Patent Application
20120037168
This disclosure relates generally to a dental device used to aid in weight reduction or weight control, and more particularly, to a dental device for reducing an amount of food that may be introduced into an oral cavity of an individual.
There is a substantial market for products which promise to make weight loss easier, quicker, and cheaper. Some known products include books, CDs, cremes, lotions, pills, diet foods, diet drinks, and body wraps. There are also weight loss services such as fitness centers, personal coaches, weight loss groups, and food products and supplements. Billions of dollars are spent each year on all types of diet programs and products. Although such products and services may be helpful for a limited period of time, individuals fall back into previous habits and the loss weight is gained back. It is also possible and common that more weight is gained than what was the original weight of the individual prior to weight loss. Further, there are various medical procedures that can be performed to remove fat from a person or to decrease the amount of food that an individual can consume such as stomach stapling. Some individuals are reluctant to have a medical procedure performed due to complications.
However, one of the most effective ways to reduce weight is to reduce the number of calories consumed each day. It is recommended that food be consumed slowly in order to feel filled up quicker. Being able to take smaller bites of food can lead to eating food slower. In view of this there is a need for a dental device that may be used to control weight by reducing a volume of an individual's oral cavity to slow down the rate of food consumption. It would also be advantageous to be able to provide a dental device that is comfortable to use and wear and does not obstruct or interfere with the use of a mouth. It would also be beneficial to provide a dental device that is self-supporting within a mouth, can be easily fitted within a mouth, and does not require any attachment devices for holding or securing the dental device within a mouth.
In one form of the present disclosure, a dental device for weight control is disclosed which comprises a body having an upper side and a lower side, a protrusion extending from the lower side for extending into an oral cavity to reduce a volume of the oral cavity, a front edge positioned between the upper side and the lower side contoured to fit against teeth, and a back edge positioned between the upper side and the lower side, the back edge for bearing against a roof of a mouth.
In another form of the present disclosure, a dental device for weight control comprises a a body having an upper side and a lower side, a protrusion extending from the lower side for extending into an oral cavity to reduce a volume of the oral cavity, a front edge positioned between the upper side and the lower side contoured to fit against teeth, a back edge positioned between the upper side and the lower side, the back edge for bearing against a roof of a mouth, and a catch extending from the lower side of the body.
In yet another form of the present disclosure, a dental device for weight control comprises a body having an interior side, an exterior side, a left side back portion, and a right side back portion and a teeth engaging surface positioned between the interior side and the exterior side with the teeth engaging surface having a soft cushioning surface.
In light of the foregoing comments, it will be recognized that a principal object of the present disclosure is to provide a dental device for weight control that decreases a volume of an oral cavity of a mouth to reduce an amount of food that may be introduced into an oral cavity.
A further object of the present disclosure is to provide a dental device for weight control which is of simple construction and design, is inexpensive, and which can be easily employed with highly reliable results.
Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a dental device for weight control that is easy to use, comfortable to wear, frictionally engages an interior of a mouth for retention within a mouth, may be easily removed from a mouth after use of the dental device, is comfortable to wear, and does not cause any injury to soft tissue within a mouth.
A still further object of the present disclosure is to provide a dental device for weight control that can be easily cleaned and stored when not in use.
A further object of the present disclosure is to provide a dental device weight control that does not require any metal structure such as retainer wires or ball clasps that can be broken, or fall off during use, or require replacement or realignment.
Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a dental device for weight control that may be fitted to a lower jaw to decrease a volume of an oral cavity to reduce an amount of food that may be inserted into an oral cavity of a mouth.
Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide a dental device for weight control that may be easily manufactured and custom made based upon a mold of a mouth of an individual.
Still a further object of the present disclosure is to provide a dental device for weight control that is self-supporting when placed within a mouth and does not require any attachment devices for holding or securing the dental device in a mouth during use.
These and other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent after considering the following detailed specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
Referring now to the drawings, wherein like numbers refer to like items, number 10 identifies an embodiment of a dental device for weight control constructed according to the present disclosure. With reference now to
The dental device 10 may be formed from any appropriate natural or synthetic material or materials, such as synthetic or natural rubber, medical rubber, plastics such as polyvinyl plastics material including vinyl acetate ethylene polymeric material, polyethylene vinyl acetate or a polyethylene or polypropylene. The material may be clear or colored. The dental device 10 may be custom made by taking a casting or a dental impression of an individual's mouth and teeth. From the casting the dental device 10 is produced which is adapted to fit in the interior of a mouth and have the upper teeth mate with or against the front edge 20 and the soft cushioning material 22. Also, the dental device 10 can be made of any lightweight material which is appropriate for use in the interior of the mouth 50, such as materials typically used for orthodontic type devices.
With reference now to
In operation, the dental device 10 is inserted into the mouth 50 of the individual 52. The catch 28 may be used to maneuver the dental device 10 into position against the roof 54 of the mouth 50 and abut the front edge 20 against the teeth 56. With the front edge 20 mating with or contacting the teeth 56 and the back edge 24 resting against the roof 54, this reduces the possibility of any food becoming lodged between the roof 54 and the upper side 14 of the dental device 10. Also, when the dental device 10 is inserted in the mouth 50 in this orientation suction develops between the device 10, the teeth 56, and the roof 54 to hold or seal the device 10 in place in the mouth 50. A volume associated with an oral cavity 58 of the mouth 50 is decreased so that an amount of food that can be introduced into the oral cavity 58 is decreased. The protrusion 18 extending into the oral cavity 58 decreases the size or volume of the oral cavity 58. The size of the protrusion 18 is dependent upon the size and shape of the dental impression of the mouth 50. Further, the size and shape of the protrusion 18 may be increased to further decrease the size of the oral cavity 58 in severe cases in which food intake is to be reduced in an extreme manner. Once the dental device 10 has been inserted into the mouth 50, the individual 52 can eat, drink, speak, and breath in a normal manner. The dental device 10 also has the impact of slowing down the individual's 52 rate of food consumption. By slowing down the rate of food intake and requiring food to be more thoroughly chewed before swallowing leads to reducing food intake and promotes weight loss. After use, the dental device 10 may be easily removed from the mouth 50 by grasping the catch 28, to reduce or overcome any suction created by having the dental device 10 pressed against the roof 54 and the teeth 56, and pulling the dental device 10 downwardly to remove the dental device 10 from the mouth 50. Once removed, the dental device 10 may be cleaned and stored for the next use.
