ORTHODONTIC DEVICE

Abstract

The present invention relates to an orthodontic device including: a unit wire positioned on a labial or lingual side of a tooth to be corrected of an upper teeth group or a lower teeth group; an adhesive adhered to the corresponding tooth while covering the unit wire, and fixed by curing; a soluble substance formed at the unit wire to prevent the unit wire from being adhered to the adhesive and dissolved afterwards; and an arch wire inserted into the adhesive from which the unit wire containing the soluble substance in a dissolved state has been removed and moving in an axial direction to move the entire teeth. Unlike the prior art, according to the present invention, a unit wire with a soluble substance applied thereto or a soluble substance covered by an adhesive at a circumferential surface thereof is attached to each of a plurality of teeth to be corrected, and then an arch wire is inserted via a space of the adhesive, formed as the soluble substance is dissolved. Thus, aesthetically pleasing appearance may be achieved due to the adhesive compared to existing brackets, inconvenience of individuals undergoing orthodontic treatment may be reduced due to decreased size of the orthodontic device, and the occurrence of cavities may be prevented.

Claims

1. An orthodontic device comprising: a unit wire positioned on a labial or lingual side of a tooth of an upper teeth group or a corrected tooth of a lower teeth group; an adhesive adhered to a corresponding tooth while covering the unit wire, and fixed by curing; a soluble substance formed at the unit wire to prevent the unit wire from being adhered to the adhesive and dissolved afterwards; and an arch wire inserted into the adhesive from which the unit wire containing the soluble substance in a dissolved state has been removed and moving in an axial direction to move entire teeth.

2. An orthodontic device comprising: a soluble substance containing a soluble material and being of a solid type; an adhesive positioned on a labial or lingual side of a tooth of an upper teeth group or a corrected tooth of a lower teeth group while covering the soluble substance, adhered to a corresponding tooth, and fixed by curing; and an arch wire inserted into the adhesive in which the soluble substance is in a dissolved state and moving in an axial direction.

3. The orthodontic device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the adhesive has the same color and shape as those of teeth.

4. The orthodontic device according to claim 2, wherein the soluble substance has diameter-enlarged portions at edges thereof so that the arch wire is easily inserted into edges of the adhesive.

5. The orthodontic device according to claim 2 or 4, wherein the soluble substance is provided with flanges at circumferential surfaces thereof.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0019] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which an orthodontic device according to a first embodiment of the present invention is installed in a group of upper and lower teeth.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which an arch wire of the orthodontic device according to a first embodiment of the present invention is inserted into an adhesive.

[0021] FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the arch wire of the orthodontic device according to a first embodiment of the present invention is inserted into the adhesive.

[0022] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which an arch wire of an orthodontic device according to a second embodiment of the present invention is inserted into an adhesive.

[0023] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which an arch wire of an orthodontic device according to a third embodiment of the present invention is inserted into an adhesive.

BEST MODE

[0024] Hereinafter, embodiments of an orthodontic device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the thicknesses of illustrated lines or the sizes of elements may be exaggerated for clarity and convenience of explanation. In addition, terms described below are defined in consideration of functions of the present invention and may vary according to intents, precedents, or the like of users or operators. Thus, these terms must be defined based on the contents of the present specification.

[0025] FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which an orthodontic device according to a first embodiment of the present invention is installed in a group of upper and lower teeth. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which an arch wire of the orthodontic device according to a first embodiment of the present invention is inserted into an adhesive. FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the arch wire of the orthodontic device according to a first embodiment of the present invention is inserted into the adhesive.

[0026] Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the orthodontic device 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention includes a unit wire 110, an adhesive 120, a soluble substance 130, and an arch wire 140.

[0027] The unit wire 110 is configured to correspond to a tooth 30 to be corrected from among teeth 30 of an upper teeth group 10 or a lower teeth group 20. In particular, the unit wire 110 may be positioned on a labial or lingual side of the tooth 30.

