proximal and distal directions are respectively connected to the ends of the two side walls away from the opening 32, thereby enclosing a cavity with a closed bottom. The design of the bottom wall 38 makes the structure more stable after the two side walls and the bottom wall 38 are connected, thereby enhancing the overall structural strength of the limiting cavity 3. Finally, when the mounting portion 43 is inserted into the limiting cavity 3 and abuts against one of the side walls, it can be more secure and can stably open the patient's lower jaw to a predetermined position to suppress snoring. The bottom wall 38 may be a flat plate structure (such as Figure 8 As shown), it can also be a curved surface structure (as shown Fig. 9 As shown), the arc surface of the arc-shaped structure can protrude in the direction away from the opening, and the connection ends 312 of the two side walls can also be rounded to avoid scratching the patient's muscles around the mouth and improve comfort.

[0054] Of course, in some embodiments, the two side walls are directly connected through the connecting end 312 or through the connecting wall 313, and a bottom wall 38 can also be set at the end away from the opening 32. At this time, the limiting cavity 3 is a cavity with only one opening 32.

[0055] In some embodiments, see Fig.10 and Fig.12As shown, in order to facilitate the insertion of the mounting portion 43 into the limiting cavity 3, the orientation angle of the opening 32 in the present application can be designed as follows: the opening 32 is set toward the posterior teeth, and the opening direction Y is set at a preset angle α with the jaw plane S, wherein 30°≤α<90°. In a large number of experiments, the installation is most convenient when the angle α satisfies 45°≤α≤60°, and the mounting portion 43 is not easy to be separated from the limiting cavity 3. During installation, the mounting portion 43 is located on the side of the opening 32 in the distal direction, and the patient rotates the connecting member 4 counterclockwise around the Z axis so that the mounting portion 43 enters the limiting cavity 3 through the opening 32. If α is 90°, the mounting portion 43 located in the distal direction of the opening 32 will not be able to be inserted into the limiting cavity; if α<30°, the mounting portion 43 after installation is easy to be separated from the limiting cavity 3 under unconscious movement of the oral cavity. The jaw plane S refers to the imaginary plane formed by the mesial adjacent point of the bilateral maxillary central incisors to the mesial buccal cusps of the bilateral first molars. The opening direction Y refers to the direction of the line connecting the two connecting ends 312 at the opening 32 as the first direction X, and the opening direction Y is perpendicular to the first direction X and toward the posterior teeth; when the limiting cavity 3 formed by the two side walls is a regular cavity, the opening direction Y is the direction in which the symmetry axis of the two side walls extends toward the posterior teeth.

[0056] In some embodiments, the shapes of the two surfaces of the limiting cavity 3 and the mounting portion 43 that abut against each other match. When abutting against each other, the two surfaces of the limiting cavity 3 and the mounting portion 43 fit together to enhance the stability of the two surfaces after contact. Figure 2 As shown, the outer surface of the mounting portion 43 abuts against the inner surface of the wall 315 on the distal side of the limiting cavity 3, and the shapes of the contacting portions of the two surfaces are consistent. Such a structural design enables the mounting portion 43 to be more securely accommodated in the limiting cavity 3 after being inserted into the limiting cavity 3, so that the position of opening the airway is more accurate, thereby achieving the purpose of opening the airway to suppress snoring. In other embodiments, when the mounting portion 43 is in contact with both side walls of the limiting cavity 3, or the mounting portion 43 is in contact with both side walls and the connecting wall 313 of the limiting cavity 3, or when the mounting portion 43 is in contact with all walls of the limiting cavity 3, that is, when the two side walls, the connecting wall 313 and the bottom wall 38 are all in contact, it can be understood that when the outer surface of the mounting portion 43 and the inner surface shapes of the walls of the limiting cavity 3 match each other, the contacting surfaces fit each other, which can make the mounting portion 43 more secure in the limiting cavity 3, which is beneficial to stabilize the patient's mandible in a position to open the airway.

