Denture reline barrier

Abstract

A flexible barrier for use in a. dental reline procedure includes a sterile gauze body pre- formed in a U -shape configuration to correspond with a denture shape, and a selected amount of petrolatum impregnated within the sterile gauze body. The flexible barrier is configured for disposal with a reline material that engages with an inner surface of the denture such that the flexible barrier interfaces between one or more tooth extractions sites within a mouth of a patient and the reline material to shield the one or more tooth extractions sites from the reline material. Methods of use are also disclosed.

Description

Applicant: John BibbAtty. Docket No.: 11330-0101PCTDENTURE RELINE BARRIERTechnical Field

[0001] 'The present invention relates generally to protective barriers implemented during denture relme procedures, and more particularly, to a flexible barrier that is applied to a relme material to shield one or more tooth extraction sites from the relme material.Background Art

[0002] Approximately forty-four million people currently wear dentures in the United States and this number is projected to increase annually by about eight percent over the next fifteen or more years. Dentures are prosthetic devices that replace missing teeth. Once a person loses a certain number of teeth, the shape of the face can change and remaining teeth in the mouth can shift, causing gaps, bite problems, and / or gum disease. Therefore, dentures can assist in maintaining the shape of a person’s face as well as preventing remaining teeth tn the mouth from shifting.

[0003] Dentures are defined into two categories including partial and full, also known as complete. A partial denture replaces one or several missing teeth. Partial dentures rely on the gums, underlying jawbone, as well as neighboring remaining natural teeth for support and stability'. Full dentures replace an entire arch of teeth and rest on top of the gums of the patient Full dentures rely on the palate and / or lower jawbone ridge for support. Both partial and full dentures can be fixed or removable.

[0004] Once a patient becomes a candidate for one or more dentures, a dentist will determine what category of denture is optimal for the patient After a category of denture is selected, one or more teeth may be extracted. The timing of when a patient begins to wear, for example, their first removable denture follows two basic treatment options. The first option is an immediate denture placement on the same day of the one or more tooth extractions, and the second option is the delayed fabrication of a conventional denture following a variable healing time of the extraction site from about six weeks to six months.Applicant: John BibbAtty. Docket No.: 11330-0101PCT

[0005] After an immediate or conventional denture is fitted to a patient, the denture may not fit comfortably in the patient’s mouth. For example, changes in the shape of the gums or bone structure can cause a denture to become loose or uncomfortable, which may eventually cause soreness or infection. When this occurs, a chairside denture reline procedure may be implemented to adjust the denture to improve the fit. During a chairside denture reline procedure, the inner surface of the denture is adjusted by adding a new layer of material, for example, a reline material to the denture to better conform to the current shape of the patient’s mouth, including the gums and / or the bone structure, to improve comfort and stability. The reline material can be self-curing and is initially added to the denture in an uncured state In a short period of time, after the denture is inserted into the mouth of the patient, the reline material will cure and conform to the shape of the gums and / or the bone structure.

[0006] However, when the denture and the uncured layer of reline material are placed into the patient’s mouth, the uncured reline material contacts not only the gums and / or the bone structure of the patient, but also it can deposit into the one or more tooth extraction sites. If the reline material is not removed from the one or more tooth extraction sites, it will cure, potentially causing a foreign body reaction and eventually leading to infection.

[0007] Accordingly, there is a need for a solution to at least one of the aforementioned problems. For instance, there is an established need for a flexible barrier that is applied to an uncured rehne material that is attached to the inner surface of a denture to shield one or more tooth extraction sites from the uncured reline material during a chairside dental reline procedure. There is also a need for a flexible barrier that is implemented during a chairside dental reline procedure that enables a dentist to expediently fit a denture while protecting one or more tooth extraction sites that are healing and to prevent infection from occurring in the one or more tooth extraction sites.Summary of the Invention

[0008] The present invention is directed to a flexible barrier that is applied to a reline material to shield one or more tooth extraction sites from the reline material. Methods of use are also disclosed.Applicant: John BibbAtty. Docket No.: 11330-0101PCT

[0009] In a first implementation of the invention, a flexible bamer for use in a dental reline procedure includes a sterile gauze body pre-formed in a U-shape configuration to correspond with a denture shape, and a selected amount of petrolatum impregnated within the sterile gauze body. The flexible barrier is configured for disposal with a reline material that engages with an inner surface of the denture such that the flexible barrier interfaces between one or more tooth extractions sites within a mouth of a patient and the reline materia] to shield the one or more tooth extractions sites from the reline material.

