Sequential sports guard

Abstract

The present invention provides protective repositioning appliances, accommodating mouth guards, and covering guards that protect an orthodontic patient against impact-induced injuries, as well as related systems and methods. A protective appliance can include teeth receiving cavities shaped to receive and reposition a patient's teeth and can include an occlusal portion having an impact-absorbing compliance. An accommodating mouth guard can include teeth receiving cavities shaped to accommodate a patient's teeth from a first arrangement to a second arrangement and can include an occlusal portion having an impact-absorbing compliance. A covering guard can include a guard segment that covers at least a portion of an appliance. The combination of a guard segment and an appliance can provide an occlusal compliance that absorbs impacts.

1 . A removable dental appliance for repositioning a patient's teeth and providing protection against impact-induced injuries, the appliance comprising teeth receiving cavities shaped to receive and resiliently reposition the teeth from a first arrangement toward a planned second arrangement, the appliance having a shape or material selected to provide protection against impact-induced injury. 
   
   
       2 . An appliance as in  claim 1 , comprising an occlusal portion disposed between a plurality of upper and lower teeth when the appliance is worn by the patient, the occlusal portion having a compliance selected to provide impact absorption during an impact forcing the lower teeth into the upper teeth. 
   
   
       3 . An appliance as in  claim 1 , comprising a u-shaped portion for receiving a plurality of teeth not received within said cavities. 
   
   
       4 . An appliance as in  claim 1 , comprising a leash tab. 
   
   
       5 . An appliance as in  claim 1 , adapted to facilitate mouth breathing while the patient bites down. 
   
   
       6 . An appliance as in  claim 1 , comprising a selected color or ornamental design. 
   
   
       7 . An appliance as in  claim 1 , comprising a multi-laminate material. 
   
   
       8 . An appliance as in  claim 1 , comprising an upper component and a lower component, each of said components comprising teeth receiving cavities. 
   
   
       9 . An appliance as in  claim 8 , wherein the upper component and the lower component comprise complementary coupling features. 
   
   
       10 . An appliance as in  claim 9 , wherein the complementary coupling features comprise snap-fit features. 
   
   
       11 . An appliance as in  claim 9 , wherein the complementary coupling features comprise a plurality of ribs and a plurality of grooves. 
   
   
       12 . An appliance as in  claim 8 , comprising an integral component comprising the upper component and the lower component. 
   
   
       13 . A mouth guard for use during a portion of a course of orthodontic treatment, the mouth guard comprising:
 a plurality of cavities for receiving a plurality of a patient's teeth during the portion of a course of orthodontic treatment, the cavities shaped to accommodate the received teeth when the teeth are in a first arrangement and when the teeth have been repositioned to a second arrangement, the cavities further shaped to substantially match or be enveloped by an accommodation envelope for the received teeth, the accommodation envelope substantially matching a swept volume for the received teeth from the first arrangement to the second arrangement, the mouth guard having a shape or material selected to provide protection against impact-induced injury.   
   
   
       14 . An mouth guard as in  claim 13 , comprising an occlusal portion disposed between a plurality of upper and lower teeth when the mouth guard is worn by the patient, the occlusal portion having a compliance selected to provide impact absorption during an impact forcing the lower teeth into the upper teeth. 
   
   
       15 . A mouth guard as in  claim 13 , wherein at least one of said plurality of cavities receives a tooth that is not being repositioned during the portion of a course of orthodontic treatment. 
   
   
       16 . A mouth guard as in  claim 13 , comprising a u-shaped portion for receiving a plurality of teeth not received within said cavities. 
   
   
       17 . A mouth guard as in  claim 13 , comprising a leash tab. 
   
   
       18 . A mouth guard as in  claim 13 , adapted to facilitate mouth breathing while the patient bites down. 
   
   
       19 . A mouth guard as in  claim 13 , comprising a multi-laminate material. 
   
   
       20 . A mouth guard as in  claim 13 , comprising an upper component and a lower component, each of said components comprising a plurality of said cavities. 
   
   
       21 . A mouth guard as in  claim 20 , wherein the upper component and the lower component comprise complementary coupling features. 
   
   
       22 . A mouth guard as in  claim 21 , wherein the complementary coupling features comprise snap-fit features. 
   