[0057] In order to facilitate the insertion and removal of the mounting portion 43 from the limiting cavity 3, an elastic structure having elasticity may be provided on one or both of the mounting portion 43 and the limiting cavity 3 in the present application, and the provision of the elastic structure may also enable the elastic structure to have the force to restore the elastic deformation after the mounting portion 43 is inserted into the limiting cavity 3, thereby securely accommodating the mounting portion 43 abutting against the elastic structure in the limiting cavity 3, so that the patient's airway can be kept stable at a predetermined position, thereby ensuring the effect of suppressing snoring. In some embodiments, part or all of the structure of the mounting portion 43 may be designed to have an elastic structure, so that the mounting portion 43 may undergo elastic deformation when inserted into or from the limiting cavity 3, and the space for the elastic deformation enables the mounting portion 43 to be inserted into or removed from the limiting cavity 3. For example, the mounting portion 43 may be made of an elastic material; or, Fig.13 As shown, an elastic layer 431 is provided on the outer wall 430 of the mounting portion 43, such as a layer of soft gel sprayed thereon.

[0058] In some other embodiments, see Figures 14 to 17 As shown, an elastic portion 33 may be provided on the inner surface 30 of the limiting cavity 3, and the elastic portion 33 is continuously provided along the inner surface 30 of the limiting cavity 3. Fig.14 and 15 The inner surface 30 of the limiting cavity 3 without a bottom wall and with a bottom wall 38 are respectively illustrated as being continuously provided with an elastic portion 33, wherein the elastic portion 33 is made of an elastic material, such as a soft resin or a soft gel; the elastic portion 33 can also be arranged at intervals along the inner surface 30 of the limiting cavity 3, Fig.16 and 17 The inner surface 30 of the limiting cavity 3 with or without a bottom wall 38 is respectively illustrated as having a plurality of elastic portions 33 spaced apart therefrom. For example, one or more elastic portions 33 are disposed on the inner surface 30 of each side wall. The elastic portions 33 may be a plurality of protrusions protruding along the inner surface 30 into the cavity space of the limiting cavity 3, or may be a plurality of convex strips.

[0059] In some embodiments, in order to ensure that the patient's airway can be kept stable at a predetermined position (especially a sagittal position) after the mounting portion 43 is inserted into the limiting cavity 3, thereby ensuring the effect of suppressing snoring, please refer to Figures 18 to 21As shown, the applicant may also provide a positioning portion 34 on the inner surface of the limiting cavity 3, and the positioning portion 34 is a protrusion extending from the inner surface of the side 301 of the limiting cavity 3 where the positioning portion 34 is located to the opposite side 302 thereof; to match this, a groove 432 is provided on the side near the free end of the mounting portion 43, and when the mounting portion 43 is inserted into the limiting cavity 3, the groove 432 and the protrusion are locked to stabilize the mounting portion 43 in the limiting cavity 3. The cooperation between the protrusion and the groove 432 can not only quickly position the mounting portion 43 at the required predetermined position, but also limit the mounting portion 43 at the predetermined position of the limiting cavity 3 after the installation is completed, so that the patient's mandible can be stabilized at a position that can open the airway to suppress snoring.

[0060] In some embodiments, the protrusion is adjacent to the end of the limiting cavity 3 away from the opening 32. Such a setting can not only facilitate the insertion of the mounting portion 43, but also meet the purpose of stable positioning of the protrusion. If the protrusion is set at one end close to the opening 32, when the mounting portion 43 enters the limiting cavity 3, the protrusion will hinder the insertion of the mounting portion 43. For example, in one embodiment, the mounting portion 43 is made of elastic material, has elasticity, and can undergo elastic deformation. When inserted into the limiting cavity 3 through the opening 32, the mounting portion 43 The space for elastic deformation of the mounting portion 43 is sufficient to enable it to enter the limiting cavity 3. If the protrusion is set at the end close to the opening 32, when the mounting portion 43 enters the limiting cavity 3, the end of the groove 432 of the mounting portion 43 away from the opening 32 needs to be further elastically deformed, so that the end of the groove 432 away from the opening 32 crosses over the protrusion and is clamped with the protrusion. In this way, the elastic deformation of the mounting portion 43 is increased, which increases the difficulty of inserting the mounting portion 43 into the limiting cavity 3. Further, the protrusion in the present application is set at a preset distance L from the end of the limiting cavity 3 away from the opening 32, because the groove 432 is clamped on the outer contour of the protrusion. Therefore, in the cavity of the limiting cavity 3, after the groove 432 is clamped with the protrusion, there needs to be a space that can accommodate it. Specifically, the preset distance L can be 0 to 1 / 4 of the height of the side wall of the limiting cavity 3.

