Dental retractor

Abstract

The dental retractor forms a bending support member to provide retraction of the upper lip, lower lip, and cheek. Retraction prevents interference with access and visibility to the oral facial / lip area during dental treatment. It prevents the lips from touching the gingival tissue or tooth structure. The lips and soft tissues are retracted and held safely away from dental tools. Lip retraction, when placed in the use position, is provided by a flexible member that provides elevation and contraction on the labial surfaces of both the upper and lower jaws, and the lips are retracted away from the treatment area by the opposing force of the upper and lower jaw support members. When the bending support member bends for lip retraction, the inner portion of the support member retracts the cheeks bilaterally by the force designed into the support member.

Description

Technical Field of the Invention

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to dental mouthpieces. In particular, embodiments of the present invention relate to dental retractors that provide retraction of the upper lip, lower lip, and cheeks. Description of the Prior Art and Related Information

[0002] The following background information may present examples that illustrate certain aspects of the prior art (e.g., without limitation, approaches, facts, or general knowledge), but these are expected to be useful for the reader to learn more about additional aspects of the prior art and are not intended to limit the current invention or its embodiments to what is described or suggested therein, or what can be inferred therefrom. When performing dental procedures, it is often necessary to perform multiple functions simultaneously. Such functions include keeping the patient's mouth open and retracting tissues such as the patient's lips. Conventional lip and cheek retractors can be uncomfortable for the user and difficult to use or deploy. In view of this, there is a need for an improved dental retractor that can provide appropriate retraction that is comfortable for the patient and easy to use for the provider. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] Embodiments of the present invention provide a dental retractor including an upper lip saddle and a lower lip saddle. The upper lip saddle and the lower lip saddle each have an inner surface and an outer surface. When the dental retractor is worn by a user, the inner surface is positioned between the user's lip and gum, and the outer surface is positioned on the outer portion of the user's lip. Further, it has a first support component connecting the left side of the inner surface of the lower lip saddle and the left side of the inner surface of the upper lip saddle, and a second support component connecting the right side of the inner surface of the lower lip saddle and the right side of the inner surface of the upper lip saddle. The upper lip saddle and the lower lip saddle are arranged along the vertical axis when the dental retractor is stationary and no force is acting. The first and second support components elastically bend the upper lip saddle towards the lower lip saddle. Also, the first and second support components elastically bend outward from the space between the upper lip saddle and the lower lip saddle when the dental retractor is bent to the use position. Embodiments of the present invention further provide a dental retractor including an upper lip saddle and a lower lip saddle. The upper lip saddle and the lower lip saddle each have an inner surface and an outer surface. When the dental retractor is worn by a user, the inner surface is positioned between the user's lip and gum, and the outer surface is positioned on the outer portion of the user's lip. Tabs are provided at the central portions of the outer surfaces of the upper lip saddle and the lower lip saddle. The first support component connects the left side of the inner surface of the lower lip saddle and the left side of the inner surface of the upper lip saddle, and the second support component connects the right side of the inner surface of the lower lip saddle and the right side of the inner surface of the upper lip saddle. The upper lip saddle and the lower lip saddle are arranged along the vertical axis when the dental retractor is stationary and no force is acting. The first and second support components elastically bend the upper lip saddle towards the lower lip saddle and elastically bend outward from the space between the upper lip saddle and the lower lip saddle when the dental retractor is bent to the use position. And the upper half (the portion having the upper lip saddle) of the dental retractor is symmetrical to the lower half (the portion having the lower lip saddle). Embodiments of the present invention further provide a method of retracting a user's lips and cheeks. The method includes pushing the tabs of the dental retractor described above towards each other, elastically bending the dental retractor at an angle of about 90 degrees, and inserting the dental retractor into the user's mouth. At this time, the upper lip saddle is positioned around the user's upper lip, the lower lip saddle is positioned around the user's lower lip, and the first and second support components are pressed against the inside of the user's left and right cheeks, respectively. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will be better understood with reference to the following drawings, description, and claims.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0004] Some embodiments of the present invention are illustrated by way of example and are not limited by the figures in the accompanying drawings. Similar elements may be denoted by like reference numerals. FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a dental retractor according to an example of the present invention. FIG. 2 shows a side view of the dental retractor of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 shows an end view of the dental retractor of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 shows a top view of the dental retractor of FIG. 1. FIG. 5 shows a bottom view of the dental retractor of FIG. 1. FIG. 6 shows the movement of the dental retractor of FIG. 1 from the storage position to the insertion position. FIG. 7 shows the dental retractor of FIG. 1 being used on a patient. FIG. 8 shows the dental retractor of FIG. 1 being used on a patient together with an additional dental mouthpiece. Unless otherwise specified, the illustrations in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. The present invention and its various embodiments can be better understood by referring to the following detailed description. It should be explicitly understood that the illustrated embodiments are shown by way of example and not as limitations to the invention defined ultimately by the claims. Detailed description of the preferred and best embodiments of the invention

