Thermoplastic Dental Guard Tray for Precise Bite Fitting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing dental guards made of thermoformable materials face issues with undesired deformation and improper alignment during fitting, leading to reduced protection and user discomfort.
Innovation Solution
A combination of a dental guard and a rigid tray, where the guard is made of thermoplastic and softened in heated water, and the tray provides support and alignment features to prevent deformation and ensure proper fitting.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a single component pliable dental guard is used, then the guard can be easily formed by biting pressure, but the user's teeth may travel through the pliable material beyond the desired depth causing undesired deformation and loss of tooth separation ability
Solution Approach 1:
A rigid tray is introduced as an intermediary component between the pliable dental guard and the user's teeth. The tray provides a rigid support structure that prevents the teeth from traveling through the pliable material beyond the desired depth, while allowing the guard to still be formed by biting pressure. The tray includes bite pad supports with planar depressions that receive the bite pads and maintain proper positioning.
Solution Approach 2:
The system combines two different materials with complementary properties: a pliable thermoplastic dental guard that can be easily formed by biting pressure, and a rigid tray material (injection molded plastic) that provides structural support and prevents excessive deformation. This composite structure allows both ease of forming and fitting precision to be achieved simultaneously.
2Manufacturing precision
If a rigid tray is used to support the dental guard, then deformation is prevented, but the tray may not conform properly to tooth surfaces resulting in misalignment
Solution Approach 1:
The rigid tray is designed with specific local features that provide adaptability: bite pad supports with planar depressions that receive and position the bite pads, and fingers on the connecting arc that engage with specific tooth surfaces. These localized adaptive features allow the rigid tray to conform properly to individual tooth surfaces while maintaining overall rigidity for deformation prevention.
Solution Approach 2:
The tray is pre-formed with specific geometric features (bite pad supports, connecting arc with fingers) that are designed to automatically align with and engage specific tooth surfaces during insertion. This preliminary configuration ensures proper alignment before the forming process begins, eliminating the need for adjustment during fitting.
3Ease of operation
If the dental guard material is made highly pliable for easy forming, then the guard can conform to teeth easily, but the guard may deform undesirably during the fitting process
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the functional requirements: the dental guard material is optimized for ease of conforming (high pliability), while the rigid tray is optimized for structural stability (rigidity). The segmentation allows each component to excel at its primary function without compromise - the guard conforms easily while the tray prevents undesired deformation.
Solution Approach 2:
The rigid tray acts as a counterweight or counterforce structure that opposes and balances the pliability of the dental guard. While the guard material provides ease of conforming through its pliability, the rigid tray provides an opposing structural stability that prevents undesired deformation, creating a balanced system where both properties are utilized effectively.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution improves the fit and comfort of the dental guard by preventing undesired deformation and ensuring accurate alignment, enhancing protection against bruxism.
Implementation Method 1
a user heats water and immerses the guard in the heated water until the plastic becomes pliable
Implementation Method 2
The dental guard is made of a thermoplastic, is softenable by immersion in heated water
Implementation Method 3
The guard is then cooled to retain the bite pattern in the material
Data Source
AI summary
A dental guard and tray, includes a thermoplastic dental guard, and a generally rigid tray fittingly receiving the dental guard during heating and fitting of the dental guard to teeth of the user. The dental guard includes a pair of bite pads positionable below rear teeth of the user and a connection band that connects between the bite pads and is positionable behind upper or lower front teeth of the user. The rigid tray includes a pair of bite pad supports and a connecting arc, the bite pad supports each providing a planar depression or well for receiving one of the bite pads, the connecting arc spanning between the bite pads and having fingers located proximate a midpoint of the arc and configured to angle rearwardly and upwardly from the connecting arc so as to underlie and receive the band when the dental guard is received onto the tray.