[0010] In a second aspect, the flexible barrier may include a bib.

[0011] In another aspect, the flexible barrier may be disposable and may be configured for a single use.

[0012] In another aspect, the sterile gauze body may be configured having selected dimensions including a 3-inch width and a 3-inch length. In some embodiments, the selected dimensions of the sterile gauze body may correspond to the dimensions of a standard upper denture.

[0013] In another aspect, the sterile gauze body may be configured having selected dimensions including a 3-inch width and a 2.5-mch length.

[0014] In another aspect the sterile gauze body may include a selected uniform thickness in a range from about 0.5 millimeter (mm) to 3.0 mm.

[0015] In another aspect, the sterile gauze body may be a multi-layered sterile gauze.

[0016] In another aspect, the petrolatum impregnated within the sterile gauze body may include the sterile gauze body being saturated in a range from about 2 to 4 times its weight in petrolatum.

[0017] In another aspect, the flexible barrier can be stored in a sterile packaging.

[0018] In another aspect, the reline material is self-curing.

[0019] In a second implementation, a method of reshaping a denture is provided The method can include the steps of: applying an uncured reline material to an inner surface ofApplicant: John BibbAtty. Docket No.: 11330-0101PCTa denture; layering a flexible bamer over the uncured reline material, the flexible barrier including a sterile gauze body pre-formed in a U-shape configuration and a selected amount of petrolatum impregnated within the sterile gauze body; inserting the denture including the uncured reline material and the flexible barrier into a mouth of a patient; curing the uncured reline material in the mouth of the patient; removing the denture including the cured reline material and the flexible barrier, and removing the flexible barrier from the cured reline material, the flexible barrier configured to form an interface between selected surfaces of gums of the mouth of the patient and the uncured / cured reline material to prevent the uncured / cured reline material from contacting the selected surfaces of the gums.

[0020] In another aspect, before the applying of the uncured refine material to the inner surface of the denture step, the method may further include the step of mixing a reline powder material with liquid to form an uncured reline material having a selected consistency.

[0021] In another aspect, after inserting the denture including the uncured reline material and the flexible bamer into a mouth of a patient step, the method may further include the step of contacting selected surfaces of the gums with the denture including the uncured reline material and the flexible barrier. In some embodiments, one or more cheeks or a tongue of the patient may be manipulated once the denture has been inserted into the mouth to facilitate proper alignment and fit of the denture with the selected surfaces of the gums.

[0022] In another aspect, the selected surfaces of the gums may include one or more tooth extraction sites.

[0023] In another aspect, the curing step may include waiting a selected period of time for the uncured reline material to harden into the cured reline material.

[0024] In another aspect, the selected period of time for the uncured reline material to harden into the cured reline material may include about 10 to 15 minutes.

[0025] In another aspect, the uncured reline material can be a seif-curing reline materialApplicant: John BibbAtty. Docket No.: 11330-0101PCT

[0026] In another aspect, during the removing the flexible barrier from the cured reline material step, the flexible barrier can be pealed out / off from the cured reline material and is discarded.

[0027] In another aspect, after the removing the flexible barrier from the cured reline material step, the method may further include the step of trimming edges of the cured reline material.

[0028] In another aspect, after trimming the edges of the cured reline material, the method may further include the step of polishing the denture. Tn some embodiments, the denture can be polished via a lathe machine.

[0029] In some embodiments, the flexible barrier can be integrated into a standard 6 step chairside dental reline procedure, forming a 7 step procedure. In some embodiments, the step of adding a flexible barrier into the chairside dental reline procedure can add from 1 to about 4 minutes to the standard chairside dental reline procedure that typically averages about 30 to 60 minutes to complete.

