Process and resulting product for matching a mouthpiece for cleaning teeth to a user's oral geometry

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9204713-B2
Application number	US-201113993096-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 16, 2011
Priority date	Dec 20, 2010
Publication date	Dec 8, 2015
Grant date	Dec 8, 2015

Abstract

A method and the resulting product for optimizing the configuration of a mouthpiece for cleaning teeth in which the configuration of the mouthpiece is optimized to the oral geometry of individual users. The method includes a first step ( 26 ) of producing a digital scan of the oral geometry of the individual user and then producing a rigid shell ( 30 ) for the mouthpiece substantially matching the digital scan. The configuration of the resulting mouthpiece is characterized by the outer surface of the shell not extending from the buccal surface of the individual teeth more than 7 mm ( 31 ); further, by the rear edge of the shell not contacting the tissues to the rear of the rearmost teeth ( 36 ), and still further by no more than a 2 mm overlap into the gum line ( 36 ), when the mouthpiece is operatively positioned in the user's mouth.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for optimizing the configuration of a mouthpiece appliance for oral cleaning to the oral geometry of an individual user, comprising the steps of:
scanning the oral geometry or portions thereof of an individual user; and
producing a rigid shell member of two portions for the mouthpiece substantially matching the oral geometry scan, an upper tray portion to receive the teeth in the upper jaw and a lower tray portion to receive the teeth in the lower jaw, wherein the resulting shell is configured and/or trimmed so that an outer surface of the shell does not extend more than 7 mm from the buccal surface of at least the back three teeth of the user's jaw, a rear edge of the shell does not come into contact with tissues to the rear of the rearmost teeth in the user's mouth upper and lower edges of the mouthpiece do not extend more than 2 mm into the gum line of the user, when the mouthpiece is operatively positioned in the user's mouth, and the two tray portions of the shell are angled relative to each other to match the angle of the user's jaws when the mouthpiece is operatively positioned in the user's mouth.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the scan of the oral geometry is a digital scan.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the outer surface of the shell does not extend more than 7 mm from the buccal or outside surfaces of all of the user's teeth.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of:
adding bristles to the shell ( 68 ) to produce cleaning of the user's teeth in operation of the mouthpiece appliance.

5. A method for optimizing the configuration of a mouthpiece appliance for oral cleaning to the oral geometry of an individual user, comprising the steps of:
scanning the oral geometry or portions thereof of an individual user;
producing a rigid shell member of two tray portions for the mouthpiece substantially matching the oral geometry scan, an upper tray portion to receive the teeth in the upper jaw and a lower tray portion to receive the teeth in the lower jaw, wherein the resulting shell is configured and/or trimmed so that an outer surface of the shell does not extend more than 7 mm from the buccal surface of at least the back three teeth of the user's jaw, a rear edge of the shell does not come into contact with tissues to the rear of the rearmost teeth in the user's mouth and upper and lower edges of the mouthpiece do not extend more than 2 mm into the gum line of the user, when the mouthpiece is operatively positioned in the user's mouth,
wherein the two tray portions of the shell are arranged so as to match the longitudinal position of the upper and lower jaws of the user in normal position.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising the step of:
adding bristles to the shell ( 68 ) to produce cleaning of the user's teeth in operation of the mouthpiece appliance.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the scan of the oral geometry is a digital scan.

8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the outer surface of the shell does not extend more than 7 mm from the buccal or outside surfaces of all of the user's teeth.

Assignees

• Miller Kevin A
• Koninkl Philips Nv

Inventors

• Miller Kevin A

Classifications

• A61C17/22

  with brushes, cushions, cups, or the like (brush bodies, e.g. arrangements of the bristles A46B) · CPC title

• A46B2200/1066

  Toothbrush for cleaning the teeth or dentures (A61C17/16 takes precedence; bristles arrangements for toothbrushes A46B9/04) · CPC title

• Y10T29/49995

  Shaping one-piece blank by removing material · CPC title

• A61C17/228

  Self-contained intraoral toothbrush, e.g. mouth-guard toothbrush without handle · CPC title

• A46B9/04 Primary

  {Arranged like in or} for toothbrushes · CPC title