DR. JOHN D SUMMER, DDS
Dentist at 11 Ave, Portland, OR

6736639, May 18, 2004

Jun 15, 2001

09/882419

John D. Summer - Portland OR

Dental Innovations LLC - Portland OR

A61C 504

433 39

Tooth inserts are described for use in restoring teeth having a proximal surface requiring restoration and an, intact proximal surface not requiring restoration. A tooth insert according to one disclosed embodiment comprises an elongated band having first and second spaced apart central portions. The central portions are positioned so that when the band is wrapped around a first tooth, the first central portion is positioned between the prepared surface of the first tooth and a second adjacent tooth and the second central portion is positioned between the intact surface of the first tooth and a third tooth at the opposite side of the first tooth from the second tooth. An aperture is formed in the second central portion to permit at least partial interproximal contact between the first and third tooth through the aperture to minimize separation between the first and third teeth caused by the thickness of the band.

6482005, Nov 19, 2002

Dec 16, 1999

09/465413

John D. Summer - Portland OR
Gregory B. Stock - Los Angeles CA

John Summer - Portland OR

A61C 504

433 39

A flexible frame supports and at least partially surrounds a thin polymer sheet. The frame and polymer sheet is positioned between a tooth being filled and an adjacent tooth so as to extend partly or completely around the buccal and lingual sides of the tooth being filled. The frame may be severable to facilitate removal of the frame and apparatus following the completion of a filling. A mechanism may be included for tightening the gingival border of the frame to more closely follow the natural tooth contour. A mechanism may also be included for tightening the occlusal border of the frame with such tightening mechanisms being independently operated. The frame may be secured to a tooth being treated such as utilizing adhesive tabs.

6425760, Jul 30, 2002

Jul 6, 2000

09/611187

John D. Summer - Portland OR 97229
Gregory B. Stock - Los Angeles CA

John D. Summer - Portland OR

A61C 504

433 39

A tooth spacer has first and second tooth spacer body portions which each define at least one window therein. Extremely thin film, for example from about 0. 0003 to about 0. 0006 inch in thickness, is sandwiched between the tooth spacer body portions to form the tooth spacer. Portions of the gingival edge of the tooth spacer may be thinned to facilitate insertion of the tooth spacer between teeth.

5730151, Mar 24, 1998

Jun 27, 1996

8/671932

John D. Summer - Portland OR
Edmund Pierzchala - Milwaukie OR
Marek Perkowski - Beaverton OR

A61B 510

128777

An apparatus and method for sensing tooth contact includes at least one, and more typically plural, vibration sensors which are coupled to the non-biting surfaces of teeth. These sensors produce output signals when the associated teeth contact one another during jaw closing, the output signals being processed to provide information concerning tooth contact. For example, information concerning the first tooth which contacts may be determined, the sequence of contact by various teeth may be determined, as well as the time between contact of the various teeth. Other information concerning tooth contact may also be determined and displayed in a variety of forms. The device may be implemented in circuit as well as in microprocessor forms. In addition, in combination with a jaw trajectory apparatus, the tooth contact information may be correlated with jaw trajectory information to provide a more complete indication of the stability of a patient's bite.

4768246, Sep 6, 1988

Jun 17, 1987

7/064230

John D. Summer - Portland OR

A47C 2002

5434

In an orthopedic pillow in accordance with the present invention comprises a unitary body of foam or other resilient material with a deep generally hemispherical depression or aperture. The aperture receives the back of a user's head in such a manner that a portion of the weight of the head is supported directly by a mattress or the like beneath the pillow while the rest of the weight of the user's head is supported by the surrounding portion of the pillow. This design allows the user's head to rest generally on the same horizontal surface on which the remainder of the user's body rests. As a result, the head can shift backwardly into an ideal postural position in relation to the long axis of the user's body. In addition to holding the head, the pillow cushions the head by distributing its weight over a wide area. Also, the aperture is eccentrically positioned in the body to provide different distances between the edge of the body and the aperture.

2013019, Aug 8, 2013

Mar 14, 2013

13/831105

John D. Summer - Portland OR, US

A61F 5/56

128848

Plural tongue gripping projections coupled to upper and lower supports grip and hold the tongue during sleep and minimize the risk of the tongue slipping back and blocking the throat. One or both of the upper and lower supports are biased together. A tongue depressor extends rearwardly and downwardly from a cross member portion of a jaw coupler. A soft palate engager extends rearwardly from the cross member. The tongue grasping device, tongue depressor and soft palate engager cooperatively resist closing of the user's pharyngeal airway. The tongue depressor and soft palate engager are desirably biased apart and supported by flexible supports to permit movement of the rear of the tongue to close the pharyngeal airway during swallowing.

5989023, Nov 23, 1999

Dec 31, 1998

9/224186

John D. Summer - Portland OR
Erik Bodegom - Portland OR
Allen Lee - Portland OR

A61C 1904

433 69

A jaw tracking device, which fits entirely in the mouth and can be attached to conventional removable dental appliances, tracks the location and movement of the lower jaw with high precision and speed when the mouth is closed or nearly closed by recording the projection of light from a light emitting diode, laser diode, or fiberoptic source fixed to the lower dental arch onto one or two position sensitive detectors (PSDS) fixed to the upper dental arch. Since the system acquires data quickly enough to record the minute deflections of the lower jawbone which occur each time the jaw is closed eccentrically, it can be used with acoustic sensors attached to the individual teeth in order to analyze a person's bite. Since each PSD relies on only four outputs, its data can be easily transmitted by telemetry so that it can be used to track the location of the jaw during sleep without requiring wires protruding from the mouth of the sleeping subject.

5899694, May 4, 1999

Feb 20, 1998

9/027442

John Summer - Portland OR

A61C 514

433136

A loop of cord, projecting out from one end of an elongate sleeve is placed around the base of a tooth and closed. In one preferred form, the cord includes elastic material so that, as the loop is closed around the tooth, the contractile force exerted by the stretched elastic cord around the circumference of the tooth at a part of the tooth which tapers toward the root tends to seat the cord apically (toward the apex of the root). The self-seating tendency of this loop of elastic cord as it is tightened around the base of a tooth more effectively separates the gingival tissues from the base of the tooth. As a result, good clean dry access to the margins of a crown or inlay is provided. In one form, the sleeve is of a heat shrinkable material and is heat shrunk to frictionally engage the cord.

5025518, Jun 25, 1991

Sep 6, 1989

7/404229

John D. Summer - Portland OR

A47C 2002

5434

An orthopedic pillow in accordance with the present invention comprises a unitary body of feathers, foam or other resilient material with a deep generally hemispherical depression or aperture. The aperture receives the back of a user's head in such a manner that a portion of the weight of the head is supported generally on or substantially close to a mattress or the like beneath the pillow while the rest of the weight of the user's head is supported by the surrounding portion of the pillow. This design allows the user's head to rest generally on the same horizontal surface on which the remainder of the user's body rests. As a result, the head can shift backwardly into an ideal postural position in relation to the long axis of the user's body. Also, the aperture is eccentrically positioned in the body to provide different distances between the edge of the body and the aperture. Preferably, the pillow is rectangular with the aperture offset from the axes of the pillow.

6142778, Nov 7, 2000

Jul 21, 1999

9/358684

John D. Summer - Portland OR

A61C 504

433 39

Tooth inserts are described for positioning between interproximal surfaces of teeth during a dental procedure. The tooth inserts have thin regions positioned in the interproximal contact area of the teeth.