[0030] In some embodiments, the flexible barrier can enable a chairside dental reline procedure to be completed in a safer manner and / or with less concern about an inadvertent introduction of excess reline material into one or more tooth extractions sites including one or more open sockets and / or sutures than a standard chairside reline procedure. In some embodiments, a chairside reline procedure that implements the flexible barrier can be performed in about the same time as a standard chairside reline procedure.

[0031] In some embodiments, the flexible barrier may protect one or more recent tooth extraction sites including one or more open sockets and / or sutures. In some embodiments, the flexible barrier may facilitate accelerated patient comfort and improve the fit of a denture without the risk of introducing a foreign body reaction / foci of infection. In some embodiments, the flexible barrier may reduce risk to the dentist due to a reduced incidence of infection that may lower incidence of patient morbidity.

[0032] In some embodiments, the flexible barrier may be implemented in a chairside dental reline procedure for immediate denture patient(s) and / or conventional denture patient(s) who have their first denture fabricated within a shorter period of healing timeApplicant: John BibbAtty. Docket No.: 11330-0101PCTpost one or more tooth extractions.

[0033] In some embodiments, implementation of the flexible barrier may enable a dentist to proceed safely and more expediently with a chairside reline procedure, enabling the chairside reline procedure to occur without waiting for fully healed tooth extraction site(s) or for one or more extraction sites to completely closed.

[0034] In some embodiments, the flexible barrier may shorten the amount of time that a patient waits before having a chairside dental reline procedure, reduce the risk of a foreign body reaction, increase control of the efficacy of a chairside dental reline procedure, and reduce preparation time of non-disclosed treatment modalities. In some embodiments, the flexible barrier may increase confidence in a chairside dental reline procedure regarding the control / predictability of the denture reline.

[0035] In another example implementation, disclosed is a barrier for use in a dental reline procedure, the barrier comprising: a flexible body configured to be positioned between a denture and oral tissue of a patient during the application of a reline material to the denture, wherein the flexible body is configured to shield one or more tooth extraction sites from contact with the reline material during curing of the reline material

[0036] In another aspect, the flexible body comprises a gauze material.

[0037] In another aspect, the gauze material is sterile

[0038] In another aspect, the gauze material comprises multiple layers.

[0039] In another aspect, the flexible body is pre-formed in a U-shape configured to correspond to a denture shape.

[0040] In another aspect, the flexible body has a thickness in a range from about 0.5 millimeters to about 3.0 millimeters.

[0041] In another aspect, the flexible body comprises natural fibers, synthetic fibers, or a blend thereof.

[0042] In another aspect, the flexible body is impregnated with a lubricant.Applicant: John BibbAtty. Docket No.: 11330-0101PCT

[0043] In another aspect, the lubricant comprises petrolatum.

[0044] In another aspect, the petrolatum is present in an amount between 2 to 4 times a weight of the flexible body.

[0045] In another aspect, the lubricant further comprises one or more plant-based oils selected from the group consisting of coconut oil, jojoba oil, sunflower oil, clove oil, and tea tree oil.

[0046] In another aspect, the lubricant comprises one or more waxes selected from the group consisting of beeswax and carnauba wax.

[0047] In another aspect, the flexible body is configured to be disposable after a single use.

[0048] In another aspect, the barrier further comprises a sterile package enclosing the flexible body.

[0049] In another aspect, the barrier further comprises the sterile package comprises a tearable or perforated opening feature.

[0050] In another aspect, the reline material is a self-curing reline material.

[0051] In another aspect, the flexible body is configured to be removable from the cured reline material without leaving residue.

[0052] In another aspect, the flexible body is configured for trimming prior to use to conform to a shape of the denture.

