The diagnosed soft tissue or brain injury component of concussions is generally defined by the symptoms of the temporal lobe manifestations. However, there is an undiagnosed structural fractured component of concussions occurring within the jaw joint complex which is the focus of this invention. A precise imaging technique and the powerful 3D Cone beam scanning technology, together, have revealed fractures in temporal bones of the jaw joint space which supports the temporal lobe of the brain. These fractures are the results of the lower jaw impact forces that cause concussions and this mechanism account for a large percent of the concussions arising in sports and military operations. These fractures have never been considered, diagnosed, or treated in the management of concussions. Fracturing temporal bones in the jaw joint that supports the temporal lobe will certainly produce the symptoms of temporal lobe manifestations. With early detection, these fractures can be more rapidly healed, eliminating many temporal lobe symptoms of concussions. The device of the present invention reduces the risk of the lower jaw impact concussion and temporal bone fractures, while enhancing the ability to speak and orally communicate.

Some embodiments of the present disclosure include a dental appliance for treating/preventing sleep apnea and snoring. The dental appliance may be a wedge-shaped device designed to be positioned between the lower and upper jaw, wherein the device is thicker within a front area of the mouth and thinner within a back area of the mouth. The device may include upper and lower teeth channels to accommodate the teeth and a plurality of breathing ports positioned between the upper and lower teeth channels, the breathing ports being configured to allow a user to breathe through the ports while the appliance is in use. The appliance may force the mouth and airway into an unnaturally open position without requiring the lower jaw to be displaced forward. A tongue rest may extend through the device to support the tongue, while simultaneously providing slight upward pressure on the tongue to further open the airway.

Devices and methods for treating respiratory problems of a subject, such as those related to sleep apnea, are presented herein. An implementation of a device may be configured to provide a measured vertical dimension of occlusion (VDO) and/or mandibular advancement in a subject. Methods for treating a subject through the use of the device may include systematically increasing and/or decreasing the measured VDO provided by the device.

A mouth-guard to be worn by a user includes a main body including a channel, one or more gum protrusions, and a slot; and an insert configured to be inserted into the slot. The insert for the mouth-guard includes one or more liquid chambers and one or more initial orifices on the surface of the insert where each initial orifice is configured to transport liquid from the one or more liquid chambers to an orifice of the main body such that the liquid passes through the orifice of the main body into a user's mouth.

A mouth guard designed to minimize discomfort and speech interference associated with conventional mouthpieces is disclosed. The mouth guard has a substantially uniform thickness on the facial/buccal and biting surfaces of the anterior and posterior teeth, and along the lingual surface of the posterior teeth. The thickness of the mouth guard along the lingual surface of the anterior teeth is greater near the biting surface than near the gum line. This minimizes interference with the wearer's tongue, making it relatively easy to drink, speak, and breathe, while protecting the anterior and posterior teeth from impact from the front or underneath. The mouth guard can be a boil-and-bite or custom-made mouth guard, and can also include an impact shield, one or more power wedges or shock absorbers, a flavoring component, and/or an antibacterial component.

Apparatuses for forming oral protective devices and airway management devices (e.g., to discourage snoring) are described, as well as methods of using such apparatuses for making oral protective devices and airway management devices, and devices made according to such methods and with such apparatuses. The apparatuses can comprise arch-shaped elements with any of several features that allow ease of use, ease of customization to individual users, and implementation of airways desirable for applications such as airway management.

A mouth guard includes a pair of spaced-apart molar receiving members with an inner wall extending therebetween. The inner wall is configured for insertion between a user's lips and teeth. An outer wall is configured to confront an exterior surface of the user's lips. A conduit extends between the inner and outer walls and includes a passage formed therethrough. The passage extends through the inner wall between the molar receiving members and extends through the outer wall whereby a user may breathe or drink through the passage.

An apparatus and methods for air filtration are disclosed. The apparatus includes a body and first and second replaceable filters. The body of the apparatus further contains an air-exchange assembly and a filter receiver attached to the air exchange assembly. The air-exchange assembly contains an exhaust tube with an open end and a closed end, two wings on opposite sides of the exhaust tube, and an intake check valve and an exhaust check valve inside the exhaust tube. The first replaceable filter surrounds the filter receiver; and the second replaceable filter is inside the filter receiver. Several apertures and the check valves are strategically disposed in the exhaust tube to achieve optimal air filtration and avoid contamination of a user's exhaust.

A dental carrier comprises a thermoplastic carrier. The thermoplastic carrier has a pattern structure. After heating the thermoplastic carrier, the thermoplastic carrier is provided with a user to be impressed by teeth or alveolar ridge for forming teeth or alveolar ridge model of the user. Compared to the prior art, the dental carrier of the present invention can provide the dental medicament contained in the pattern structure to be precisely applied and hold onto the treatment area and the medicament can be evenly coated on the teeth, root, or periodontal tissue for the treatment of teeth. When the dental carrier is not used to carry medicament, the pattern structure can improve the mechanical strength and fitness of the dental carrier to be used as a biteplate, orthodontic retainer, periodontal dressing for treatment or protection or mouth guard in sports.

The invention involves a mouthguard to optimize breathing while providing protection from physical blows. A mouthguard can include a plurality of conduits running substantially anterior-to-posterior therethrough.