[0005] The terms used herein are for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and are not intended to limit the invention. The term "and / or" used herein includes any one or more combinations of the associated listed items. The singular forms "a", "an", and "the" used herein are intended to include both the singular and the plural unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising" when used in this specification specify the presence of the described features, steps, operations, elements, or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Further, terms as defined in commonly used dictionaries are to be interpreted as having a meaning that coincides with the meaning in the context of the relevant technical field and this disclosure, and are not to be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined herein. In the description of the invention, it will be understood that several techniques and procedures are disclosed. Each technique and procedure has its own advantages and can also be used in combination with other techniques and procedures. Therefore, for the sake of clarity, this description will avoid unnecessarily repeating every possible combination of the individual procedures. However, the specification and the claims should be read with the understanding that such combinations are within the scope of the invention and the claims. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. This disclosure should be considered as an example of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments shown in the following drawings or description. As is well known to those skilled in the art, many careful considerations and compromises are usually required when designing the optimal configuration for commercial implementation. This is especially true in the embodiments of the present invention. The commercial implementation in accordance with the spirit and teachings of the present invention may be configured according to the needs of a particular application. Therefore, any aspect, feature, function, result, component, approach, or procedure related to any embodiment of the present invention can be appropriately omitted, added, adapted, combined, or improved and / or optimized by those skilled in the art using their average technical ability and known techniques to achieve the desired implementation. Broadly speaking, embodiments of the present invention provide a dental retractor having a shaped flexure support member that provides retraction of the upper lip, lower lip, and cheeks. This retraction provides unobstructed access and visibility to the oral facial / lip region during dental treatment. It prevents the lips from touching the gingival tissue or tooth structure. The lips and soft tissues are retracted and safely kept away from the dental tools. The retraction of the lips is provided by a flexible member that provides the height and retraction of the labial surfaces of the upper and lower jaws when placed in the use position, and the reaction forces of the support members of the upper and lower jaws retract the lips and keep them away from the treatment site. When the flexure support member is bent for lip retraction, the cheeks on both sides are retracted by the forces designed into the support member. Referring to FIGS. 1 - 5, a dental retractor 10 (also referred to as retractor 10) may include upper and lower lip retraction members 12, 14 (also referred to as upper and lower lip saddles 12, 14) connected by a support member 16. One of the support members 16 connects the left sides of the upper and lower lip retraction members 12, 14, and another support member 16 connects the right sides of the upper and lower lip retraction members 12, 14. The support member 16 is arcuate in the rest state and may be elastically folded, for example, as shown in FIG. 6. When the support member 16 is folded at an angle of approximately 90 degrees, the retractor 10 can be inserted into the patient as shown in FIG. 7, and the elasticity of the support member 16 helps provide the opening force to maintain the retraction. Details will be described below. The central portion 16A of the support member 16 is positioned against the oral tissue inside the cheeks on both sides. This causes a forward extrusion in the opposite direction away from the teeth. This extrusion pushes the lips forward and outward, away from the teeth, and keeps the device away from the sensitive gingival portions. The first and second support members 16 may have a cross-sectional width of less than 10 mm, usually less than 5 mm, and often less than 3 mm in at least one direction. For example, if the support member 16 is circular, the diameter will be less than about 10 mm. If the support member 16 has a rectangular cross-section, the smaller width of this cross-section will not exceed 10 mm. In other words, the support member 16 may be a small and elastically bendable member. The support member 16 may be made of the same material as other parts of the retractor, or may include an inner part made of metal coated with a flexible outer material. The upper lip saddle 12 and the lower lip saddle 14 may be arranged along the longitudinal axis 30 when the dental retractor 10 is not receiving force in the rest state (see Figure 2). The first and second support members 16 elastically bend the upper lip saddle 12 towards the lower lip saddle 14, and the first and second support members 16 elastically bend outward from the space 36 (see Figure 4) between the upper lip saddle 12 and the lower lip saddle 14 when the dental retractor 10 is bent to the use position (see the right image in Figure 6) (as indicated by the arrow 32 in Figure 3). The lip retractor members 12, 14 are generally formed in a C-shape, and the upper lip and lower lip retractor members 12, 14 may open in the same direction. The retractor members 