Mouth guard

Abstract

A mouth guard that is formed by molding into a shape that corresponds individual teeth of an maxillary dentition A or a mandibular dentition of a user, and is attached to the maxillary dentition A or the mandibular dentition of the user, the mouth guard having a thickness of 0.1 to 5.0 mm. A portion of the mouth guard that is positioned at a valley portion of at least one of a first molar D and a second molar E of the maxillary dentition A or the mandibular dentition is, when the mouth guard is attached to the maxillary dentition A or the mandibular dentition of the user, formed into a shape that forms a gap between the portion and the valley portion of at least one of the first molar D and the second molar E.

1 . A mouth guard that is formed by molding into a shape that corresponds individual teeth of a maxillary dentition or a mandibular dentition of a user, and is attached to the maxillary dentition or the mandibular dentition of the user, the mouth guard having a thickness of 0.1 to 5.0 mm, wherein
 a portion of the mouth guard that is positioned at a valley portion of at least one molar tooth of the maxillary dentition or the mandibular dentition of the user when the mouth guard is attached to the maxillary dentition or the mandibular dentition is formed into a shape that forms a gap between the portion and the valley portion of the molar tooth.   
     
     
         2 . The mouth guard according to  claim 1 , wherein a portion of the mouth guard that is positioned at a valley portion of at least one of a first premolar and a second premolar of the maxillary dentition or the mandibular dentition of the user when the mouth guard is attached to the maxillary dentition or the mandibular dentition of the user is formed into a shape that forms a gap between the portion of the mouth guard and the valley portion of at least one of the first premolar and the second premolar. 
     
     
         3 . The mouth guard according to  claim 2 , wherein the portion of the mouth guard that is positioned at the valley portion of the premolar has either a convex cross-sectional shape or a U-shaped cross-sectional shape. 
     
     
         4 . The mouth guard according to  claim 2 , wherein a distance between an outer surface of the portion of the mouth guard that is positioned at the valley portion of the premolar and a bottom of the valley portion of the premolar is 1.0 to 5.5 mm. 
     
     
         5 . The mouth guard according to  claim 2 , wherein the portion of the mouth guard that is positioned in the valley portion of the premolar has a convex cross-sectional shape that includes a first premolar protruding portion and a second premolar protruding portion each having a gap therein. 
     
     
         6 . The mouth guard according to  claim 2 , wherein a buffer material is disposed on an inner surface of the portion of the mouth guard that is positioned at the valley portion of the premolar. 
     
     
         7 . The mouth guard according to  claim 2 , wherein the mouth guard is formed by molding using an ethylene vinyl acetate resin. 
     
     
         8 . The mouth guard according to  claim 2 , wherein a portion of the mouth guard that is positioned at an anterior tooth occlusal portion of an anterior tooth of the maxillary dentition or the mandibular dentition is formed into a shape that forms a gap between the portion of the mouth guard and the anterior tooth occlusal portion of the anterior tooth when the mouth guard is attached to the maxillary dentition or the mandibular dentition of the user. 
     
     
         9 . The mouth guard according to  claim 8 , wherein the portion that is positioned at the anterior tooth occlusal portion of the anterior tooth has a shape selected from a group consisting of a convex cross-sectional shape, a U-shaped cross-sectional shape, and a flat cross-sectional shape. 
     
     
         10 . The mouth guard according to  claim 8 , wherein the portion that is positioned at the anterior tooth occlusal portion of the anterior tooth has a convex cross-sectional shape that includes an anterior tooth protruding portion having a gap therein. 
     
     
         11 . The mouth guard according to  claim 8 , wherein a buffer material is provided to an inner surface side of the portion that is positioned at the anterior tooth occlusal portion of the anterior tooth. 
     
     
         12 . The mouth guard according to  claim 8 , wherein the anterior tooth is a central incisor. 
     
     
         13 . The mouth guard according to  claim 2 , wherein the portion of the mouth guard that is positioned at the valley portion of at least a first molar and a second molar of the maxillary dentition or the mandibular dentition has a shape that forms a gap between the portion of the mouth guard and the valley portion of at least one of the first molar and the second molar when the mouth guard is attached to the maxillary dentition or the mandibular dentition of the user. 
     
