Mouth Guard

Abstract

A mouth guard including a top mouth piece for engaging the top teeth and a bottom mouth piece for engaging the bottom teeth. The mouth guard also includes a central section having one or more ports for receiving an endotracheal tube, oral gastric tube, and/or oral suction tube. In a first preferred embodiment, a top portion of the central section is attached to the top mouth piece, and a bottom portion of the central section is attached to the bottom mouth piece. In a second preferred embodiment, the entire central section is attached to the bottom mouth piece. The top and bottom mouth pieces are capable of interlocking via male engaging members and female recesses.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A mouth guard, wherein said mouth guard has a locked position and an unlocked position, said mouth guard comprising:
 (a) a first mouth piece comprising a first surface and a second surface, said first surface adapted to receive the top teeth of a subject;   (b) a second mouth piece comprising a first surface and a second surface, said second surface adapted to receive the bottom teeth of a subject;   (c) a central section comprising a first port and a second port, wherein said central section is attached to said first surface of said second mouth piece;   (d) means for interlocking said first mouth piece and said central section; and   (e) a cylindrical tube, wherein said cylindrical tube is positioned in said first port, wherein said cylindrical tube is moveable between said first port and said second port when said mouth guard is in said unlocked position, wherein said first port comprises a curved upper surface and a curved lower surface, wherein said curved upper and lower surfaces of said first port correspond to the perimeter of said cylindrical tube, wherein said second port comprises a curved upper surface and a curved lower surface.   
     
     
         2 . The mouth guard of  claim 1 , wherein said means for interlocking is at least one male engaging member and at least one female recess. 
     
     
         3 . The mouth guard of  claim 2  wherein said second surface of said first mouth piece comprises said at least one male engaging member and said central section comprises said at least one female recess. 
     
     
         4 . The mouth guard of  claim 1  wherein said first mouth piece, said second mouth piece, and said central section are made from a soft dense plastic. 
     
     
         5 . The mouth guard of  claim 4  wherein said soft dense plastic is silicone. 
     
     
         6 . The mouth guard of  claim 1  wherein the height of said central section is greater than the height of said first mouth piece and said second mouth piece. 
     
     
         7 . The mouth guard of  claim 1  wherein said central section decreases in height from the front of said mouth guard to the back of said mouth guard. 
     
     
         8 . The mouth guard of  claim 1 , further comprising a third port. 
     
     
         9 . A method comprising:
 (a) opening the mouth of a subject;   (b) placing a first mouth piece in said mouth of said subject wherein said first mouth piece engages the front teeth of said subject;   (c) placing a second mouth piece in said mouth of said subject, wherein said second mouth piece comprises a first surface and a second surface, wherein said second surface engages the bottom teeth of said subject and a central section is attached to said first surface of said second mouth piece, wherein said central section comprises a first port and a second port,   (d) closing said subject's mouth, thereby interlocking said first mouth piece and said central section, wherein a tube is positioned within said first port; and   (e) unlocking said first mouth piece and said central section, and moving said tube from said first port to said second port.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising the step of removing said first mouth piece and said second mouth piece from said mouth of said subject while said first mouth piece and said second mouth piece are in a locked position. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising the step of removing the second mouth piece from said mouth of said subject before moving said tube from said first port to said second port.