US 12,472,421 B2
Dental guard and tray and method of forming such
Josef V. Knutzen, Allendale, NJ (US); Joseph R. Martone, Bristol, CT (US); and Frank M. Lesniak, Media, PA (US)
Assigned to DENTEK ORAL CARE, INC., Tarrytown, NY (US)
Filed by DenTek Oral Care, Inc., Tarrytown, NY (US)
Filed on Apr. 12, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/634,831.
Application 18/634,831 is a division of application No. 16/106,786, filed on Aug. 21, 2018, granted, now 11,957,970.
Prior Publication US 2024/0252908 A1, Aug. 1, 2024
Int. Cl. A63B 71/08 (2006.01)
CPC A63B 71/085 (2013.01) [A63B 2209/00 (2013.01)] 3 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of reforming a dental guard comprising the steps of:
(A) providing a thermoplastic dental guard having a pair of bite pads adapted to be positionable upon teeth of a user;
(B) providing a pair of bite pad supports configured to receive the pair of bite pads of the dental guard, wherein each of the pair of bite pad supports has a tooth occlusal contacting surface, a recessed well extending from the tooth occlusal contacting surface and configured to receive at least a portion of one of the pair of bite pads therein;
(C) warming the thermoplastic dental guard to a temperature wherein the thermoplastic dental guard is malleable, thereby forming a warm thermoplastic dental guard;
(D) positioning the warm thermoplastic dental guard upon select teeth of the user; and
(E) having the user bite down upon the warm thermoplastic dental guard and the pair of bite pad supports to a position wherein the user's teeth contact each tooth occlusal contacting surface to prevent the teeth from contacting the respective recessed well, thereby allowing a portion of the warm thermoplastic dental guard to pass between the user's teeth and the pair of bite pad supports and allowing another portion of the warm thermoplastic dental guard to remain within the recessed well to form a post-procedure grinding wall.