Combined orthodontic movement of teeth with airway development therapy

Abstract

Systems, devices and methods are disclosed for reshaping airways concurrently with dental and/or orthodontic treatment. The systems can have a series of two or more oral appliances configured to progressively reposition the maxillary and mandibular teeth in two or more successive steps. Each oral appliance in the series can have one or more maxillary blocks, one or more mandibular blocks, a maxillary oral tray, and a mandibular oral tray. One or more maxillary blocks can be attached to or integrated with the maxillary oral tray. One or more mandibular blocks can be attached to or integrated with the mandibular oral tray. The maxillary and mandibular oral trays can be configured to move one or more teeth from a tooth first position to a tooth second position. The maxillary and mandibular blocks can be configured to interact with one another to treat sleep breathing disorders.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for treating a sleep breathing disorder, the system comprising:
 a nighttime oral appliance and a daytime oral appliance,   wherein the nighttime oral appliance is configured to increase an interocclusal separation between maxillary teeth and mandibular teeth more than the daytime oral appliance, and/or   wherein the nighttime oral appliance is configured to advance a mandible more than the daytime oral appliance or by the same amount as the daytime oral appliance.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the nighttime oral appliance and the daytime oral appliance are configured to orthodontically move teeth. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the daytime oral appliance is configured to orthodontically move teeth with less force than the nighttime oral appliance. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the daytime oral appliance has a component for treating the sleep breathing disorder that is smaller than a component of the nighttime oral appliance. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the component of the daytime oral appliance comprises a maxillary block or a mandibular block, and wherein the component of the nighttime oral appliance comprises a maxillary block or a mandibular block. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the maxillary block or the mandibular block of the daytime oral appliance is removably attachable to the daytime oral appliance, and wherein the maxillary block or the mandibular block of the nighttime oral appliance is removably attachable to the nighttime oral appliance. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a first stage of treatment and a second stage of treatment, wherein the first stage of treatment comprises the nighttime oral appliance, and wherein the second stage of treatment comprises the daytime oral appliance. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the nighttime oral appliance and the daytime oral appliance are a first nighttime oral appliance and a first daytime oral appliance, respectively, and wherein the system further comprises a second nighttime oral appliance and a second daytime oral appliance. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the second nighttime oral appliance is configured to increase the interocclusal separation between the maxillary teeth and the mandibular teeth more than the second daytime oral appliance, and/or
 wherein the second nighttime oral appliance is configured to advance the mandible more than the second daytime oral appliance or by the same amount as the second daytime oral appliance.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , further comprising a first stage of treatment and a second stage of treatment, wherein the first stage of treatment comprises the first nighttime oral appliance and the first daytime oral appliance, and wherein the second stage of treatment comprises the second nighttime oral appliance and the second daytime oral appliance. 
     
     
         11 . A method of treating a sleep breathing disorder, the method comprising:
 increasing an interocclusal separation between maxillary teeth and mandibular teeth more with a nighttime oral appliance than with a daytime oral appliance.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising advancing a mandible more with the nighttime oral appliance than with the daytime oral appliance. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising advancing a mandible with the nighttime oral appliance and with the daytime oral appliance. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising orthodontically moving teeth with the nighttime oral appliance and with the daytime oral appliance. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein orthodontically moving teeth with the nighttime oral appliance and with the daytime oral appliance comprises orthodontically moving the teeth with less force with the daytime oral appliance than with the nighttime oral appliance. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the nighttime oral appliance and the daytime oral appliance are a first nighttime oral appliance and a first daytime oral appliance, respectively, and wherein the method further comprises increasing the interocclusal separation between the maxillary teeth and the mandibular teeth more with a second nighttime oral appliance than with a second daytime oral appliance. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising advancing a mandible more with the first nighttime oral appliance than with the first daytime oral appliance; and
 advancing the mandible more with the second nighttime oral appliance than with the second daytime oral appliance.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising orthodontically moving teeth with the first nighttime oral appliance and with the first daytime oral appliance; and
 orthodontically moving the teeth with the second nighttime oral appliance and with the second daytime oral appliance.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising a first stage of treatment and a second stage of treatment, wherein the first stage of treatment comprises the first nighttime oral appliance and the first daytime oral appliance, and wherein the second stage of treatment comprises the second nighttime oral appliance and the second daytime oral appliance. 
     
     
         20 . A method of treating a sleep breathing disorder, the method comprising:
 increasing an interocclusal separation between maxillary teeth and mandibular teeth more with an oral appliance during nighttime than during daytime,   wherein during nighttime a maxillary block and a mandibular block are attached to the oral appliance, and   wherein during daytime the maxillary block and the mandibular block are detached from the oral appliance.