STEPHEN WARUNEK, DDS
Dentist at Squire Hall, Buffalo, NY

5186623, Feb 16, 1993

Oct 21, 1991

7/781076

Peter R. Breads - Grand Island NY
Gerard P. Abbatte - Buffalo NY
Stephen P. Warunek - West Seneca NY

Great Lakes Orthodontics, Ltd. - Tonawanda NY

A61C 300

433 6

An orthodontic finishing positioner for maloccluded teeth to which are secured coupling members having portions protruding from the sides of the teeth includes a body constructed of an elastomer base material adapted to be operatively positioned about the teeth and coupling members of at least one dental arch of a patient. The positioner body is arcuate in shape and defines a recess for receiving teeth of at least one dental arch wherein the recess includes walls defining teeth-engaging surfaces shaped generally complementary to the surfaces of the teeth of the one dental arch when the teeth therein are positioned in a predetermined or idential orientation. The recess walls further defines a series of indentations disposed across the teeth-engaging surfaces wherein each indentation is shaped to nestingly accept a corresponding coupling member so that when the positioner body is operatively positioned within the patient's mouth and stretched about the teeth of the one dental arch so that the teeth thereof are operatively received by the recess of the arcuate-shaped portion and each coupling member is accepted by a corresponding indentation, the stretched body effectively grasps the teeth and acts against the teeth and the coupling member to bias the teeth of the one arch toward the predetermined orientation. The method of the invention includes the steps involved in constructing the positioner of the invention. Such construction steps include the constructing of an impression-formed model of the teeth and coupling members of the one dental arch, repositioning the teeth-simulating portions of the model to a predetermined orientation and utilizing the model, with its repositioned teeth-simulating portions, as a standard for the formation of the desired positioner.

5059118, Oct 22, 1991

Jul 25, 1989

7/384979

Peter R. Breads - Grand Island NY
Gerard P. Abbatte - Buffalo NY
Stephen P. Warunek - West Seneca NY

Great Lakes Orthodontics, Ltd. - Tonawanda NY

A61C 300

433 6

An orthodontic finishing positioner for maloccluded teeth to which are secured coupling members having portions protruding from the sides of the teeth includes a body constructed of an elastomer base material adapted to be operatively positioned about the teeth and coupling member of at least one dental arch of a patient. The positioner body is arcuate in shape and defines a recess for receiving teeth of at least one dental arch wherein the recess includes walls defining teeth-engaging surfaces shaped generally complementary to the surfaces of the teeth of the one dental arch when the teeth therein are positioned in a predetermined or ideal orientation. The recess walls further defines a series of indentations disposed across the teeth-engaging surfaces wherein each indentation being shaped to nestingly accept a corresponding coupling member so that when the positioner body is operatively positioned within the patient's mouth and stretched about the teeth of the one dental arch so that the teeth thereof are operatively received by the recess of the arcuate-shaped portion and each coupling member is accepted by a corresponding indentation, the stretched body effectively grasps the teeth and acts against the teeth and the coupling member to bias the teeth of the one arch toward the predetermined orientation. The method of the invention includes the steps involved in constructing the positioner of the invention. Such construction steps include the constructing of an impression-formed model of the teeth and coupling members of the one dental arch, repositioning the teeth-simulating portions of the model to a predetermined orientation and utilizing the model, with its repositioned teeth-simulating portions, as a standard for the formation of the desired positioner.

4856991, Aug 15, 1989

May 5, 1987

7/046087

Peter R. Breads - Grand Island NY
Gerard P. Abbatte - Buffalo NY
Stephen P. Warunek - West Seneca NY

Great Lakes Orthodontics, Ltd. - Tonawanda NY

A61C 700

433 6

An orthodontic finishing positioner for maloccluded teeth to which are secured coupling members having portions protruding from the sides thereof, the positioner comprising an arcuate body of elastomer base material positioned about the teeth and coupling member of at least one dental arch and defining a recess for receiving teeth of at least one dental arch. The recess includes walls defining teeth-engaging surfaces shaped generally complementary to the surfaces of the teeth of the one dental arch when the teeth therein are positioned in a predetermined or ideal orientation. A series of indentations in the walls are disposed across the teeth-engaging surfaces, each indentation being shaped to nestingly accept a corresponding coupling member. When the positioner body is positioned within the patient's mouth and stretched about the teeth of the one dental arch so that the teeth thereof are received by the recess of the arcuate-shaped portion and each coupling member is accepted by a corresponding indentation, the stretched body effectively grasps the teeth and acts against the teeth and the coupling member to bias the teeth of the one arch toward the predetermined orientation. The positioner is constructed by forming a model of the teeth and coupling members of the one dental arch, repositioning the teeth-simulating portions of the model to a predetermined orientation and utilizing the model, with its repositioned teeth-simulating portions, as a standard for the formation of the desired positioner.

5035613, Jul 30, 1991

Jul 20, 1987

7/075327

Peter R. Breads - Grand Island NY
Gerard P. Abbatte - Buffalo NY
Stephen P. Warunek - West Seneca NY

Great Lakes Orthodontics, Ltd. - Tonawanda NY

A61C 300

433 6

An orthodontic appliance for maloccluded teeth and an associated method of construction utilizes an elastomer base material comprised of a silicone elastomer composition. The elastomer composition, when in an uncured condition, possessses a sufficiently low viscosity so that the positioner can be formed in a low pressure injection molding process and which, when in a cured condition, possessses a relatively high resistance to tear.

5055039, Oct 8, 1991

Oct 6, 1988

7/254216

Gerard P. Abbatte - Buffalo NY
Peter R. Breads - Grand Island NY
Stephen P. Warunek - West Seneca NY
Brian D. Willison - Buffalo NY

Great Lakes Orthodontics, Ltd. - Tonawanda NY

A61C 300

433 24

An orthodontic positioner appliance of elastomer base material is formed directly on the tooth coupling members during fabrication so as to assure accuracy of the appliance and compliance with the exact shape and placement of the members. A construction model is provided of the patient's teeth in a desired orientation, members are attached to the teeth in the model, and the positioner is formed by applying material to the model and directly to the members providing an exact adaptation of the material to the model including the members and providing an exact fit between the material and the members so as to eliminate any void between the members and the material to assure maximum purchase on the teeth but yet be easily removed by the patient. A first form of the positioner is formed by a hand lay-up or other appropriate technique providing a positioner body in the form of strip of silicone elastomer material, the body having a surface facing the teeth and recesses in spaced relation along the strip for snap fitting onto the members, the positioner urging the patient's teeth to an exact fit between the recesses and the members so as to eliminate any void or space between the members and the recesses. A second form of the positioner is formed by molding providing an arcuate body of elastomer material including a trough for receiving teeth, the trough having walls with recesses in spaced relation for fitting onto the members.