12, 14 may include an inner portion 20 that can be placed at the position where the gingival tissue and the lip tissue intersect. The outer portion 22 is placed outside the patient's lip as shown in Figure 7. The inclined central portion 24 serves to connect the inner portion 20 and the outer portion 22 with a smooth and continuous arc. The tab 18 may extend from the distal end of the outer portion 22. The tab 18 may provide a means for the provider to compress the upper lip and lower lip retractor members 12, 14 together (see Figure 6), thereby allowing insertion into the patient. The tab 18 may have a rough outer surface to prevent the finger from slipping during use. The tab 18 allows the clinician to manipulate and position the mouthpiece and adjust the device horizontally or vertically to improve access and visibility within the oral cavity. The forward-outward extrusion of the retractor 10 only occurs when the device is placed in the oral cavity and is bent or in a loaded (spring) state (see Fig. 7). This loaded position is a state where there is a deformation or bending of approximately 90 degrees from the molded or relaxed state. The bending resistance can assist in retraction in multiple oral forms by the bending support member 16 of the retractor 10 opening and inserting after bending and automatically seating in the maxillary and mandibular vestibules. As shown, the support member 16 extends upward and outward in an arch when the device is in a resting state (see Figs. 1 - 5). When the provider compresses the tabs 18 together (e.g., toward an angle of 90 degrees as shown in Fig. 6), the support member 16 can not only provide resistance to assist in lip retraction but also elastically extend outwardly to assist in cheek retraction simultaneously. The retractor 10 can have a small cross-section of the lateral bending support member 16 considering ease of insertion and inconspicuousness during dental treatment. Further, the upper and lower cutout reliefs 26 for the labial frenum in the upper and lower retraction members 12, 14 of the upper and lower lips help ensure patient comfort. In some embodiments, the retractor may be formed symmetrically on both sides. In other words, as shown in Fig. 2, each side is symmetric about the axis 28. This allows for insertion regardless of which end is up or down. The entire device can be made of a soft material similar to gingival tissue to provide comfort to the gingiva. For example, this device can be made of a flexible material such as plastic, rubber, foam, etc. The device can include a molded bumper to prevent the lip retractor from directly contacting the gingival tissue and improve patient comfort. In some embodiments, the bumper can be formed of a material such as sponge and can be made to absorb excess irrigation fluid from the oral cavity. As described above, the device can be shaped to be substantially flat or semi-flat during storage or when not in use in order to enable a simple mold design. The device can be elastically deformed into a C-shaped bent configuration when inserted into the oral cavity and during use. All features described in this specification (including the accompanying summary and drawings), unless explicitly stated otherwise, can be replaced by other features that achieve the same purpose, an equivalent purpose, or a similar purpose. Therefore, unless explicitly stated otherwise, each feature described is only a general example of equivalent or similar features. The elements and steps of the claims described herein may be numbered and / or lettered for ease of readability and understanding. Such numbering and lettering do not indicate the order of those elements and / or steps and should not be construed as such. In the present invention, many changes and modifications can be made by those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it should be understood that the illustrated embodiments are shown for illustrative purposes only and do not limit the invention defined by the following claims. For example, even if the elements of the claims are shown in a particular combination, it should be explicitly understood that the invention may include fewer, more, or different combinations of the disclosed elements. The words used in this specification to describe the invention and its various embodiments should be understood to include not only their generally defined meanings but also the meanings specifically defined herein. As a result, these words will include a general structure, material, or act representing a single species. Accordingly, the definitions of the terms or elements in the following claims are defined in this specification to include not only the combinations of elements literally recited, but also equivalent elements for those. In this sense, it is contemplated that two or more elements can be substituted for any one element in a claim, or that one element may be substituted by two or more elements. It should be explicitly understood that even if an element is described above as acting in a particular combination and is first claimed as such, one or more elements can be excluded from the claimed combination and that the combination is directed to a sub - combination or a variation of a sub - combination. It is also contemplated that minor changes, viewed from the subject matter of the claimed invention, by a person having the technology known now or later devised, are explicitly included as being equivalent within the scope of the claims. Accordingly, substitutions that are made obvious now or later by a person skilled in the art are defined to be within the scope of the defined elements. Accordingly, the claims are to be understood to include what is specifically shown above, what is conceptually equivalent, what is obviously substitutable, and what incorporates the essential idea of the invention.

