Patent Application
20150250567
This disclosure generally relates to orthodontic devices for assisting in orthodontic treatments or procedures, and more particularly to an orthodontic anchor screw device for use in orthodontic correction treatments or procedures.
Orthodontists treat patients by controlling the movement and displacement of teeth in a mouth by use of various orthodontic devices and procedures. Movement or rotation of a tooth within the mouth may be accomplished through the use of external forces applied to the tooth. To ensure that the moved or treated tooth remains in a desired location in the jaw bone, an external force is applied to the tooth for an extended period of time. Once the tooth has reached a desired position or orientation, the force may be removed. Some examples of devices used to apply the necessary force to the tooth are wires, clamps, or rubber bands.
Orthodontic anchoring screws are also used in orthodontic procedures. An orthodontic anchoring screw is temporarily inserted into the jaw bone and removed from the jaw bone once the procedure is successful. A wire or other device may be connected to the screw and then attached to another device positioned on a tooth. In this manner, torque or force may be applied to the tooth to reposition the tooth to a desired orientation. In some procedures more than one orthodontic anchoring screw may be used or required. Although orthodontic anchoring screws are useful, there is no way to align one orthodontic anchoring screw relative to another.
The present disclosure is designed to obviate and overcome many of the disadvantages and shortcomings experienced with prior orthodontic anchoring screws. Moreover, the present disclosure is related to an orthodontic anchor screw device that can be aligned relative to another orthodontic anchoring screw device.
An example of anchor screws for use for orthodontic treatments can be seen in the U.S. Pat. No. 6,669,473, to Maino. Other patents showing related technology can be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,113,826, 7,500,851, 7,094,051, 6,877,982, 6,719,557, 6,520,772, 6,402,510, 6,241,517, 6,036,488, 5,919,042, 5,769,631, and 5,645,422. These are examples of orthodontic devices that may incorporate screws.
The present disclosure is an orthodontic anchor screw device which comprises a threaded barrel section, a first transition area having an alignment marking, a second transition area, and a screw head. The present disclosure is also directed to an orthodontic anchor screw device which comprises a threaded barrel section, a first transition area having a number of alignment markings spaced along the first transition area, a second transition area, and a screw head. In another embodiment, an orthodontic anchor screw device comprises a threaded barrel section, a first sloped transition area, a second transition area having a number of alignment markings spaced along the second transition area, a third transition area, and a screw head.
In light of the foregoing comments, it will be recognized that the present disclosure provides an orthodontic anchor screw device for use in orthodontic procedures.
The present disclosure provides an orthodontic anchor screw device that can be easily employed with highly reliable results to be inserted into a jaw bone and have a device connected to the screw device to exert a force on a tooth to treat the tooth.
The present disclosure also provides an orthodontic anchor screw device that may be used to be inserted into a jaw bone to be aligned with another orthodontic anchor screw device.
The present disclosure further provides an orthodontic anchor screw device that may be temporarily screwed into a jaw bone and counteract any rotational movement that would loosen the screw device. The current disclosure provides an orthodontic anchor screw device that may also cooperate with other orthodontic appliances, when applied, to provide for remedying teeth on alignment or for other teeth corrective purposes when applied for the treatment of the teeth within a patient's mouth.
The present disclosure provides an orthodontic anchor screw device that requires only a few tools or hand applied dental appliances, for inserting or removing the screw device from a jaw bone.
The present disclosure provides an orthodontic anchor screw device that has coarse threads and fine threads for locking the screw device into a jaw bone to inhibit rotation of the screw device once screwed into a bone and a force is applied to the screw device.
These and other advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the following detailed specification in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
In referring to the drawings:
Referring now to the drawings, wherein like numbers refer to like items, number 10 identifies a preferred embodiment of an orthodontic anchor screw device constructed according to the present disclosure. With reference now to
The first transition area 14 is circular in shape and has other alignment markings 26 placed on the side 28 around the area 14. For example, the alignment markings 26 may be placed equidistant from each other such as 90° apart from each other around the area 14. Any number of alignment markings 26 are possible and contemplated that may be placed on the side 28. Again, by way of example only, if three alignment markings 26 are used then the markings 26 may be evenly or equally spaced about the side 28 of the first transition area 14 at 120° intervals.
The second transition area 16 has a side 36 that has a generally hexagonal shape. The first transition area 14 has a diameter and the second transition area 16 has a diameter. The diameter of the first transition area 14 is greater than the diameter of the second transition area 16. Also, the diameter of the first transition area 14 is greater than the threaded barrel 12 and the screw head 18. Another chamfer or sloped section 38 is formed between the second transition area 16 and the screw head 18.
The screw head 18 has a first slot 40 formed therein. The first slot 40 is used to capture and hold a wire (not shown) that is used in an orthodontic procedure. The screw head 18 is connected to the second transition area 16 by a neck portion 42. A first overhang portion 44 and a second overhang portion 46 each extend downwardly from the screw head 18.
Referring now to
With reference now to
During treatment, the orthodontic anchor screw device 10 is screwed into a gum and a jaw bone to temporarily secure the device 10 into a jaw bone. A tool socket (not shown) having a hexagonal shape is placed over the hexagonal contour 36 of the second transition area 16 to drive the device 10 into a jaw bone. The cutting point 52 assists in positioning the device 10 against a gum and to drive the device 10 into a jaw bone. Once the device 10 is anchored into a jaw bone, a tooth may be treated by attaching one end of a wire to the slots 40 and 48 or the rounded areas 58 and 60 formed in the screw head 18 and another end of the wire to a device attached to the tooth. In this manner, the wire can be tightened to force the tooth into a desired position or orientation. The alignment marking 26 may be used to align the screw device 10 with another screw device 10. Once the treatment has been completed, the wire may be removed from the screw head 18 and the device 10 may be removed from the jaw bone by unscrewing the device 10. For example, the socket may be positioned on the contour 36 of the screw head 18 to remove or unscrew the device 10 from a jaw bone.
From all that has been said, it will be clear that there has thus been shown and described herein an orthodontic anchor screw device. It will become apparent to those skilled in the art, however, that many changes, modifications, variations, and other uses and applications of the subject orthodontic anchor screw device are possible and contemplated. All changes, modifications, variations, and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the disclosure are deemed to be covered by the disclosure, which is limited only by the claims which follow.
While previously reviewed, the Anchor Screw Device may have one or more slots formed within its head, as previously reviewed at 40, and these head slots may be to various dimensions, such as a 4.5 mm., 6 mm., 8 mm., or other dimensions, for the slot head screw of this disclosure.
This non-provisional patent application claims priority to the provisional patent application having Ser. No. 61/967,153, filed on Mar. 10, 2014.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 61967153 | Mar 2014 | US |