[0061] As described in the background technology, after the patient wears the dental device 100, some oral activities will occur during sleep, such as snoring with a large amplitude causing repeated opening and closing of the upper and lower jaws, grinding of teeth at night, talking in sleep, etc., which may easily cause the connecting piece to move in the wrong direction, and the effect of suppressing snoring cannot be guaranteed. Although the matching installation structure of the limiting cavity 3 and the mounting portion 43 on the connecting piece 4 of the present application is already very reliable and can solve the problems of most patients, the present application also provides a more reliable and stable structure, please refer to Fig. 22 and Fig.23 As shown, the dental device 100 for stopping snoring of the present application also includes a retaining member 5. When assembling the dental device 100, the mounting portion 43 is first inserted into and accommodated in the limiting cavity 3, and then the retaining member 5, the limiting cavity 3, and the mounting portion 43 are installed in cooperation with each other to prevent the mounting portion 43 from falling off in a direction opposite to its insertion direction, thereby limiting the movement of the connecting member 4 in the sagittal direction to keep the patient's mandible in the sagittal direction at a predetermined position capable of opening the airway. In some embodiments, the structure of the cooperative installation of the retaining member 5, the limiting cavity 3 and the mounting portion 43 is as follows: the side walls of the limiting cavity 3 in the proximal and distal directions are respectively provided with a first through hole 35 and a second through hole 36 penetrating the side walls on both sides, and the mounting portion 43 is provided with a third through hole 433 penetrating the mounting portion 43 in a direction perpendicular to its insertion direction; wherein, the first through hole 35, the second through hole 36 and the third through hole 433 satisfy that after the mounting portion 43 is inserted into the limiting cavity 3, the third through hole 433 and the first through hole 35 and the second through hole 36 can be located on the same straight line; during installation, the mounting portion 43 is first inserted into and accommodated in the limiting cavity 3, and then the first through hole 35, the second through hole 36 and the third through hole 433 are adjusted to be on a straight line, and finally the retaining member 5 is sequentially penetrated through the first through hole 35, the third through hole 433 and the second through hole 36 to limit the movement of the mounting portion 43 in a direction opposite to its insertion direction.

[0062] In other embodiments, the structure of the cooperative installation of the retaining member 5, the limiting cavity 3 and the mounting portion 43 can also be as follows: a fourth through hole 37 penetrating the side wall 303 is provided on the side wall 303 on one side of the limiting cavity 3, and during installation, the mounting portion 43 is first inserted into and accommodated in the limiting cavity 3, and then the retaining member 5 is passed through the fourth through hole 37, wherein the retaining member 5 and the fourth through hole 37 are interference fit or threaded fit so that the mounting portion 43 is abutted against the side wall 304 on the other side of the limiting cavity 3 opposite to the side wall 303 on the side where the fourth through hole 37 is located, and the mounting portion 43 can also be limited from moving in a direction opposite to its insertion direction.