Claims

1. A dental retractor, comprising: An upper lip saddle; A lower lip saddle, the upper lip saddle and the lower lip saddle each having an inner side and an outer side, the inner side being located between the user's lips and gums when the dental retractor is worn by the user, and the outer side being located outside the user's lips; A first support member connecting the inner side of the left side of the lower lip saddle and the inner side of the left side of the upper lip saddle; A second support member connecting the inner side of the right side of the lower lip saddle and the inner side of the right side of the upper lip saddle; where When the dental retractor is in a rest state and no force is acting, the upper lip saddle and the lower lip saddle are arranged along the vertical axis; The first and second support members elastically bend the upper lip saddle towards the lower lip saddle; The first and second support members elastically bend outward from the space between the upper lip saddle and the lower lip saddle when the dental retractor is bent to the use position.

2. The dental retractor of claim 1, further comprising a cutout relief formed in the central portion of the inner sides of the upper lip saddle and the lower lip saddle.

3. The dental retractor of claim 1, wherein each of the upper lip saddle and the lower lip saddle is formed in a C shape.

4. The dental retractor of claim 1, wherein tabs are provided at the outer central portions of the upper lip saddle and the lower lip saddle.

5. The dental retractor of claim 1, wherein the first and second support members have a cross-sectional width of less than 5 mm in at least one direction.

6. The dental retractor of claim 1, wherein the first and second support members have a circular cross-section with a diameter of less than 5 mm.

7. The dental retractor of claim 1, wherein the upper half of the dental retractor having the upper lip saddle is symmetric with the lower half of the dental retractor having the lower lip saddle.

8. The dental retractor of claim 1, wherein the first and second support members are pressed against the tissues inside the cheeks on both sides to provide retraction when the dental retractor is placed on the user at the use position.

9. A dental retractor, comprising An upper lip saddle; A lower lip saddle, each upper lip saddle and lower lip saddle having an inner side and an outer side, the inner side being located between the user's lips and gums when the dental retractor is placed on the user, and the outer side being located outside the user's lips; Tabs included at the outer central portions of the upper lip saddle and the lower lip saddle; including a first support member connecting the left side inside the lower lip saddle and the left side inside the upper lip saddle; including a second support member connecting the right side inside the lower lip saddle and the right side inside the upper lip saddle; wherein, the upper lip saddle and the lower lip saddle are arranged along the vertical axis when the dental retractor is stationary and no force is applied, the first and second support members elastically bend the upper lip saddle towards the lower lip saddle; the first and second support members elastically bend outward from the space between the upper lip saddle and the lower lip saddle when the dental retractor is bent to the use position; the upper half of the dental retractor having the upper lip saddle is symmetrical to the lower half of the dental retractor having the lower lip saddle.

10. The dental retractor according to claim 9, further including a cut relief formed in the central portion inside the upper lip saddle and the lower lip saddle.

11. The dental retractor according to claim 9, wherein each of the upper lip saddle and the lower lip saddle is formed in a C shape.

12. The dental retractor according to claim 9, wherein the first and second support members have a cross-sectional width of less than 10 mm in at least one direction.

13. The dental retractor according to claim 9, wherein the first and second support members have a round cross-sectional shape with a diameter of less than 10 mm.

14. The dental retractor according to claim 9, wherein the first and second support members provide retraction by applying pressure to the tissues inside the cheeks on both sides when the dental retractor is placed in the user at the use position.

15. A method of retracting the user's lips and cheeks, comprising pushing the tabs of the dental retractor according to claim 9 towards each other to elastically bend the dental retractor at an angle of about 90 degrees; and inserting the dental retractor into the user's mouth such that the upper lip saddle is positioned on the user's upper lip, the lower lip saddle is positioned on the user's lower lip, and each of the first and second support members applies pressure to the inside of the user's respective left and right cheeks.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising positioning the cut relief formed in the central portion inside the upper lip saddle and the lower lip saddle to surround the frenulums (the superior labial frenulum and the inferior labial frenulum) of the user's upper lip and lower lip.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein each of the upper lip saddle and the lower lip saddle is formed in a (- shape).

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the first and second support members have a cross-sectional width of less than 10 mm in at least one direction.

19. The method according to claim 15, wherein the first and second support members have a circular cross-section with a diameter of less than 10 mm.

20. The method according to claim 15, wherein a thrust is provided by elastically moving the tabs towards each other, and the thrust pushes the upper and lower lips forward and outward, away from the teeth, and keeps the dental retractor away from the sensitive gum area.

Images