Flexible orthodontic splint

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10045836-B2
Application number	US-201314383398-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 28, 2013
Priority date	Mar 5, 2012
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

Provided is an orthodontic splint and related methods, which use two or more bonding pads and a flexible connector beam that deflects in response to stress, effectively reducing the amount of stress felt by the adhesive. The connector beam has a non-uniform cross-section along its length, thereby shifting the maximum stress away from the ends of the beam and toward the midpoint of the beam. Further, the connector beam attached to each base along locations remote from the outer edge of the base. These splint configurations can decrease the likelihood of bond failure and improve fatigue performance by causing stress, and associated strain, encountered during treatment to be spread more evenly along the length of the beam.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An orthodontic splint comprising:
a first base and second base, each base having a bonding surface for attachment to a respective tooth and an outer edge extending along at least a portion of the bonding surface as viewed from a direction generally perpendicular to the bonding surface, each base including an outer surface directly opposite the bonding surface; and
an elongated connector beam having a cross-sectional dimension that generally increases with increasing proximity to the nearer of the first or second base, the connector beam attached to the outer surface of each base along locations remote from the outer edge of the base,
wherein the connector beam extends outwardly away from each base at an angle ranging from 10 to 90 degrees relative to a tangent plane where the longitudinal axis of the connector beam intersects a respective outer surface of the base.

2. The splint of claim 1 , wherein each end of the connector beam generally extends outwardly away from each base at an angle ranging from 30 to 90 degrees relative to a tangent plane where the longitudinal axis of the connector beam intersects a respective outer surface of the base.

3. The splint of claim 1 , wherein the cross-sectional dimension is aligned along a generally occlusal-gingival direction.

4. The splint of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the connector beam has a longitudinal axis and a generally rectangular cross-section as taken along a reference plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

5. The splint of claim 4 , wherein the cross-sectional dimension is aligned along the long axis of the rectangular cross-section.

6. The splint of claim 1 , wherein the first and second bases and connector beam have a unitary construction.

7. The splint of claim 1 , wherein the first and second bases have configurations for bonding to adjacent teeth.

8. The splint of claim 1 , wherein the ratio between the cross-sectional dimension of the connector beam at its widest point and that of the connector beam at its narrowest point is no greater than 3.

9. The splint of claim 1 , wherein the outer edge of each base fully surrounds its respective bonding surface.

10. The splint of claim 1 , further comprising a bracket for coupling the splint to an ancillary appliance.

11. The splint of claim 10 , wherein the ancillary appliance is selected from an archwire, force module, and transpalatal device.

12. A method of maintaining a fixed spatial relationship between a first and second tooth during orthodontic treatment, the method comprising:
coupling a first base of an orthodontic splint to the first tooth; and
coupling a second base of the orthodontic splint to the second tooth,

wherein each base has a bonding surface for attachment to its respective tooth and an outer edge extending along at least a portion of the bonding surface as viewed from a direction generally perpendicular to the bonding surface, each base including an outer surface directly opposite the bonding surface, wherein the orthodontic splint comprises an elongated connector beam having a cross-sectional dimension that generally increases with increasing proximity to the nearer of the first or second base, the connector beam attached to the outer surface of each base along locations remote from the outer edge of the base, and wherein the connector beam extends outwardly away from each base at an angle ranging from 10 to 90 degrees relative to a tangent plane where the longitudinal axis of the connector beam intersects a respective outer surface of the base.

13. An orthodontic splint comprising:
a first base and second base, each base having a bonding surface for attachment to a respective tooth surface and an outer edge extending along at least a portion of the bonding surface as viewed from a direction generally perpendicular to the bonding surface each base including an outer surface directly opposite the bonding surface; and
a resilient, elongated connector beam having a longitudinal midpoint and a cross-sectional dimension that generally decreases when approaching the midpoint from either the first or second base, the connector beam attached to each base in a position on the outer surface remote from the outer edge of the base, wherein the connector beam extends outwardly away from each base at an angle ranging from 10 to 90 degrees relative to a tangent plane where the longitudinal axis of the connector beam intersects a respective outer surface of the base.

14. The splint of claim 13 , wherein at least a portion of the connector beam has a longitudinal axis and a generally rectangular cross-section as taken along a reference plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis.

15. The splint of claim 14 , wherein the cross-sectional dimension is aligned along the long axis of the rectangular cross-section.

16. The splint of claim 13 , wherein the ratio between the cross-section dimension of the connector beam at its widest point and that of the connector beam at its narrowest point is no greater than 3.

17. The splint of claim 13 further comprising a bracket for coupling the splint to an ancillary appliance selected from an archwire, force module, and transpalatal device.

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Lai Ming-Lai
• Kim Sung

Classifications

• A61C7/12

  Brackets; Arch wires; Combinations thereof; Accessories therefor · CPC title

• A61C7/16 Primary

  specially adapted to be cemented to teeth · CPC title

• A61C7/00

  Orthodontics, i.e. obtaining or maintaining the desired position of teeth, e.g. by straightening, evening, regulating, separating, or by correcting malocclusions · CPC title

• A61C5/007 Primary

  Dental splints; teeth or jaw immobilisation devices; stabilizing retainers bonded to teeth after orthodontic treatments · CPC title