[0028] In this case, the upper teeth group 10 refers to a group of a plurality of teeth 30 positioned in the upper jaw. In addition, the lower teeth group 20 refers to a group of a plurality of teeth 30 positioned in the lower jaw.

[0029] In addition, the unit wire 110 may be a wire obtained by cutting the arch wire 140 described below to a unit length. Thus, the unit wire 110 does not need to be separately fabricated, resulting in reduced manufacturing costs of the orthodontic device 100.

[0030] In this case, the unit wire 110 may have one of various cross-sectional shapes, such as a circular cross-sectional shape, a polygonal cross-sectional shape, or the like.

[0031] In particular, lingual or labial surface areas of the teeth 30 may be different from each other. Thus, the unit wires 110 may have different lengths. In this case, unit wires 110 applied to the same teeth 30 have the same length.

[0032] In addition, the adhesive 120 covers the unit wire 110 and is cured and fixed after being attached to the corresponding tooth 30.

[0033] In other words, the adhesive 120 is attached to a tooth surface of the tooth 10 to be corrected while covering the unit wire 110. In this case, the adhesive 120 is in a gel state, and thus is cured after being attached to the tooth surface of the tooth 30 to be corrected while covering the unit wire 110.

[0034] In particular, the adhesive 120 is attached to a minimum area of the tooth surface of the tooth 30, and a transition portion between the adhesive 120 and the tooth surface maintains a smooth curved surface, and thus food is unlikely to stick thereto, and, accordingly, the teeth 30 may be protected. In addition, the tooth surface of the tooth 30 is not polished to a large area, and thus a cavity does not occur at a portion thereof to which the adhesive 120 is attached.

[0035] In addition, to impart an aesthetically pleasing appearance, the adhesive 120 may have the same color and shape as those of the teeth 30. In addition, the adhesive 120 may be formed of a material that does not cause displeasure when brought into contact with the gums and is harmless, such as a resin, or the like.

[0036] Meanwhile, the soluble substance 130 is positioned at the unit wire 110 to prevent the unit wire 110 from being attached to the adhesive 120. In particular, the soluble substance 130 may be applied to a surface of the unit wire 110. In this case, the soluble substance 130 refers to components dissolved by saliva in the mouth, or the like, and is cured after being applied to the unit wire 110.

[0037] In other words, the entire surface of the unit wire 110 is coated with the soluble substance 130. In addition, the adhesive 120 covers the coated unit wire 110 and then is attached to a tooth surface.

[0038] In particular, the soluble substance 130 may be a harmless substance dissolved by a specific component such as saliva, or the like over a certain time period. That is, the soluble substance 130 may be a harmless component or a combination of harmless components.

[0039] In this case, the soluble substance 130 is naturally dissolved by saliva, or the like, and thus the adhesive 120 has a space 122 with openings at opposite sides thereof.

[0040] Meanwhile, the arch wire 140 is formed in a corrected teeth arrangement shape of the teeth 30 of the upper teeth group 10 or the teeth 30 of the lower teeth group 20 and is positioned on a labial or lingual side of the teeth 30.

[0041] In this case, the arch wire 140 has a length corresponding to a total teeth arrangement distance of the upper teeth group 10 or the lower teeth group 20. Thus, after the unit wires 110 in a state in which the soluble substances 130 are dissolved are easily removed from the respective adhesives 120, the arch wire 140 is inserted into the spaces 122 of the adhesives 120. In addition, the arch wire 140 moves in an axial direction to move the entire teeth.

[0042] In other words, the arch wire 140 is hung over all of the teeth 30 with the same teeth arrangement needed for orthodontic treatment. The type and diameter or thickness of a metal of the arch wire 140 may vary according to a degree of orthodontic treatment of the teeth 30, i.e., movement direction and amount of teeth. The arch wire 140 imparts lateral pressure or distortion force to the corresponding teeth 30 for orthodontic treatment, and thus corrects the teeth arrangement of the corresponding teeth 30. The arch wire 140 may be made of various materials, e.g., a shape memory alloy. In this case, the arch wire 140 has the same cross-sectional shape as that of the unit wire 110.