[0063] In some embodiments, the present application also provides a structure that is simple in structure, more secure after installation, and can also guide the installation of the installation portion 43, please refer to Fig.24 As shown, the present application respectively arranges magnets with opposite magnetism at the free end of the mounting portion 43 and the inner wall of the bottom wall 38 of the limiting cavity 3. Specifically, a first magnetic portion 44 is arranged at the free end of the mounting portion 43, and a second magnetic portion 39 with opposite magnetism to the first magnetic portion 44 is arranged on the inner wall of the bottom wall 38 of the limiting cavity 3. Such a structural design has the following advantages: first, the structural design of the two magnetic portions is simple, and will not damage the structure of the limiting cavity 3, thereby ensuring that its strength is not affected, and thus will not affect the stability of the mounting portion 43 after installation; second, due to magnetic attraction, the installation of the mounting portion 43 can be guided, making the installation relatively cheap, and no additional installation tools are required, which provides convenience for patients, greatly improves the patient's satisfaction, naturally increases the willingness to wear, and is conducive to the achievement of the treatment purpose; third, after the mounting portion 43 is installed in place, also due to magnetic attraction, the position of the mounting portion 43 in the limiting cavity 3 is relatively stable, so that the patient's airway can remain stable at a predetermined sagittal position, which is conducive to achieving the purpose of suppressing snoring.

[0064] In some embodiments, see Fig.25 and Fig.26 As shown, in order to facilitate the insertion and extraction of the mounting portion 43 into and out of the limiting cavity 3, the applicant may also design the inner contour dimension D1 of the limiting cavity 3 adjacent to the opening 32 to be greater than or equal to the inner contour dimension D2 of the limiting cavity 3 away from the opening 32, that is, D1 ≥ D2. This dimension design enables the limiting cavity 3 to have a larger opening 32, and the inner contour dimension D1 of the limiting cavity 3 adjacent to the opening 32 is conducive to the insertion or extraction of the mounting portion 43 into or out of the limiting cavity 3 through the opening 32. For the mounting portion 43, it is designed to have an outer contour shape similar to the The structure matches the inner contour shape of the limiting cavity 3. Such a structural design makes the outer contour size of the end of the mounting portion 43 close to the opening 32 smaller, while the outer contour size of the end away from the opening 32 is larger. When inserted, the smaller end of the mounting portion 43 first enters the larger opening 32 of the limiting cavity 3, which is more convenient. After the mounting portion 43 is accommodated in the limiting cavity 3, the outer contour shape of the mounting portion 43 matches the inner contour shape of the limiting cavity 3, and the mounting portion 43 as a whole will not shake in the limiting cavity 3, thereby not affecting the anti-snoring effect.

[0065] It should be noted that the above embodiments can be freely combined as needed to form different new implementation plans without causing any contradiction. The implementation plans formed after such combination are all within the scope of protection of this application. In order to save the length of the application text, they will not be repeated here.

[0066] The above is only a preferred embodiment of the present application. It should be pointed out that for ordinary technicians in this technical field, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the creative principles of the present invention. These improvements and modifications should also be regarded as the scope of protection of the present application.

[0067] Similarly, the above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any technician familiar with the technical field can easily think of changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present application, which should be included in the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be based on the protection scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A dental device for stopping snoring, characterized in that: include: A first shell-shaped dental instrument, a second shell-shaped dental instrument, a limiting cavity and a connecting piece; The first shell-shaped dental appliance is worn on the patient's upper jaw to accommodate the patient's upper jaw dentition; The second shell-shaped dental appliance is worn on the patient's lower jaw to accommodate the patient's lower jaw dentition; The limiting cavity is arranged at the buccal side of the first shell-shaped dental instrument near the front teeth, and the limiting cavity comprises two side walls protruding toward the distal teeth and arranged in sequence along the mesiodistal direction and an opening arranged toward the maxillary gum direction; The first end of the connecting member is movably connected to the second shell-shaped dental instrument at the position close to the posterior teeth, the second end of the connecting member away from the first end is provided with a mounting portion protruding toward the mandible, and the connecting member is provided on the same side as the limiting cavity; wherein, When worn, the first end of the connecting piece rotates around the normal axis of the buccal side thereof, and after the mounting portion enters the limiting cavity, the mounting portion at least abuts against the distal wall of the limiting cavity to keep the patient's mandible at a predetermined position capable of opening the airway and constrain the movement of the patient's mandible in the sagittal direction.