[0053] In another example implementation, disclosed is a barrier for shielding a tooth extraction site during a chairside dental reline procedure, the barrier comprising: a sterile gauze body formed in a U-shape to correspond with a denture shape; and a lubricant comprising petrolatum impregnated within the sterile gauze body, wherein the barrier is configured to be disposed between an inner surface of a denture carrying an uncured reline material and oral tissue of a patient such that the barrier prevents the uncured reline material from contacting the tooth extraction site during curing.Applicant: John BibbAtty. Docket No.: 11330-0101PCT

[0054] In another example implementation, disclosed is a device for use m a chairside denture reline procedure, the device comprising: a sterile, multi-layer gauze body pre¬ formed in a U-shaped configuration having dimensions of approximately 3 inches in width and 2.5 inches in length, wherein the gauze body has a thickness in the range of 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm and is formed from a natural fiber material: a petrolatum-based lubricant impregnated within the gauze body in an amount between 2 to 4 times the weight of the gauze body, wherein the gauze body is configured to be layered over an uncured self¬ curing reline material disposed on an inner surface of a denture, and wherein the gauze body is configured to prevent the uncured reline material from entering one or more tooth extraction sites within the patient’s mouth during curing, and wherein the gauze body is removable from the cured reline material without residue and is intended for single use.

[0055] 'These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the attached drawings and the detailed description of the preferred embodiments, which follow.Brief Description of the Drawings

[0056] The preferred embodiments of the invention will hereinafter be described in conjunction with the appended drawings provided to illustrate and not to limit the invention, where like designations denote like elements, and in which:

[0057] FIG 1 presents a perspective view of a flexible barrier for application during a reline dental procedure in accordance with a first illustrative embodiment of the present invention;

[0058] FIG. 2 is a perspective view' of a sterile packaging for storing the flexible barrier illustrated in FIG. 1;

[0059] FIG. 3 presents a perspective view' of a flow' chart of a method for a chairside reline dental procedure in accordance with a second illustrative embodiment of the present invention;

[0060] FIG. 4 presents a perspective view of a component implemented in a methodApplicant: John BibbAtty. Docket No.: 11330-0101PCTfor a chairside reline dental procedure in accordance with a third illustrative embodiment of the present invention, in particular, a sterile packaging of the flexible barrier is illustrated:

[0061] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the method for the chairside reline dental procedure of FIG. 4, in particular, where the sterile packaging is cut to open the packaging;

[0062] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the method for the chairside reline dental procedure of FIG. 4, in particular, where the flexible barrier is removed from the sterile packaging;

[0063] FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the method for the chairside reline dental procedure of FIG. 4, m particular, where the dentist has smoothed out the flexible barrier after it has been removed from the packaging is shown;

[0064] FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the method for the chairside reline dental procedure of FIG. 4, m particular, where the flexible barrier has been positioned over the denture to determine whether the flexible barrier requires trimming in view' of the dimensions of the denture;

[0065] FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the method for the chairside reline dental procedure of FIG. 4, in particular, where the flexible barrier is shown being trimmed by the dentist;

[0066] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the method for the chairside reline dental procedure of FIG. 4. in particular, where the trimmed flexible barrier has been positioned over the denture to confirm that the trimmed flexible barrier is the proper size for the denture after being trimmed;

[0067] FIG. 11 is a perspective view' of the method for the chairside reline dental procedure of FIG. 4, m particular, where an uncured reline material is being mixed by the dentist to form the reline material into a proper consistency for use;

[0068] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the method for the chairside rehne dental procedure of FIG. 4, in particular, where the uncured reline material is poured into theApplicant: John BibbAtty. Docket No.: 11330-0101PCTdenture and is layered over an inner surface of the denture:

[0069] FIG 13 is a perspective view of the method for the chairside reline dental procedure of FIG. 4, in particular, where the flexible barrier is positioned over the entire reline material;

[0070] FIG. 14 is a perspective view of the method for the chairside reline dental procedure of FIG. 4, in particular, where the denture including the reline material and flexible barrier are inserted into a patient’s mouth including the gums;

[0071] FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the method for the chairside reline dental procedure of FIG. 4, in particular, where the denture including the reline material and flexible barrier are disposed m the patient' s mouth for a period of time so that the reline material can cure;

[0072] FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the method for the chairside reline dental procedure of FIG. 4, in particular, where the denture including the cured reline material and the flexible barrier are removed from the mouth of the patient;

