the first embodiment of a matrix retainer apparatus 10 according to the invention consists of a main body 12 , that is generally ring shaped and lies in a plane pi . depending from either end of this ring shaped portion 12 are a pair of depending and converging tines or legs 14 . the depending legs are of equal length , though it should be noted here that various lengths of these legs are contemplated to allow more than one retainer 10 to be used at a time . thus will be discussed further hereinafter . at the end of each of the depending legs 14 of the first embodiment are knobs or bulbous tips 16 . these bulbous tips 16 are smooth and assist in gripping the interproximal areas of the tooth being worked on , and thus retain that portion of the tooth reconstruction element or matrix 100 ( seen in fig2 and 3 ) in close proximity to the desired shape . the tips 16 can be coated with a substance to increase the frictional coefficient of the surface to prevent the retainer apparatus 10 from slipping or popping off during the restoration procedure . as practitioners are well aware , this is a real problem during procedures with present art devices , leading to discomfort and annoyance to both the patient and the doctor . one such material that has been found to serve in this capacity is plastisol , manufactured by plast - o - meric inc . located at 733 east water street , p . o . box 247 , north baltimore , ohio 45872 . this is a pvc - based coating that increases the frictional coefficient sufficiently and has been shown to be able to stand up to the heat of an autoclave without degradation . the tips 16 of the device 10 are dipped in this material and allowed to dry . the material preferably used for the main body , legs , and tips of the invention would be stainless steel spring wire , although other materials could be used . preferably , the wire is circular in cross section . other methods of providing a higher frictional coefficient could be used , such as removable , disposable rubber sheaths that fit over the tips 16 . if the main body 12 is formed from spring wire , the resilience of the main body 12 tends to urge the legs 14 toward one another . preferably , the spacing between the two legs 14 is less than the spacing between the opposed sides of a tooth to be restored . with the use of a suitable pair of dental pliers , the user can manipulate the ring 10 to increase the distance between the legs 14 ( indicated by arrow a1 in fig1 ) so that the legs can be placed across the buccolingual width of the interproximal tooth area in question ( as seen in fig2 and 3 ) and the resilience of the main body 12 in conjunction with the bulbous tips 16 will maintain the device 10 in place and will also urge the retaining matrix into the correct shape . the invention is also directed to a matrix restoration system whereby multiple rings 10 can be utilized for a wide variety of restoration processes and complex restoration processes . experimentation has shown that rings having main body diameters of 0 . 675 &# 34 ;, 0 . 750 &# 34 ;, and 0 . 825 &# 34 ; ( inches ) are suitable for the most common applications . in addition , the system includes rings having legs of differing length . one ring would have legs of a first prescribed length and the second ring would have legs greater than the first length . with this structure , the rings can be stacked one upon another , as described below , for complex restoration processes . experimentation has shown that forming a first ring with legs which are 0 . 270 &# 34 ; in length and a second ring with legs which are 0 . 370 &# 34 ; ( inches ) in length are adaptable for a wide variety of restoration processes . the difference in leg length between the two rings can be as little as one millimeter and still achieve the overall advantages of the system . preferably , the spacing between the depending legs is 0 . 10 &# 34 ; ( inches ) with the dimensions being indicated at 24 in fig1 . in use in a restoration of an occlusoproximal cavity ( indicated at c in fig3 ) in a tooth , a matrix band 100 is fitted to and placed around the tooth t that is to be worked on . to insure that the hardened filling , whether of the amalgam or composite resin type is of the correct shape , i . e . insuring proper contact between the cavity containing tooth and its neighbor , the present invention is manipulated by either a tool , i . e . a rubber dam forceps , in the direction indicated by arrow a1 in fig1 spreading open the bulbous tips 16 and legs 14 so that the device 10 can be placed across the buccolingual width of the interproximal area of the two teeth , as can be clearly seen in fig2 and 3 . the resilience of the main body 12 both holds the device 10 in place and also urges the matrix band 100 into the proper shape at the interproximal area to ensure that the adjacent teeth will maintain proper contact with one another