Adjustable Dental Impression Tray with Adaptive Lock

Abstract

An improved dental impression tray system provides a way to accommodate multiple arch sizes by incorporating a plurality of arch accommodating markers (AAM) and adaptive locking Mechanisms (ALM) into one adaptive dental impression tray (ADIT). Upon trying in an impression tray for a patient, the size of the ADIT can be adjusted by removing one or more AAMs and securely affixing the male ALM (hereafter mALM) into the female ALM (hereafter fALM) until a customized sized tray is configured which best fits the patient's anatomy. This novel arch accommodating and adaptive locking mechanism allows the operator to customize one tray to ideally fit each patient in a manner which, among other benefits, reduces time, cross-contamination, waste, expense, improves the accuracy of the intended impression and reduces patient discomfort because the ALM protects the patient from any rough or sharp edges. Additionally, the ADIT can be manufactured in various manners such as but not limited to: for disposable/single-use or sterilizeable/multiple use, can be made of one piece or multiple interlocking pieces, and can be designed to accommodate single-arch/open mouth impressions or dual-arch/closed bit impressions.

The inventor claims: 
     
         1 . An adjustable dental impression tray comprised of:
 a single arch design to capture an at least one of the upper and lower dental arches,   an at least two sections of the adjustable dental impression tray,   where one of the at least two sections of the adjustable dental impression tray is comprised of male or female arch accommodating markings.   
     
     
         2 . The tray of  claim 1 , further comprising arch accommodating markings to assist the operator in customizing the tray for each patient. 
     
     
         3 . The tray of  claim 2 , where the at least two sections of the adjustable dental impression tray are anterior and posterior sections. 
     
     
         4 . The tray of  claim 2 , further comprising a locking mechanism for locking at least two anterior and posterior sections of the adjustable dental impression tray. 
     
     
         5 . The tray of  claim 2 , further comprising accommodating markings and adaptive locking mechanisms that maintain the integrity of a posterior bar of dual arch impression trays. 
     
     
         6 . The tray of  claim 2 , further comprising an adaptive component space in one of the at least two sections for receiving arch accommodating markings or remnants of arch accommodating markings. 
     
     
         7 . The tray of  claim 2 , where a first adaptive locking mechanism exists at the interface of the posterior and anterior sections and an at least one additional adaptive locking mechanism is disposed away from the interface and towards the soft palate relief area of the posterior section. 
     
     
         8 . An adjustable impression tray for receiving impression material, comprised of an anterior section and a posterior section, where the anterior section and posterior sections are adjoinable with a male and female locking mechanism. 
     
     
         9 . The tray of  claim 8 , where the posterior section further comprises a series of breakaway arch accommodating marker modules to adjust an arch impression tray to best fit the oral anatomy of a patient, and where the tray receives impression material. 
     
     
         10 . The tray of  claim 8 , where the anterior section further comprises a series of breakaway arch accommodating marker modules to adjust an arch impression tray to best fit the oral anatomy of a patient and for receiving impression material. 
     
     
         11 . A dental impression tray system comprising an anterior and a posterior section, where the posterior section comprises an adjustable locking mechanism. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , where the adjustable locking mechanism is reusable. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , where operator may choose from a series of anterior sections of different lengths or widths for attachment to the posterior section. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , where a dental impression tray is created to create a dental impression selected from the following group: full arch, dual arch, single arch, quadrant, sextant, anterior, and posterior. 
     
     
         15 . The dental impression tray system of  claim 11  further comprising an arch-measuring device for insertion into a patient's oral cavity, used to narrow and identify the size choice of anterior or posterior components of the dental impression tray to be used on the patient for making impressions. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 11 , further comprising a flat, low profile arch measuring device to measure the arch to assist with proper dental impression tray component selection, where the components of the tray are comprised of the anterior and posterior sections of varying sizes.