Oral apparatuses and methods for mandibular jaw manipulation

Abstract

An oral apparatus for mandibular jaw manipulation which in some embodiments may comprise: an upper tray configured to receive a plurality of maxillary teeth and a lower tray configured to receive a plurality of mandibular teeth. The upper tray may optionally have one or more upper anchor members configured as upper anchor members coupled to the upper tray. The lower tray may optionally have one or more lower anchor members configured as lower anchor members coupled to the lower tray. Each upper anchor member, which may be adjustable, may be configured to contact a lower anchor member, which may be adjustable, to adjust the positional relationship between the mandible and the maxilla of a mouth when a user wearing the oral apparatus closes their mouth to bring the upper and lower anchor members into contact with each other.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for adjusting the positional relationship between a mandible and maxilla of a mouth, the apparatus comprising:
 an upper tray configured to receive a plurality of maxillary teeth, the upper tray comprising;
 i. a first upper anchor member coupled to a first side of the upper tray and comprising a first upper contact surface and a first upper bite plane; 
 ii. a second upper anchor member coupled to a second side of the upper tray and comprising a second upper contact surface and a second upper bite plane; 
 iii. a first upper auxiliary plane protruding below the upper tray and having a first upper auxiliary plane surface, the first upper auxiliary plane positioned proximate to the first upper anchor member and the first upper auxiliary plane surface oriented parallel to the first upper bite plane; 
 iv. a second upper auxiliary plane protruding below the upper tray and having a second upper auxiliary plane surface, the second upper auxiliary plane positioned proximate to the second upper anchor member and the second upper auxiliary plane surface oriented parallel to the second upper bite plane; 
   a lower tray configured to receive a plurality of mandibular teeth, the lower tray comprising;
 i. a first lower anchor member coupled to a first side of the lower tray, wherein the first lower anchor member comprises a first lower contact surface and a first lower bite plane, the first lower bite plane configured to contact the first upper auxiliary plane surface of the first upper auxiliary plane; 
 ii. a second lower anchor member coupled to a second side of the lower tray, wherein the second lower anchor member comprises a second lower contact surface and a second lower bite plane, the second lower bite plane configured to contact the second upper auxiliary plane surface of the second upper auxiliary plane; and 
   wherein the upper contact surface of the first upper anchor member is configured to contact the lower contact surface of the first lower anchor member and the upper contact surface of the second upper anchor member is configured to contact the lower contact surface of the second lower anchor member while the mouth is in a closed position to adjust the positional relationship between the mandible and the maxilla of the mouth.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second lower anchor members each comprise a first width at a portion distal to the lower tray and a second width at a portion proximal to the lower tray, the first width being wider than the second width. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the upper contact surface and the upper bite plane of the first and second upper anchor members form an upper medial corner having an upper member corner angle, and wherein the lower contact surface and the lower bite plane of the first and second lower anchor members form a lower medial corner having a lower member corner angle. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the lower medial corner angle of both the first and second lower anchor members is less than 90 degrees forming an upwardly posterior sloped first and second lower contact surfaces. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first upper auxiliary plane is positioned between the first upper anchor member upper bite plane and the upper tray and the second upper auxiliary plane is positioned between the second upper anchor member bite plane and the upper tray. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first upper auxiliary plane surface is positioned between the first upper anchor member and the upper tray and extends away from the first upper anchor member in both an anterior and posterior direction and the second upper auxiliary plane surface is positioned between the second upper anchor member and the upper tray and extends away from the second upper anchor member in both an anterior and posterior direction. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second upper auxiliary plane surfaces are substantially planar. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a first lower auxiliary plane having a first lower auxiliary plane surface positioned on the lower tray proximate to the first lower anchor member and a second lower auxiliary plane having a second lower auxiliary plane surface positioned on the lower tray proximate to the second lower anchor member. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the first lower auxiliary plane is positioned between the first lower anchor member and the lower tray and the second lower auxiliary plane is positioned between the second lower anchor member and the lower tray. 
     
     
         10 . An apparatus for adjusting the positional relationship between a mandible and maxilla of a mouth, the apparatus comprising:
 a lower tray configured to receive a plurality of mandibular teeth, the lower tray comprising;
 i. a first lower anchor member coupled to a first side of the lower tray and comprising a first lower contact surface and a first lower bite plane; 
 ii. a second lower anchor member coupled to a second side of the lower tray and comprising a second lower contact surface and a second lower bite plane; 
 iii. a first lower auxiliary plane protruding above the lower tray and having a first lower auxiliary plane surface, the first lower auxiliary plane positioned proximate to the first lower anchor member and the first lower auxiliary plane surface oriented parallel to the first lower bite plane; 
 iv. a second lower auxiliary plane protruding above the lower tray and having a second lower auxiliary plane surface, the second lower auxiliary plane positioned proximate to the second lower anchor member and the second lower auxiliary plane surface oriented parallel to the second lower bite plane; 
   a upper tray configured to receive a plurality of maxillary teeth, the upper tray comprising;
 i. a first upper anchor member coupled to a first side of the upper tray, wherein the first upper anchor member comprises a first upper contact surface and a first upper bite plane, the first upper bite plane configured to contact the first lower auxiliary plane surface of the first lower auxiliary plane; 
 ii. a second upper anchor member coupled to a second side of the upper tray, wherein the second upper anchor member comprises a second upper contact surface and a second upper bite plane, the second upper bite plane configured to contact the second lower auxiliary plane surface of the second lower auxiliary plane; and 
   wherein the lower contact surface of the first lower anchor member is configured to contact the upper contact surface of the first upper anchor member and the lower contact surface of the second lower anchor member is configured to contact the upper contact surface of the second upper anchor member while the mouth is in a closed position to adjust the positional relationship between the mandible and the maxilla of the mouth.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the first and second lower anchor members each comprise a first width at a portion distal to the lower tray and a second width at a portion proximal to the lower tray, the first width being wider than the second width. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the lower contact surface and the lower bite plane of the first and second lower anchor members form a lower medial corner having an lower member corner angle, and wherein the upper contact surface and the upper bite plane of the first and second upper anchor members form a upper medial corner having a upper member corner angle. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the upper medial corner angle of both the first and second upper anchor members is less than 90 degrees forming an upwardly posterior sloped first and second upper contact surfaces. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the first lower auxiliary plane is positioned between the first lower anchor member lower bite plane and the lower tray and the second lower auxiliary plane is positioned between the second lower anchor member bite plane and the lower tray. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the first lower auxiliary plane surface is positioned between the first lower anchor member and the lower tray and extends away from the first lower anchor member in both an anterior and posterior direction and the second lower auxiliary plane surface is positioned between the second lower anchor member and the lower tray and extends away from the second lower anchor member in both an anterior and posterior direction. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the first and second lower auxiliary plane surfaces are substantially planar. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , further comprising a first upper auxiliary plane having a first upper auxiliary plane surface positioned on the upper tray proximate to the first upper anchor member and a second upper auxiliary plane having a second upper auxiliary plane surface positioned on the upper tray proximate to the second upper anchor member. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the first upper auxiliary plane is positioned between the first upper anchor member and the upper tray and the second upper auxiliary plane is positioned between the second upper anchor member and the upper tray. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the first upper auxiliary plane surface is positioned between the first upper anchor member and the upper tray and extends away from the first upper anchor member in both an anterior and posterior direction and the second upper auxiliary plane surface is positioned between the second upper anchor member and the upper tray and extends away from the second upper anchor member in both an anterior and posterior direction. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the first and second lower auxiliary plane surfaces are substantially planar.