[0073] FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the method for the chairside reime dental procedure of FIG. 4, in particular, where the denture including the cured reline material and the flexible barrier are removed from the mouth of the patient;

[0074] FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the method for the chairside reline dental procedure of FIG. 4, in particular, depicting the denture including the cured reline material and the flexible barrier;

[0075] FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the method for the chairside reline dental procedure of FIG. 4, in particular, depicting the flexible barrier being separated and removed from the cured reline material;

[0076] FIG. 20 is a perspective view of the method for the chairside reline dental procedure of FIG. 4, in particular, illustrating surfaces of the reime material; and

[0077] FIG. 21 is a perspective view of the method for the chairside reime dental procedure of FIG. 4, in particular, illustrating the trimming of the reline material before theApplicant: John BibbAtty. Docket No.: 11330-0101PCTdenture is polished for the patient.

[0078] Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.Description of Embodiments

[0079] The following detailed description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the described embodiments or the application and uses of the described embodiments. As used herein, the word “exemplary5' or “illustrative” means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.” Any implementation described herein as “exemplary” or “illustrative” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. All of the implementations described below- are exemplary implementations provided to enable persons skilled in the art to make or use the embodiments of the disclosure and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure, which is defined by the claims. For purposes of description herein, the terms “upper”, “lower”, “left”, “rear”, “right”, “front”, “vertical”, “horizontal”, and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in FIG. 1. Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented in the preceding technical field, background, brief summary or the following detailed description. It is also to be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the following specification, are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise.

[0080] Shown throughout the figures, the present invention is directed toward a flexible barrier that is applied to a reline material to shield one or more tooth extraction sites from the reline material.

[0081] Referring initially to FIGS 1-2. a flexible barrier 100 is configured for use during a chairside denture reline procedure, as is illustrated in accordance with a first exemplary’ embodiment of the present invention. Flexible barrier 100 may be implementedApplicant: John BibbAtty. Docket No.: 11330-0101PCTiii a chairside dental reline procedure for immediate denture patient(s) and / or conventional denture patient(s) Flexible barrier 100 is configured for disposal with a reline material that engages with an inner surface of a denture such that flexible barrier 100 interfaces between one or more tooth extractions sites within a mouth of a patient and the reline material to shield the one or more tooth extractions sites from the reline material. It is to be understood that flexible barrier 100 is a denture reline barrier In some embodiments, flexible barrier can include a bib. In some embodiments, flexible barrier 100 may be disposable and may be configured for a single use.

[0082] As shown for instance in FIG. 1. flexible barrier 100 includes a sterile gauze body 102. Body 102 is pre-formed in a U-shape configuration to correspond with a standard denture shape. Body 102 can include an alternatively shaped configuration, including, but not limited to, a rectangular strip, a square strip, oval, round, uniform, non- uniform, irregular, variable and / or tapered. In some embodiments, body 102 can be cut / modified with a cutting device, including scissors to conform body 102 to the shape of a denture.

[0083] Body 102 may be configured with selected dimensions including a selected width and a selected length. In some embodiments, the selected width may be in a range of 1 inch to about 6 inches, and the selected length may be in a range of 1 inch to about 10 inches. In some embodiments, the selected width may be 3 inches, and the selected length may be 3 inches. In some embodiments, the selected width may be 3 inches, and the selected length may be 2.5 inches. It is contemplated that the selected dimensions of body 102 may correspond to dimensions of a standard upper denture and / or a lower denture.

[0084] Body 102 may include a selected uniform thickness in a range from about 05 mm to 3.0 mm. In some embodiments, body 102 may have a non-uniform thickness. Body 102 may include a multi-layered sterile gauze including 2 to 10 layers.

[0085] Body 102 can be manufactured from a material including, but not limited to, natural fibers including cotton, linen, and / or bamboo, synthetic fibers including, but not limited to, rayon, polyester, and / or viscose; and / or blended fabrics, including, but not limited to, muslin, and / or cheesecloth. In some embodiments, body 102 can be manufactured from a hemp material. In some embodiments, body 102 can be formed fromApplicant: John BibbAtty. Docket No.: 11330-0101PCTa coton pad. a polymer and / or a plastic material instead of or in addition to gauze.