after the filling has hardened . to aid in the separation and approximate the gingival portion of the tooth during the dental restoration process , a wedge w may be placed in the interproximal area in addition to the depending converging legs 14 of the device 10 . the high frictional coefficient of the coating or sheath on the tip 16 is sufficient to prevent the inadvertent dislodgement of the device 10 . the utility of the differing lengths of the legs will now be discussed . referring to fig2 it can be seen that a pair of devices 10 can be superimposed that one with longer legs 14a can be placed on top of the one with shorter legs 14b . thus , as seen in fig3 if two interproximal carious tooth portions needed to be restored , the matrix 100 could be held at both interproximal areas to ensure proper fitting . it is contemplated even more of the retaining devices 10 could be used to allow for the dentist to perform three surface restorations at one time , both saving time , money , and patient discomfort . in the first embodiment seen in fig1 - 3 , the legs 14 are coated with a suitable polymeric material such as heat - resistant vinyl and the like . fig4 depicts another embodiment of the matrix retainer apparatus according to the invention . in this embodiment , the apparatus 30 comprises a retainer ring 32 having a pair of spaced apart ends 34 , 36 and a pair of downwardly extending tines or legs 38 , 40 . the legs 38 , 40 have a retainer member formed thereon to provide means for retaining the apparatus 30 on the tooth in the operative position . in this embodiment , the retainer member comprises a flattened head 42 , 44 formed on the distal ends of the legs 38 , 40 . the flattened heads can be formed by any number of conventional processes . preferably , the legs 38 , 40 taper inwardly so that the spacing between the proximal ends of the two legs 38 , 40 is greater than the spacing between the distal ends 42 , 44 of the two legs 38 , 40 . this structure can be important in proper positioning of the device 10 on the matrix band 100 and the tooth being restored . most teeth are bulbous in that the base is slightly narrower than the body of the tooth . the taper of the legs helps to accommodate the bulbous tooth structure and ensure that the distal ends of the device 10 tightly grip the matrix band 100 and hold it in place without interference from the body of the tooth . this creates an effective mechanical mounting of the device on the contoured tooth and matrix band . preferably , the angle of taper of the legs is 7 degrees . however , a taper in the range of 4 to 30 degrees will achieve the above - stated advantages . fig5 depicts a third embodiment of the matrix retainer apparatus according to the invention . in this embodiment , the retainer apparatus 50 comprises a retainer ring 52 with a pair of spaced apart ends 54 , 56 and a pair of tines or legs 58 , 60 depending from the ends 54 , 56 . in this embodiment , the retaining member comprises a roughened bulbous head 62 , 64 provided at the distal end of the legs 58 , 60 . preferably , the bulbous heads 62 , 64 are formed by depositing or melting metal on the end by soldering , welding or some other metal forming process . in addition , the exterior surface of the heads 62 , 64 are preferably roughened to enhance the coefficient of friction between the retaining member and the matrix band 100 when the apparatus 50 is in the operative position . the matrix retainer apparatus according to the invention shows several different embodiments of retaining members provided on the legs of the apparatus . it is to be understood that any means for mechanically or structurally increasing the coefficient of friction between the legs and the band 100 and / or tooth t fall within the scope of the invention . this system has been designed to adapt to various individual occlusal - gingival heights along with various buccolingual widths between molar - to - molar , molar - to - bicuspid , and primary - to - primary tooth contacts . the depending legs converging with one another allow for consistent placement about a wide variety of teeth without the concern that device could spring off . it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the sole embodiment described above , but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims .
a matrix retainer apparatus for dental restorations is formed from a resilient , substantially planar main body , a pair of fines extending from the ends of the main body and retention members provided on the tines . the retention members serve to increase the coefficient of friction between the matrix retainer and the tooth or tooth reconstruction element and avoid inadvertent removal of the retainer therefrom . the invention is also directed to a matrix retainer system composed of several matrix retainers adapted for a variety of complex applications .