     
         14 . A method of manufacturing a mouth guard comprising mounting a gap forming mold in a valley portion of at least one of a first premolar and a second premolar of a dentition model that is formed by molding corresponding to a maxillary dentition or a mandibular dentition of a user, covering the dentition model on which the gap forming mold is mounted by a heated thermoplastic resin sheet, and applying a vacuum suction to the thermoplastic resin sheet thus forming the thermoplastic sheet into a shape that conforms to an outer shape of the teeth portions of the dentition model. 
     
     
         15 . The method of manufacturing a mouth guard according to  claim 14 , wherein, in addition to the valley portion of at least one of the first premolar and the second premolar of the dentition model, a gap forming model is mounted in an anterior tooth occlusal portion of an anterior tooth. 
     
     
         16 . The method of manufacturing a mouth guard according to  claim 15 , wherein the anterior tooth is a central incisor. 
     
     
         17 . The mouth guard according to  claim 1 , wherein a portion of the mouth guard that is positioned at a valley portion of at least one of a first molar and a second molar of the maxillary dentition or the mandibular dentition of the user when the mouth guard is attached to the maxillary dentition or the mandibular dentition of the user is formed into a shape that forms a gap between the portion of the mouth guard and the valley portion of at least one of the first molar and the second molar. 
     
     
         18 . The mouth guard according to  claim 17 , wherein the portion of the mouth guard that is positioned at the valley portion of the molar has either a convex cross-sectional shape or a U-shaped cross-sectional shape. 
     
     
         19 . The mouth guard according to  claim 17 , wherein a distance between an outer surface of the portion of the mouth guard that is positioned at the valley portion of the molar and a bottom of the valley portion of the molar is 1.0 to 6.5 mm. 
     
     
         20 . The mouth guard according to  claim 17 , wherein the portion of the mouth guard that is positioned in the valley portion of the molar has a convex cross-sectional shape that includes a first molar protruding portion and a second molar protruding portion each having a gap therein. 
     
     
         21 . The mouth guard according to  claim 17 , wherein a buffer material is disposed on an inner surface of the portion of the mouth guard that is positioned at the valley portion of the molar. 
     
     
         22 . The mouth guard according to  claim 17 , wherein the mouth guard is formed by molding using an ethylene vinyl acetate resin. 
     
     
         23 . The mouth guard according to  claim 17 , wherein a portion of the mouth guard that is positioned at an anterior tooth occlusal portion of an anterior tooth of the maxillary dentition or the mandibular dentition is formed into a shape that forms a gap between the portion of the mouth guard and the anterior tooth occlusal portion of the anterior tooth when the mouth guard is attached to the maxillary dentition or the mandibular dentition of the user. 
     
     
         24 . The mouth guard according to  claim 23 , wherein the portion that is positioned at the anterior tooth occlusal portion of the anterior tooth has a shape selected from a group consisting of a convex cross-sectional shape, a U-shaped cross-sectional shape, and a flat cross-sectional shape. 
     
     
         25 . The mouth guard according to  claim 23 , wherein the portion that is positioned at the anterior tooth occlusal portion of the anterior tooth has a convex cross-sectional shape that includes an anterior tooth protruding portion having a gap therein. 
     
     
         26 . The mouth guard according to  claim 23 , wherein a buffer material is provided to an inner surface side of the portion that is positioned at the anterior tooth occlusal portion of the anterior tooth. 
     
     
         27 . The mouth guard according to  claim 23 , wherein the anterior tooth is a central incisor. 
     
     
         28 . A method of manufacturing a mouth guard comprising mounting a gap forming mold in a valley portion of at least one of a first molar and a second molar of a dentition model that is formed by molding corresponding to a maxillary dentition or a mandibular dentition of a user, covering the dentition model on which the gap forming mold is mounted by a heated thermoplastic resin sheet, and applying a vacuum suction to the thermoplastic resin sheet thus forming the thermoplastic sheet into a shape that conforms to an outer shape of the teeth portions of the dentition model. 
     
     
         29 . The method of manufacturing a mouth guard according to  claim 28 , wherein, in addition to the valley portion of at least one of the first molar and the second molar of the dentition model, a gap forming model is mounted in an anterior tooth occlusal portion of an anterior tooth. 
     
     
         30 . The method of manufacturing a mouth guard according to  claim 29 , wherein the anterior tooth is a central incisor.