[0086] In some embodiments, all or a portion of body 102 is manufactured in a selected color. In some embodiments, the selected color can include, but is not limited to, white, ivory, taupe, beige, brown, gray, navy blue, light blue, denim, powder blue, cobalt, indigo, pink, fuchsia, red, orange, tangerine, apricot, apple green, sage green, emerald green, ice green, khaki, evergreen, teal, turquoise, yellow, gold, peach, coral, purple, mauve, lavender, platinum, black or a combination thereof

[0087] A selected amount of petrolatum 104 is impregnated within body 102. The combination of body 102. and petrolatum 104 enables flexible barrier 100 to foim an interface between an uncured and / or cured reline material and one or more tooth extractions sites in the gums of a patient. It is to be understood that one or more tooth extractions sites include one or more tooth sockets and / or one or more sutures. In some embodiments, the reline material can be a self-curing reline material In some embodiments, body 102 is impregnated / saturated with the petrolatum in a range from about 1 to 6 times its weight in petrolatum. In some embodiments, petrolatum 104 can be sprayed and / or coated onto body 102

[0088] As an alternative or in addition to petrolatum 104, body 102 can include one or more additional lubricating oils and / or waxes. Additional lubricating oils may include, but are not limited to. coconut oil, jojoba oil. sunflower oil, cinnamon oil. dove oil, thyme oil. and / or tea tree oil. Waxes may include, but are not limited to, beeswax, carnauba wax, and / or natural wax jelly formulations including, but not limited to, vegetable-derived oils including castor oil, and / or hydrogenated plant oils.

[0089] Flexible barrier 100 can be stored in a sterile packaging 106, as shown in FIG.2. Packaging 106 can include, but is not limited to, paper-film pouches, Tyvek-film pouches or aluminum foil pouches. In some embodiments, packaging 106 can be sterilized via ethylene oxide (EO) gas, steam or Electron Beam (E-beam).

[0090] Packaging 106 can include one or more perforations or score lines at a selected section for easy tearing of packaging 106. In some embodiments, packaging 106 can include tear notches, perforated lines, self-seal pouches with tear-open features, and / orApplicant: John BibbAtty. Docket No.: 11330-0101PCTheat-sealed edges with tear-open functionality. In some embodiments, packaging 106 can be opened na a cuting tool, for example, a scissor or razor Packaging 106 can include one or more flexible barriers 100.

[0091] In some embodiments, flexible barrier 100 can enable a chairside dental reline procedure to be completed m a safer manner and / or with less concern about an inadvertent introduction of excess reline material into one or more tooth extractions sites than a standard chairside reline procedure. In some embodiments, a chairside reline procedure that implements the flexible barrier can be performed in about the same time as a standard chairside reline procedure

[0092] In some embodiments, flexible barrier 100 may protect one or more recent tooth extraction sites including one or more open sockets and / or sutures. In some embodiments, flexible barrier 100 may facilitate accelerated patient comfort and improve the fit of a denture without the risk of introducing a foreign body reaction / foci of infection.

[0093] In some embodiments, implementation of flexible barrier 100 may enable a dentist to proceed safely and more expediently with a chairside reline procedure, enabling the chairside reline procedure to occur without waiting for fully healed tooth extraction site(s) or for one or more extraction sites to completely closed.

[0094] As illustrated in FIG. 3, a method 200 for reshaping a denture 108 (shown in FIG. 8) is provided. In some embodiments, an immediate or conventional denture is being relined for a patient. The method includes the step 202 of applying an uncured reline material 110 (shown in FIG. 12) to an inner surface of denture 108, The method includes the step 204 of layering flexible barrier 100 over uncured reline material 110. The method includes the step 206 of inserting denture 108 including uncured reline material 110 and flexible barrier 100 into a mouth M of a patient P. The method includes the step 208 of curing the uncured reline material 110 in the mouth M of the patient P. The method includes the step 210 of removing denture 108 including cured reline material 110 and flexible barrier 100. The method includes the step 212 of removing flexible barrier 100 from cured reline material 110. As described above, flexible barrier 100 is configured to form an interface between selected surfaces of gums of the mouth M of the patient P and reline material 110 to prevent reline material 110 from contacting the selected surfaces ofApplicant: John BibbAtty. Docket No.: 11330-010 IPCTthe gums. In some embodiments, selected surfaces of gums include one or more tooth extraction sites including one or more sockets and / or sutures.