2. The dental device for stopping snoring according to claim 1, characterized in that: The two side walls respectively have a fixed end and a connecting end, and the two fixed ends are respectively fixedly connected to the first shell-shaped dental instrument, wherein the two connecting ends are directly connected, or the two connecting ends are connected via a connecting wall.

3. The dental device for stopping snoring according to claim 1, characterized in that: The opening is arranged toward the posterior teeth, and the opening direction is arranged at a preset angle α with the jaw plane, wherein 30°≤α<90°.

4. The dental device for stopping snoring according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The shapes of the two surfaces of the limiting cavity and the mounting portion abutting against each other match each other. When abutting against each other, the two surfaces of the limiting cavity and the mounting portion abutting against each other fit each other.

5. The dental device for stopping snoring according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mounting portion is made of elastic material; or an elastic layer is provided on the outer wall of the mounting portion.

6. The dental device for stopping snoring according to claim 1, 2 or 5, characterized in that: An elastic part is arranged on the inner surface of the limiting cavity, and the elastic part is arranged along the inner surface of the limiting cavity.

7. The dental device for stopping snoring according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inner surface of the limiting cavity is provided with a positioning portion, and the positioning portion is a protrusion extending along the inner surface of the limiting cavity toward the opposite side thereof; A groove matching the protrusion is arranged on one side of the mounting portion near the free end, and when the mounting portion is inserted into the limiting cavity, the groove and the protrusion are clamped with each other.

8. The dental device for stopping snoring according to claim 7, characterized in that: The positioning portion is adjacent to one end of the limiting cavity away from the opening, and the positioning portion and the end of the limiting cavity away from the opening are arranged at a preset distance, wherein the preset distance is 0 to 1 / 4 of the height of the side wall of the limiting cavity.

9. The dental device for stopping snoring according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a retaining piece. After the mounting portion is inserted into and accommodated in the limiting cavity, the retaining piece, the limiting cavity and the mounting portion are installed in cooperation with each other to prevent the mounting portion from falling off in a direction opposite to its insertion direction.

10. The dental device for stopping snoring according to claim 9, characterized in that: The limiting cavity also includes a first through hole and a second through hole respectively penetrating the side walls in the proximal and distal directions of the limiting cavity, and the mounting portion is provided with a third through hole penetrating the mounting portion in a direction perpendicular to the insertion direction of the mounting portion; wherein, after the mounting portion is accommodated in the limiting cavity, the third through hole is located on the same straight line as the first through hole and the second through hole, and the retaining member sequentially penetrates the first through hole, the third through hole and the second through hole to limit the movement of the mounting portion in a direction opposite to its insertion direction.

11. The dental device for stopping snoring according to claim 9, characterized in that: The limiting cavity also includes a fourth through hole that passes through a side wall of the limiting cavity in the proximal and distal directions. After the mounting portion is accommodated in the limiting cavity, the retaining member passes through the fourth through hole to abut the mounting portion against the side wall of the limiting cavity opposite to the fourth through hole.

12. The dental device for stopping snoring according to claim 1, characterized in that: The limiting cavity also includes a bottom wall, and the bottom wall and the two side walls in the proximal and distal directions are combined to form a cavity with a closed bottom.

13. The dental device for stopping snoring according to claim 12, characterized in that: The free end of the mounting portion is provided with a first magnetic portion, and the bottom wall of the limiting cavity is provided with a second magnetic portion having opposite magnetic properties to the first magnetic portion. When the mounting portion is installed, the first magnetic portion and the second magnetic portion are magnetically attracted to each other.

14. The dental device for stopping snoring according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The inner contour dimension of the limiting cavity adjacent to the opening end is greater than or equal to the inner contour dimension of the limiting cavity away from the opening end, and the mounting portion is provided with a structure whose outer contour shape matches the inner contour shape of the limiting cavity.

Images