INTRAORAL APPARATUS FOR MANAGING SNORING AND OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA

摘要

A removable, adjustable intraoral apparatus having an upper plate and a lower plate, which, upon insertion into a user's mouth, cause advancement of the lower jaw relative to the upper jaw. One of either the lower plate or the upper plate can include length-adjustable blocks on the occlusal (biting) side thereof for causing further advancement of the lower jaw. Each length-adjustable block includes an advancement screw which is embedded in and extends from one of a pair of stationary raised block portions, and each of the plates without the embedded advancement screws also has a pair of raised block portions extending therefrom. The pairs of upper and lower blocks include contact surfaces which cooperate with each other to exert opposing forces upon the upper and lower dental arches and cause mandibular advancement. The length-adjustable portions allow for further mandibular advancement.

主权项

1. A removable, adjustable intraoral advancement apparatus for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea and/or snoring, comprising:
a) a lower plate manufactured to conform to a user's lower dental arch, the lower plate including a pair of lower blocks extending upwardly therefrom; and b) an upper plate manufactured to conform to the user's upper dental arch, the upper plate including a pair of upper blocks extending downwardly therefrom, wherein the upper and lower blocks include contact surfaces which cooperate with each other to exert opposing forces upon the upper and lower dental arches and cause mandibular advancement, and wherein each of either the lower blocks or the upper blocks comprises a stationary portion and a length-adjustable portion for causing further mandibular advancement, the length-adjustable portions being located on the occlusal side of the user's teeth.