[0095] In some embodiments, before step 202, the method may further include the step 214 (not shown) of mixing a reline powder material with a liquid to form uncured reline material 110 having a selected consistency.

[0096] In some embodiments, after step 206, ihe method may further include the step 216 (not shown) of contacting selected surfaces of the gums with denture 108 including uncured reline material 1 10 and flexible barrier 100. In some embodiments, one or more cheeks or a tongue of the patient P may be manipulated once denture 108 has been inserted into the mouth M to facilitate proper alignment and fit of denture 108 with the selected surfaces of the gurns. In some embodiments, the selected surfaces of the gums may include one or more tooth extraction sites.

[0097] In some embodiments, step 208 may include waiting a selected period of time for uncured rehne material 110 to harden and cure. In some embodiments, the selected period of time for curing may include about 10 to 15 minutes. In some embodiments, reline material 1 10 can be a self-curing reline material.

[0098] In some embodiments, during step 212, flexible barrier 100 can be pealed out / off from cured rehne material 110 and be discarded. In some embodiments, after step 212, the method may further include the step 218 (not sho wn) of trimming edges of cured reline material 110. In some embodiments, after step 218, the method may further include the step 220 (not shown) of polishing denture 108, In some embodiments, denture 108 can be polished via a lathe machine.

[0099] As illustrated in FIGS. 4-21, a method 300, similar to method 200 described above (FIG. 3), is provided for reshaping denture 108. In some embodiments, an immediate or conventional denture is being relined for a patient. The method includes the step 302 of acquiring packaging 106 containing flexible bam er 100, as shown in FIG. 4. The method includes the step 304 of cutting packaging 106, as shown in FIG. 5. The method includes the step 306 of removing flexible barrier 100 from sterile packaging 106, as shown in FIG. 6. The method includes the step 308 of smoothing out flexible bani erApplicant: John BibbAtty. Docket No.: 11330-0101PCT100. as show in FIG. 7. The method includes the step 310 of positioning flexible barrier 100 over denture 108 to determine whether flexible barrier 100 requires trimming in view of the dimensions of denture 108, as show in FIG. 8. The method includes the step 312 of trimming flexible barrier 100 to conform to the dimensions of denture 108, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. The method includes the step 314 of mixing a reline powder material and a liquid into a proper consistency to form uncured reline material 110, as shown in FIG.11. The method includes the step 316 of pouring and spreading un cured reline material 110 into an inner surface of denture 108. as shown in FIG. 12. The method includes the step 318 of positioning / lay ering flexible barrier 100 over reline material 110, as shown in FIG.13.

[0100] The method includes the step 320 of inserting denture 108 including uncured reline material 110 and flexible barrier 100 into a patient's P's mouth M including the gums, as shown in FIG. 14. The method includes the step 322 of waiting for a period of time so that uncured reline material 110 cures while in the patient’s P’s mouth M, as show in FIG. 15. The method includes the step 324 of removing denture 108 including cured relme material 110 and flexible barrier 100 from the mouth M of the patient P, as shown io FIGS. 16 and 17. The method includes the step 326 of separating / removing flexible barrier 100 from cured reline material 110 attached to denture 108. as shown in FIGS. 18 and 19. The method includes the step 328 of inspecting cured relme material 110 to determine if cured reline material 110 should be trimmed, as shown in FIG. 20. The method includes the step 330 of trimming cured reline material 110. In some embodiments, after step 330, the method may further include the step 332 (not shown) of polishing denture 108 and cured reline material 110 to finish / finalize denture 108 for patient use. 100101 ] In some embodiments, flexible barrier 100 can be integrated into a standard 6 step chairside dental reline procedure, forming a 7-step procedure. In some embodiments, the step of adding a flexible barrier into the chairside dental reline procedure can add from 1 to about 4 minutes to the standard chairside dental relme procedure that typically averages about 30 to 60 minutes to complete. In some embodiments, all of a portion of method 200 and / or method 300 can be integrated into the standard 6 step dental reline procedure.Applicant: John BibbAtty. Docket No.: 11330-0101PCT

