| 摘要 |
A mouthguard comprises a member formed of a resilient material and having an approximately U-shape corresponding generally to the shape of the arch of the upper jaw. The member includes a bottom wall designed to engage the lower teeth and spaced side walls or flanges extending upwardly therefrom and forming a cavity for receiving the upper teeth. Laterally the bottom wall comprises an approximately planar surface of sufficient width to extend laterally the full width of the lower teeth and engage both the buccal and the lingual cusps of the lower teeth. The bottom wall is formed to include a portion of greater thickness in the molar-bicuspid region, and a portion of maximum thickness in the region engaging the lower first molar. As the jaw closes, the jaw tends to pivot about the lower first molar, causing a slightly increased separation between the condyle of the mandible and the temporal bone and minimizing any damage caused by force transmitted in the temporomandibular joint area.
|
