摘要 |
A dental oral appliance for use with patients who suffer with sleep disorders, to reduce or eliminate snoring and to open the airway for a sleeping individual who suffers with obstructive sleep apnea. The appliance covers the inside (lingual) of the upper teeth and has an open palate. Retention for the appliance is provided by clasps placed over the upper right and left molars and a retainer in the anterior area from cuspid to cuspid. Over the upper central incisors is a raised strip that extends from the incisal tip (biting edge) of the central incisors toward the lingual. It extends back from the middle of the central incisors, where they meet or touch each other, to the middle of the palate. This raised anterior area is to separate the posterior teeth to reduce spasm on the temporalis muscle. There is a transverse strip that extends from the inside (lingual) of the upper right molars to the inside of the upper left molars which covers the tongue, holding it down, opening the airway.
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