The dental device 10 has a number of advantages. The dental device 10 is easy to place in the mouth 50 and remove from the mouth 50 due to the catch 28. Further, since there are no wires or ball clasps, the dental device 10 does not require adjustment to properly position and hold the dental device 10 in the mouth 50. Since the dental device 10 is a single piece construction, there are no pieces that can break off and be inadvertently swallowed. Further, wires or ball clasps can become out of alignment which would require realignment, adjustment, or a completely new dental device being manufactured. Due to the small size of the dental device 10, the dental device 10 may be keep in a small container so that the dental device 10 can be used at home, at the office, or at a restaurant. Further, since the dental device 10 is unobtrusive when in the mouth 50 it is not noticeable by others and the dental device 10 can be worn at all times. As has been discussed, the dental device 10 does not interfere with speech and the dental device 10 can be worn during the daytime.
Referring now to
The typical operation of the dental device 100 is as follows. The individual 152 inserts the dental device 100 into the mouth 150 and places the teeth engaging surface 108 against the lower teeth 154. The left side back portion 112 and the right side back portion 114 may be grasped by the individual 152 to guide or maneuver the dental device 100 into the mouth 150. With the teeth engaging surface 108 mating with or contacting the teeth 154 and the back portions 112 and 114 resting within the mouth 150, the chance of any food becoming trapped underneath the dental device 100 is reduced. In this manner, a volume associated with an oral cavity 156 of the mouth 150 is decreased so that an amount of food that can be introduced into the oral cavity 156 is decreased. The size of the dental device 100 is dependent upon the size and shape of the dental impression of the mouth 150. Further, the size and shape of the dental device 100 may be increased to further decrease the size of the oral cavity 156 in severe cases in which food intake is to be reduced in an extreme manner. Once the dental device 100 has been inserted into the mouth 150, the individual 152 can eat, drink, speak, and breath in a normal manner. Further, due to the void 116 of the dental device 100, a tongue (not shown) is free to move within the mouth 150. The dental device 100 has the impact of slowing down the individual's 152 rate of food consumption. Slowing down the rate of food intake and requiring food to be more thoroughly chewed before swallowing leads to the reduction of food intake and promotes weight loss. After use, the dental device 100 may be easily removed from the mouth 150 by grasping the back portions 112 and 114, to overcome any suction developed by having the dental device 100 positioned against the teeth 154, and pulling the dental device 100 upwardly to remove the dental device 100 from the mouth 150. Once removed, the dental device 100 may be cleaned and stored until the next application.
As can be appreciated, the dental device 100 may be formed from any appropriate natural or synthetic material or materials, such as synthetic or natural rubber, medical rubber, plastics such as polyvinyl plastics material including vinyl acetate ethylene polymeric material, polyethylene vinyl acetate or a polyethylene or polypropylene. The material may be clear or colored. The dental device 100 may be custom made by taking a casting or a dental impression of an individual's mouth, and in particular an impression of the lower teeth. From the casting the dental device 100 is produced which is adapted to fit against the lower teeth. 154. Also, the dental device 100 can be made of any lightweight material which is appropriate for use in the interior of the mouth 150, such as materials typically used for orthodontic type devices.
Furthermore, with use of the dental devices 10 and 100, smaller amounts of food will be consumed with each bite. By increasing the volume of the mouth 50 or 150, the individual 52 or 152 will require a longer period of time to eat food and may be satisfied with less food being consumed. By reducing food intake, the individual 50 or 150 will either have reduced weight or controlled weight. It is possible that over time the individual's stomach may shrink and weight loss will occur. By use of the dental devices 10 and 100, the individual 50 or 150 will easily and quickly develop a habit of eating less due to a reduced amount of food being consumed. This habit will lead to weight reduction and it is possible that the dental devices 10 and 100 after some period of time may be discontinued. Also, the dental devices 10 and 100 require no special training for their use and once inserted into the mouth 50 or 150 the dental devices 10 and 100 operated immediately and sufficiently.
As previously discussed, the dental devices 10 and 100 may take on any desired shape dependent upon the particular mouth in which the devices 10 and 100 are to be inserted and used. It should be recognized that the dental devices 10 and 100 are formed of relatively lightweight material so that the dental devices 10 and 100 can be quickly and easily manufactured, assembled, transported, and stored. Further, the dental devices 10 and 100 can be constructed of relatively inexpensive materials that will provide for the dental devices 10 and 100 to be mass produced, disposable, and suitable for long time use.
From all that has been said, it will be clear that there has thus been shown and described herein a dental device for weight control which fulfills the various objects and advantages sought therefor. It will become apparent to those skilled in the art, however, that many changes, modifications, variations, and other uses and applications of the subject dental device for weight control are possible and contemplated. All changes, modifications, variations, and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure are deemed to be covered by the present disclosure, which is limited only by the claims which follow.
