Where can I buy the material to make bite plates?

I've built up an old metal Brilhart Levelair using epoxy putty and it 
actually feels great with a thin tooth cushion stuck on it - but it 
is a bit hard (and maybe abrasive?) for having your teeth directly on 
it.  I'm pretty happy with it like that and it makes me wonder why 
metal mouthpieces even need a bite plate when you could just use one 
of those tooth cushions on bare metal.

At the risk of laboring a point to death, I feel I should again point out that many epoxies contain nasties and are not really meant to come in contact with the mouth. I'll leave it at that unless someone wants me to dig up all the links.

Toby
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: wyznerd 
  To: MouthpieceWork@yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Sunday, July 11, 2004 9:35 AM
  Subject: [MouthpieceWork] bite plate substance


  Where can I buy the material to make bite plates?

  I've built up an old metal Brilhart Levelair using epoxy putty and it 
  actually feels great with a thin tooth cushion stuck on it - but it 
  is a bit hard (and maybe abrasive?) for having your teeth directly on 
  it.  I'm pretty happy with it like that and it makes me wonder why 
  metal mouthpieces even need a bite plate when you could just use one 
  of those tooth cushions on bare metal.



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Do a search of the Mouthpiece Work archives for "bite plate 
materials".  The thread starts at message 1671.

Maybe I didn't search the archives completely enough (I'm still new 
to this forum) but all I could find in the archives is workaround 
substances like epoxy (which I'm already using and worrying about the 
safty of).  Where can you get the actual bite plate substance that 
the mouthpiece mfg use?  

It seems like one of the websites (Phil Barone maybe?) should the 
mouthpiece process and one of the steps was "mixing the bite plate 
material" -- so I got it in my head that there was actually such a 
thing to be purchased. 

Many years ago when I first started making baffles I tried calling 
several adhesive companies to ask if their epoxy was safe to be 
inside the mouth and none of the companies I contacted could tell me. 
It is not something they (or at least the people I was able to get on 
the phone) knew or had ever tested.

I suppose the stuff dentists use to make retainers would be good.

In a nutshell: most epoxies contain plasticizers that are also hormone disrupters, such as Bisphenol A. There is a lot of controversy surrounding the whole question, with industry claiming they are safe (after all many food tins are lined with epoxy) and watchdog and consumer groups claiming they are not. The science can be read both ways: nothing conclusive but some definite warning signals. 

Baffles are one thing, since you usually do not come into oral contact with them unless you suck a lot of spit, but bite plates are quite another, as chems can leach out of the epoxy and into your mouth.

Stephen Howard contacted the makers of JB Weld, who used to say that their product was inert after it set, to ask about oral contact. They say that it is not recommended, although there are no specific warnings.

FYI dentist's epoxies and tooth sealants also contain Bisphenol and are under scrutiny...

FWIW,

Toby
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: wyznerd 
  To: MouthpieceWork@yahoogroups.com 
  Sent: Sunday, July 11, 2004 1:30 PM
  Subject: [MouthpieceWork] Re: bite plate substance


  Maybe I didn't search the archives completely enough (I'm still new 
  to this forum) but all I could find in the archives is workaround 
  substances like epoxy (which I'm already using and worrying about the 
  safty of).  Where can you get the actual bite plate substance that 
  the mouthpiece mfg use?  

  It seems like one of the websites (Phil Barone maybe?) should the 
  mouthpiece process and one of the steps was "mixing the bite plate 
  material" -- so I got it in my head that there was actually such a 
  thing to be purchased. 

  Many years ago when I first started making baffles I tried calling 
  several adhesive companies to ask if their epoxy was safe to be 
  inside the mouth and none of the companies I contacted could tell me. 
  It is not something they (or at least the people I was able to get on 
  the phone) knew or had ever tested.

  I suppose the stuff dentists use to make retainers would be good.



  Got a Mouthpiece Work question?  Send it to MouthpieceWork@yahoogroups.com

  Visit the site at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MouthpieceWork to see the Files, Photos and Bookmarks relating to Mouthpiece Work.

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I bought the horn from Jey Clark...the mouthpiece guy, when he was 
living in Santa Cruz, CA...he's in Berkeley now. The mouthpiece was 
in the case.

--- In MouthpieceWork@yahoogroups.com, "wyznerd" <blaineh@s...> wrote:
> Maybe I didn't search the archives completely enough (I'm still new 
> to this forum) but all I could find in the archives is workaround 
> substances like epoxy (which I'm already using and worrying about 
the 
> safty of).  Where can you get the actual bite plate substance that 
> the mouthpiece mfg use?  
> 
> It seems like one of the websites (Phil Barone maybe?) should the 
> mouthpiece process and one of the steps was "mixing the bite plate 
> material" -- so I got it in my head that there was actually such a 
> thing to be purchased. 
> 
> Many years ago when I first started making baffles I tried calling 
> several adhesive companies to ask if their epoxy was safe to be 
> inside the mouth and none of the companies I contacted could tell 
me. 
> It is not something they (or at least the people I was able to get 
on 
> the phone) knew or had ever tested.
> 
> I suppose the stuff dentists use to make retainers would be good.

If you search on "Bite Plate" and keep hitting "Next", you will see 
all the previous posts on the subject.

In post 366, Phil said:
>>>
From:  "Phil Barone" <PhilBarone@...> 
Date:  Wed Sep 11, 2002  1:03 am 
Subject:  Re: [MouthpieceWork] Digest Number 92
 
Mike, there's a lot of stuff you can use but I use Serfcote. Same 
stuff
Dukoff and Wolf Tayne uses. Phil 
<<<

I did a search and could not find "Serfcote" anywhere... but I did 
find "Surfcoat" a floor covering that might be the stuff.  There is a 
link to a site that has it in the Links - Tools and Materials section.

I have not tried it since it does not seem to be available in small 
quantities, only 5 gallon buckets.

I've been happy enough with the 2-part black Acrylic I purchased from 
McMaster-Carr.