[0102] Since many modifications, variations, and changes in detail can be made to the described preferred embodiments of the invention, it is intended that ail matters in the foregoing description and shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.

Claims

Applicant: John BibbAtty. Docket No.: 11330-0101PCTWhat is claimed is:

1. A barrier for use in a dental reline procedure, the barrier comprising: a flexible body configured to be positioned between a denture and oral tissue of a patient during the application of a reline material to the denture, wherein the flexible body is configured to shield one or more tooth extraction sites from contact with the reline material during curing of the reline material.

2. The barrier of claim 1, wherein the flexible body comprises a gauze material.

3. The barrier of claim 2, wherein the gauze material is sterile.

4. The barrier of claim 2. wherein the gauze material comprises multiple layers.

5. The barrier of claim 1, wherein the flexible body is pre-formed m a U-shape configured to correspond to a denture shape.

6. The barrier of claim 1, wherein the flexible body has a thickness in a range from about 0.5 millimeters to about 3.0 millimeters.

7. The barrier of claim 1, wherein the flexible body comprises natural fibers, synthetic fibers, or a blend thereof.

8. The barrier of claim 1, wherein the flexible body is impregnated with a lubricant9. The barrier of claim 8. wherein the lubricant comprises petrolatum.Applicant: John BibbAtty. Docket No.: 11330-0101PCT10. The barrier of claim 9, wherein the petrolatum is present in an amount between 2 to 4 times a weight of the flexible body11. The barrier of claim 8, wherein the lubricant further comprises one or more plant¬ based oils selected from the group consisting of coconut oil, jojoba oil, sunflower oil, clove oil, and tea tree oil.

12. The barrier of claim 8, wherein the lubricant comprises one or more w axes selected from the group consisting of beeswax and carnauba wax.

13. The barrier of claim 1, wherein the flexible body is configured to be disposable after a single use.

14. The barrier of claim 1, further comprising a sterile package enclosing the flexible body.

15. The barrier of claim 14, wherein the sterile package comprises a tearable or perforated opening feature.

16. The barrier of claim 1, wherein the reline material is a self-curing reline material.

17. The barn er of claim 1, wherein the flexible body is configured to be removable from the cured reline material without leaving residue.

18. The barrier of claim 1, wherein the flexible body is configured for trimming prior to use to conform to a shape of the denture.Applicant: John BibbAtty. Docket No.: 11330-0101PCT19. A barrier for shielding a tooth extraction site during a chairside dental reline procedure, the barrier comprising: a sterile gauze body formed in a U-shape to correspond with a denture shape; and a lubricant comprising petrolatum impregnated within the sterile gauze body, wherein the barrier is configured to be disposed between an inner surface of a denture carrying an uncured reline material and oral tissue of a patient such that the barrier prevents the uncured reline material from contacting the tooth extraction site during curing.

20. A device for use in a chairside denture reline procedure, the device comprising: a sterile, multi-layer gauze body pre-formed in a U-shaped configuration having dimensions of approximately 3 inches in width and 2.5 inches in length, wherein the gauze body has a thickness in the range of 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm and is formed from a natural fiber material; a petrolatum-based lubricant impregnated within the gauze body in an amount between 2 to 4 times the weight of the gauze body, wherein the gauze body is configured to be layered over an uncured self-curing reline material disposed on an inner surface of a denture, and wherein the gauze body is configured to prevent the uncured reline material from entering one or more tooth extraction sites within the patient’s mouth during curing, and wherem the gauze body' is removable from the cured reline material without residue and is intended for single use.

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