US Patent 12011387 Dental appliance features for preventing lisping

Dental appliances for preventing lisping. An aligner body is configured to apply orthodontic force to a patient's teeth within a dentition-receiving cavity to gradually align the patient's teeth. The dentition-receiving cavity includes a posterior teeth region having lateral walls configured to receive the patient's posterior teeth. The posterior teeth region includes occlusal cut-outs that are configured to expose occlusal surfaces of at least a portion of the patient's posterior teeth. The occlusal cut-outs allow opposing occlusal surfaces of the patient's posterior teeth to come close enough to touch each other while the device is worn over the dental arch of the patient to form an anterior seal between the patient's tongue and inner surfaces of the patient's anterior teeth in a manner as to minimize any temporary anterior bite opening, preventing lisping while the device is worn over the dental arch.