   
       23 . A mouth guard as in  claim 21 , wherein the complementary coupling features comprise a plurality of ribs and a plurality of grooves. 
   
   
       24 . A mouth guard as in  claim 20 , comprising an integral component comprising the upper component and the lower component. 
   
   
       25 . A mouth guard as in  claim 13 , comprising a selected color or ornamental design. 
   
   
       26 . A mouth guard as in  claim 13 , wherein a plurality of the received teeth have braces and the accommodation envelope substantially matches a swept volume for the received teeth and braces from the first arrangement and to the second arrangement. 
   
   
       27 . A covering guard for providing protection against impact-induced injuries when coupled with a tooth repositioning appliance worn by a patient, the covering guard comprising a guard segment configured to cover at least a portion of the tooth repositioning appliance, the combination of the guard segment and the appliance having a shape or material selected to provide protection against impact-induced injury. 
   
   
       28 . A covering guard as in  claim 27 , the combination comprising an occlusal portion disposed between a plurality of upper and lower teeth when the combination is worn by the patient, the occlusal portion having a compliance selected to provide impact absorption during an impact forcing the lower teeth into the upper teeth. 
   
   
       29 . A covering guard as in  claim 27 , comprising the tooth repositioning appliance. 
   
   
       30 . A covering guard as in  claim 27 , wherein the guard segment is adapted to interface with a sequence of tooth repositioning appliances. 
   
   
       31 . A covering guard as in  claim 27 , wherein the guard segment comprises a u-shaped portion for receiving a plurality of teeth not received within the tooth repositioning appliance. 
   
   
       32 . A covering guard as in  claim 27 , comprising a leash tab. 
   
   
       33 . A covering guard as in  claim 27 , adapted to facilitate mouth breathing while the patient bites down. 
   
   
       34 . A covering guard as in  claim 27 , comprising a multi-laminate material. 
   
   
       35 . A covering guard as in  claim 27 , comprising at least one snap-fit feature for coupling the guard segment with the tooth repositioning appliance. 
   
   
       36 . A covering guard as in  claim 27 , comprising a selected color or ornamental design. 
   
   
       37 . A covering guard as in  claim 27 , comprising an upper component for covering an upper arch tooth repositioning appliance and a lower component for covering a lower arch tooth repositioning appliance. 
   
   
       38 . A covering guard as in  claim 37 , wherein the upper component and the lower component comprise complementary coupling features. 
   
   
       39 . A covering guard as in  claim 38 , wherein the complementary coupling features comprise snap-fit features. 
   
   
       40 . A covering guard as in  claim 38 , wherein the complementary coupling features comprise a plurality of ribs and a plurality of grooves. 
   
   
       41 . A covering guard as in  claim 37 , comprising an integral component comprising the upper component and the lower component. 
   
   
       42 . A system for providing protection against impact-induced injuries during orthodontic treatment comprising a first treatment stage and a second treatment stage, the first stage comprising a set of appliances shaped to resiliently reposition a patient's teeth from a first arrangement to a second arrangement, and the second stage comprising a set of appliances shaped to resiliently reposition the patient's teeth from the second arrangement to a third arrangement, the system comprising:
 a first mouth guard for use during the first stage, the first mouth guard comprising:
 a plurality of cavities for receiving a plurality of the patient's teeth, the cavities shaped to accommodate the received teeth when the teeth are in the first arrangement and when the teeth have been repositioned to the second arrangement, the cavities further shaped to substantially match or be enveloped by a first accommodation profile for the received teeth, the first accommodation profile substantially matching a swept volume for the received teeth from the first arrangement to the second arrangement, the first mouth guard having a shape or material selected to provide protection against impact-induced injury; and 
   a second mouth guard for use during the second stage, the second mouth guard comprising:
 a plurality of cavities for receiving a plurality of the patient's teeth, the cavities shaped to accommodate the received teeth when the teeth are in the second arrangement and when the teeth have been repositioned to the third arrangement, the cavities further shaped to substantially match or be enveloped by a second accommodation profile for the received teeth, the second accommodation profile substantially matching a swept volume for the received teeth from the second arrangement to the third arrangement, the second mouth guard having a shape or material selected to provide protection against impact-induced injury.