Orthodontic appliance

Abstract

The present invention concerns an orthodontic appliance for accelerating the tooth aligning effect and shortening the treatment period, and has an object to provide an appliance which can bring about higher aligning effect than usual ways by giving vibration to tooth to be aligned to activate bone remodeling of the targeted tooth and the alveolar bone and enhance the shift of the tooth. This appliance includes a vibrating element and a dental mouthpiece having the vibrating element built therein. The provision of the vibrating element in the dental mouthpiece facilitates the application of vibration and handling, and continues the treatment safely even at home. The inner shape of the dental mouthpiece serves aligning treatment as well as acceleration of the effect.

1 . An orthodontic appliance for aligning teeth including a tooth to be aligned, comprising a dental mouthpiece mountable on the teeth on which braces are mounted in such a manner as to align the tooth to be aligned, the dental mouthpiece having an inner surface form corresponding to a shape of the teeth and the braces without edges of the braces. 
     
     
         2 . An orthodontic appliance according to  claim 1 , further comprising a vibrating element for generating mechanical vibration and applying the vibration to the tooth to be aligned, the dental mouthpiece having the vibrating element encapsulated therein and mountable on the teeth with the vibrating element encapsulated therein. 
     
     
         3 . An orthodontic appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the inner surface form of the dental mouthpiece is in conformity with a user's dental cast wearing the braces mounted on the teeth in such a manner as to align the tooth to be aligned without the edges of the braces. 
     
     
         4 . An orthodontic appliance according to  claim 3 , wherein the inner surface form of the dental mouthpiece is a shape in conformity with the user's dental cast wearing the braces which includes a plurality of brackets to be fixed to the surfaces of the teeth and an orthodontic wire arranged to connect these brackets. 
     
     
         5 . An orthodontic appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the inner surface form of the dental mouthpiece is a shape corresponding to an envelope of the outer shape of the braces and capable of avoiding the interference of the unevenness of the braces with the inner surface of the dental mouthpiece. 
     
     
         6 . An orthodontic appliance according to  claim 2 , wherein the vibrating element is a motor. 
     
     
         7 . An orthodontic appliance according to  claim 6 , wherein the motor includes an eccentric rotary portion rotatable about a specified axis and having a center of gravity at a position deviated from this axis. 
     
     
         8 . An orthodontic appliance according to  claim 7 , wherein the eccentric rotary portion includes a rotary shaft and an eccentric weight mounted on the rotary shaft such that the center of gravity thereof is deviated from the center of the rotary shaft and adapted to generate mechanical vibration by rotating together with the rotary shaft. 
     
     
         9 . An orthodontic appliance according to  claim 8 , wherein the vibrating element is a linear motor having a moving element that reciprocally vibrates. 
     
     
         10 . An orthodontic appliance according to  claim 6 , further comprising a battery as a direct-current power source, wherein the motor is a DC motor driven by the direct-current power source and electrically connected with the battery. 
     
     
         11 . An orthodontic applicant according to  claim 10 , wherein the battery is stored in the vibrating element storing portion together with the motor. 
     
     
         12 . An orthodontic appliance according to  claim 6 , wherein the motor is encapsulated in the dental mouthpiece in such an orientation that the direction of vibration generated by the motor is substantially normal to the teeth. 
     
     
         13 . An orthodontic appliance according to  claim 2 , wherein the vibrating element is a permanent magnet for generating mechanical vibration in response to a magnetic field generated by magnetic field generating means arranged outside the dental mouthpiece. 
     
     
         14 . An orthodontic appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the dental mouthpiece is so shaped as to be mountable on the entire teeth. 
     
     
         15 . An orthodontic appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the dental mouthpiece is so shaped as to be mountable on a part of the teeth.