Method of making a custom-fitted tray using a person's teeth as a template

Abstract

A customized dental treatment tray comprising a thermoplastic material such as ULDPE is formed from a preformed tray or sheet using a person's own teeth as a template. A preformed dental tray or sheet comprising a material such as ULDPE is heated to become plastically deformable and placed over at least a portion of the person's teeth in order to form an impression of the person's teeth and yield an intermediate customized dental tray. Upon cooling sufficiently, the intermediate tray is removed from the persons' mouth and trimmed as needed to yield a finished customized treatment tray corresponding to the person's teeth. The performed tray or sheet preferably comprises ULDPE, which yields a highly flexible and resilient final tray, although they may also contain other polymers or blends. The customized dental treatment tray is useful for teeth bleaching and other dental treatments known in the art.

1 . A method of manufacturing a customized flexible and resilient dental treatment tray corresponding to a person's teeth, comprising: 
 providing a preformed tray formed from a thermoplastic material that is flexible and resilient at room temperature and that becomes plastically deformable at a temperature in a range of about 110° F. to about 180° F., the preformed tray including a bottom wall having a substantially U-shaped configuration, a front side wall extending laterally from an outer edge of the bottom wall, a rear side wall extending laterally from an inner edge of the bottom wall, and a hollow interior defined by the bottom wall, front side wall, and rear side wall that approximates the size and curvature of a person's dental arch, the front and rear side walls of the preformed tray having a thickness less than about 1.5 mm;    heating the preformed tray to a temperature in a range of about 110° F. to about 180° F. so as to become plastically deformable without causing the preformed tray to substantially collapse or shrivel;    placing the preformed tray over at least a portion of a person's teeth without any external mechanical support other than fingers;    causing the preformed tray to at least partially conform to the person's teeth in order to form a customized dental treatment tray;    allowing the customized dental treatment tray to cool to a temperature at which it is no longer plastically deformable;    removing the customized dental treatment tray from the person's teeth, the tray being flexible and resilient; and    trimming the customized dental treatment tray to so as to not significantly overlap the person's gingiva when in use.    
   
   
       2 . A method as defined in  claim 1 , the preformed tray being heated by at least one of heated water, a heat gun, or a blow torch.  
   
   
       3 . A method as defined in  claim 1 , the preformed tray being caused to at least partially conform to the person's teeth by the person applying suction so as to remove at least of air or water from between the person's teeth and the preformed sheet or tray.  
   
   
       4 . A method as defined in  claim 1 , the preformed tray being caused to at least partially conform to the person's teeth by pressing the preformed tray against the person's teeth by means of at least one of a finger or the person's tongue.  
   
   
       5 . A method as defined in  claim 1 , the preformed tray comprising ultra low density polyethylene.  
   
   
       6 . A method as defined in  claim 5 , the preformed tray further comprising at least one of ethylene vinyl acetate, polycaprolactone, polypropylene, or another form of polyethylene.  
   
   
       7 . A method as defined in  claim 1 , the customized dental treatment tray being trimmed so that an upper periphery of the dental treatment tray terminates shy of the person's gingival margin when in use.  
   
   
       8 . A method as defined in  claim 8 , further comprising scalloping the upper periphery of the dental treatment tray up and around the person's interdental papilla.  
   
   
       9 . A method as defined in  claim 1 , the preformed tray shrinking and more closely conforming to the person's teeth upon placing the tray over the person's teeth and allowing the tray to cool.  
   
   
       10 . A method as defined in  claim 1 , the preformed tray further including a handle, the method further comprising removing the handle from the preformed tray and smoothing the customized dental treatment tray in the area where the handle of the preformed tray was detached.  
   
   
       11 . A method as defined in  claim 11 , the handle and front sidewall of the preformed tray having an attachment interface with a length of about 1/8 inch prior to being detached.  
   
   
       12 . A method of manufacturing a customized flexible and resilient dental treatment tray corresponding to a person's teeth, comprising: 
 providing a preformed sheet or a preformed tray that is flexible and resilient at room temperature, the sheet or tray being comprised of ULDPE and having a cross-sectional thickness less than about 2 mm;    heating the preformed sheet or tray to a temperature so as to become plastically deformable yet able to sufficiently retain its integrity as a sheet or tray so as to be useful in forming a dental tray by placing it directly over a person's teeth without external support other than fingers;    placing the preformed sheet or tray over at least a portion of the person's teeth;    causing the preformed sheet or tray to at least partially conform to the person's teeth in order to form a customized dental treatment tray;    allowing the customized dental treatment tray to cool to a temperature at which it is no longer plastically deformable; and    removing the customized dental treatment tray from the person's teeth, the tray being flexible and resilient.    
   
   
       13 . A method as defined in  claim 12 , further comprising trimming excess tray material from the customized dental treatment tray.  
   
   
       14 . A method as defined in  claim 12 , the preformed sheet or tray being placed over the person's teeth without any external mechanical support other than fingers.  
   
   
       15 . A method as defined in  claim 12 , further including making an impression of the person's teeth, the method comprising placing the preformed sheet over the person's teeth by means of the impression.  
   
   
       16 . A method as defined in  claim 12 , the preformed sheet having a rectangular or square shape.  
   
   
       17 . A method as defined in  claim 12 , the preformed sheet having a horse-shoe shape.  
   
   
       18 . A method of manufacturing a customized flexible and resilient dental treatment tray corresponding to a person's teeth, comprising: 
 providing a preformed sheet having a thickness less than about 1.8 mm and comprising a flexible thermoplastic material that becomes plastically deformable at a temperature in a range of about 110° F. to about 180° F.;    heating the preformed sheet to a temperature in a range of about 110° F. to about 180° F. so as to become plastically deformable yet able to sufficiently retain its integrity as a sheet so as to be useful in forming a dental tray having a dental impression formed therein;    placing the preformed sheet over said at least a portion of the person's teeth without external support other than fingers;    causing the preformed sheet to at least partially conform to the person's teeth in order to form a customized dental treatment tray;    allowing the customized dental treatment tray to cool to a temperature at which it is no longer plastically deformable;    removing the customized dental treatment tray from the person's teeth, the tray being flexible and resilient; and    trimming the customized dental treatment tray to so as to not significantly overlap the person's gingiva when in use.    
   
   
       19 . A method as defined in  claim 18 , the preformed sheet comprising ultra low density polyethylene.  
   
   
       20 . A method as defined in  claim 18 , further comprising scalloping the upper periphery of the dental treatment tray up and around the person's interdental papilla.  
   
   
       21 . A method as defined in  claim 18 , the preformed sheet having a rectangular or square shape.  
   
   
       22 . A method as defined in  claim 18 , the preformed sheet having a horse-shoe shape.