[0043] In particular, the arch wire 140 according to the present invention is applicable in a state in which an arbitrary tooth 30 is extracted or not extracted.

[0044] In addition, the adhesive 120 is configured to correspond to the tooth 30 to be corrected, and a contact area between the adhesive 120 and the tooth surface may be increased to move the entire teeth, thereby reducing a correction period of the teeth 30.

[0045] In addition, when teeth arrangement is not uniform, the adhesives 120 may have different thicknesses and distances between the adhesives 120 and the corresponding tooth surfaces may be adjusted so that the arch wire 140 can have a uniform curvature or a set curvature.

[0046] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which an arch wire of an orthodontic device according to a second embodiment of the present invention is inserted into an adhesive.

[0047] Referring to FIG. 4, the orthodontic device 100 according to a second embodiment of the present invention includes a soluble substance 130, an adhesive 120, and an arch wire 140.

[0048] Similar to the first embodiment, the soluble substance 130 is made of a soluble and harmless material.

[0049] In particular, the soluble substance 130 is of a solid type. In particular, the soluble substance 130 may be fabricated into a bar shape. In this case, the bar-shaped soluble substance 130 may have a circular or polygonal cross-sectional shape.

[0050] In other words, the solid bar-shaped soluble substance 130 is dissolved by a specific component such as saliva or the like after a certain period of time and is harmless. That is, the soluble substance 130 is a harmless component or a combination of harmless components.

[0051] In this case, the soluble substance 130 is naturally dissolved by saliva, or the like, and thus the adhesive 120 has a space 122 with openings at opposite sides thereof. The arch wire 140 is easily inserted into the adhesive 120 via the space 122.

[0052] In addition, the adhesive 120 is positioned on a labial or lingual side of the tooth 30 of the upper teeth group 10 or the corrected tooth 30 of the lower teeth group 20 while covering the soluble substance 130, adhered to the corresponding tooth 30, and then cured and fixed thereto.

[0053] The adhesive 120 is the same as that used in the first embodiment.

[0054] In addition, the arch wire 140 is inserted into the adhesive 120 in which the soluble substance 130 is in a dissolved state. In addition, the arch wire 140 axially moves while being inserted into the adhesive 120 so that the entire teeth move.

[0055] Meanwhile, the solid soluble substance 130 may be provided, at opposite edge circumferential surfaces thereof, with flanges 150 to prevent the adhesive 120 attached to the edge circumferential surfaces from escaping in an axial direction.

[0056] In this case, the flanges 150 may have various shapes, and a height thereof may vary according to teeth arrangement. In addition, the flanges 150 as well as the soluble substance 130 are dissolved by saliva or the like after a certain period of time.

[0057] Reference numbers having not been described in the present embodiment are the same as those described above.

[0058] FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which an arch wire of an orthodontic device according to a third embodiment of the present invention is inserted into an adhesive.

[0059] Referring to FIG. 5, the orthodontic device 100 according to a third embodiment of the present invention includes a soluble substance 130, an adhesive 120, and an arch wire 140.

[0060] In this case, the soluble substance 130, the adhesive 120, and the arch wire 140 are the same as those described above.

[0061] In addition, the solid soluble substance 130 is provided with diameter-enlarged portions 160 at opposite sides thereof. Accordingly, the adhesive 120 applied to a circumferential surface of the soluble substance 130 forms the diameter-enlarged portions 160 at opposite sides thereof after the soluble substance 130 is dissolved. The diameter-enlarged portions 160 formed at opposite edges of the adhesive 120 guide the arch wire 140 to be easily inserted into the edges of the adhesive 120.

[0062] Reference numerals having not been described in the present embodiment are the same as those described above.

[0063] While embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, these are provided for illustrative purposes only. In addition, it will be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains that various changes and equivalents thereto can be made. Thus, the true spirit and scope of the present invention should be defined by the following claims.