Stabilizing mouthpiece with lower stabilizing ridge

Abstract

A stabilizing mouthpiece includes features that reduce or prevent displacement of the mouthpiece either laterally or forward and backward when the mouthpiece is in use. In one implementation, the stabilizing mouthpiece may include one or more lateral shift guards that rest adjacent to inner or outer surfaces of a user's molars, incisors, or cuspids. In another implementation, the stabilizing mouthpiece may include elongated ridges or biased grips that resist posterior-to-anterior movement of the mouthpiece.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A mouthpiece comprising:
 a u-shaped baseplate; and   a ridge protruding from an inner edge of the u-shaped baseplate, the ridge adjacent to a center of the inner edge and having a total length less than a total length of the inner edge.   
     
     
         2 . The mouthpiece of  claim 1 , wherein the center of the ridge is adjacent to a most anterior point on the inner edge. 
     
     
         3 . The mouthpiece of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an inner wall and an outer wall adjacent to opposite sides of the u-shaped baseplate, forming a u-shaped channel.   
     
     
         4 . The mouthpiece of  claim 3 , wherein the ridge has a posterior-facing surface that is flush with the inner wall. 
     
     
         5 . The mouthpiece of  claim 1 , wherein the u-shaped baseplate has a substantially flat u-shaped surface in a same plane as the inner edge and an outer edge of the u-shaped baseplate. 
     
     
         6 . The mouthpiece of  claim 1 , wherein an anterior-facing surface of the ridge rests adjacent to a posterior-facing surface of teeth when the mouthpiece is in use. 
     
     
         7 . The mouthpiece of  claim 1 , wherein the ridge does not contact molars of a user when the mouthpiece is in use. 
     
     
         8 . The mouthpiece of  claim 1 , wherein a length of the u-shaped baseplate is at least twice as long as a total length of the ridge. 
     
     
         9 . The mouthpiece of  claim 1 , wherein an anterior-facing surface of the ridge rests adjacent to a posterior-facing surface of lower incisors of a user when the mouthpiece is in use. 
     
     
         10 . The mouthpiece of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 grips on at least one surface of the u-shaped baseplate.   
     
     
         11 . The mouthpiece of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one lateral shift guard substantially orthogonal to the u-shaped baseplate and protruding from the inner edge of the u-shaped baseplate.   
     
     
         12 . The mouthpiece of  claim 1 , where the ridge is substantially orthogonal to the u-shaped baseplate. 
     
     
         13 . A method comprising:
 aligning a u-shaped baseplate of a mouthpiece with upper teeth of a user, the u-shaped baseplate including an inner edge and a ridge protruding from the inner edge, the ridge adjacent to a center of the inner edge and having a total length less than a total length of the inner edge;   biting down on the u-shaped baseplate to bring an anterior-facing surface of the ridge in contact with a posterior-facing surface of lower teeth of the user.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the center of the ridge is adjacent to a most anterior point on the inner edge. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the mouthpiece further comprises:
 an inner wall and an outer wall adjacent to opposite sides of the u-shaped baseplate, forming a u-shaped channel.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the ridge has a posterior-facing surface that is flush with the inner wall. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the u-shaped baseplate has a substantially flat u-shaped surface in a same plane as the inner edge and an outer edge of the u-shaped baseplate. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the ridge does not contact molars of the user's teeth. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein a length of the u-shaped baseplate is at least twice as long as a total length of the ridge. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the ridge is substantially orthogonal to the u-shaped baseplate.