Patent Application
20220202529
1. Field
The disclosure of the present patent application relates to dental instruments, and particularly, to a protective rubber dental dam breathing vent.
2. Description of the Related Art
During a root canal and many other dental procedures, a health care professional will cover at least a portion of the patient's mouth with a rubber sheet widely referred to as a protective rubber dental dam (also referred to herein as a dental dam or rubber dam). Rubber dams are commonly sued for restorative dental work, such as amalgam and composites. Rubber dams are considered part of the standard of care for endodontic treatments.
The rubber dam is used to isolate a patient's tooth from other portions of the mouth of a patient during a dental procedure. The tooth protrudes through a small opening in the rubber dam, while the remaining teeth and mouth of the patient are covered by the rubber dam for protection.
Patients can have a difficult time breathing because rubber dams may prevent airflow through the mouth. Patients with medical conditions such as asthma, allergies, sinusitis, nasal obstructions, or psychological fears are particularly susceptible to breathing problems. This makes dental work more challenging for both the health care professional and the patient. These types of patients may refuse to seek the needed care rather than endure a procedure requiring the use of a rubber dam.
Thus, a rubber dental dam breathing vent solving the aforementioned problems is desired.
A protective rubber dental dam breathing vent can assist patients to breathe more freely during a dental procedure without compromising the protective function of the rubber dental dam. The breathing vent includes a generally circular main body, a neck portion extending from an upper surface of the main body, and an opening defined through the main body and the neck portion. The main body includes an upper platform, a lower platform, and a groove between a lower surface of the upper platform and an upper surface of the lower platform. The breathing vent can be inserted through a slit in the rubber dam such that the rubber dam encircles the groove, the upper platform extends from one side of the rubber dam, and the lower platform extends from an opposite side of the rubber dental dam. In use, air can pass from one side of the rubber dental dam to the other side of rubber dental dam through the opening in the breathing vent.
When using the protective rubber dental dam to isolate a tooth, the breathing vent can be inserted through the rubber dam to allow air to pass therethrough. In an embodiment, the neck portion of the breathing vent can be used to support dental instruments, such as an air line or a suction tube, and free the hand of the dental professional.
Sufficient air or oxygen can pass into the patient's mouth through the breathing vent without affecting the purpose of the rubber dam and without physically interfering with the ability of the dental professional to perform the dental procedure. Use of the breathing vent can increase the patient's comfort and lead to improved quality and better outcomes.
These and other features of the present subject matter will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification.
Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistently throughout the attached drawings.
Referring to
As shown in
In use, a rubber dental dam RD can be positioned in the user's mouth to isolate a target tooth T and can be secured in place using a dental frame F, as is generally known and depicted in
The breathing vent 10 can be used for both adult and child patients and can be manufactured inexpensively. The breathing vent 10 can be made from plastic, metal, glass, ceramic, rubber, or other suitable material or combination of materials. The breathing vent 10 can be reusable with proper sterilization or individually packed for a single use. The breathing vent can be formed from an integral piece or from multiple rigidly or removably connected parts.
The protective rubber dental dam breathing vent can assist all dental patients to breathe more freely during a dental procedure without compromising the protective function of the rubber dental dam. When using the protective rubber dental dam to isolate a tooth, the breathing vent can be inserted through the rubber dam to allow air to pass through the opening of the breathing vent. The neck portion of the breathing vent can be used to support dental instruments, such as an airline or a suction tube, and free the hand of the dental professional.
Sufficient air or oxygen can pass into the patient's mouth through the breathing vent without affecting the purpose of the rubber dam and without physically interfering with the ability of the dental professional to perform the dental procedure. Use of the breathing vent can increase the patient's comfort and lead to improved quality and better outcomes.
It is to be understood that the protective rubber dental dam breathing vent is not limited to the specific embodiments described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the generic language of the following claims enabled by the embodiments described herein, or otherwise shown in the drawings or described above in terms sufficient to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the claimed subject matter.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/130,841, filed Dec. 27, 2020.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63130841 | Dec 2020 | US |
