Abstract: The present invention concerns an orthodontic appliance for accelerating the tooth aligning effect and shortening the treatment period, and has an object to provide an appliance which can bring about higher aligning effect than usual ways by giving vibration to tooth to be aligned to activate bone remodeling of the targeted tooth and the alveolar bone and enhance the shift of the tooth. This appliance includes a vibrating element and a dental mouthpiece having the vibrating element built therein. The provision of the vibrating element in the dental mouthpiece facilitates the application of vibration and handling, and continues the treatment safely even at home. The inner shape of the dental mouthpiece serves aligning treatment as well as acceleration of the effect.

Abstract: The present invention concerns an orthodontic appliance for accelerating the tooth aligning effect and shortening the treatment period, and has an object to provide an appliance which can bring about higher aligning effect than usual ways by giving vibration to tooth to be aligned to activate bone remodeling of the targeted tooth and the alveolar bone and enhance the shift of the tooth. This appliance includes a vibrating element and a dental mouthpiece having the vibrating element built therein. The provision of the vibrating element in the dental mouthpiece facilitates the application of vibration and handling, and continues the treatment safely even at home. The inner shape of the dental mouthpiece serves aligning treatment as well as acceleration of the effect.

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide an orthodontic appliance capable of efficiently applying vibration to teeth to be aligned and enabling a treatment to be easily and safely continued even at home. This appliance is provided with a load applying mechanism and a vibration generating actuator. The load applying mechanism is mounted on teeth to apply a load for the malocclusion correction to a specified tooth in the teeth. The vibration generating actuator includes a contact portion that is inserted into a buccal cavity containing the teeth and can come into contact with a part of the load applying mechanism corresponding to the specified tooth or the specified tooth, and applies a vibration force from the contact portion to the specified tooth or the part of the load applying mechanism.

Abstract: A self-ligating orthodontic bracket for captivating an archwire with a tooth. The bracket includes a bracket body mountable to a tooth and a self-ligating mechanism having an archwire slot and a ligating slide. The ligating slide is movable between an open position in which an archwire is insertable into the archwire slot and a closed position in which the archwire is retained in the archwire slot. The bracket body may be formed from a non-metallic material, such as a polymer, a filled polymer composite, or a ceramic, and the self-ligating mechanism may be formed from a metal. The bracket may include a resilient engagement member with a detent positioned to engage an aperture or throughhole extending through the ligating slide when the ligating slide is in the closed position.

Abstract: A device for difficult intervention in a closed enclosure, having an enclosure connected to the closed enclosure via a duct, a piston that can be moved by a motor, a geometry allowing a contact with the outside air when the piston occupies a certain position within the enclosure in order to generate a sudden release of pressure, and an outlet valve remaining closed when the piston increases the volume of the enclosure so as to cause the pressure reduction within the enclosures.

Abstract: A high-speed turbine dental drill handpiece has a drilling needle, a wind wheel axle, a head housing having an annular opening with a two-step profile shape, and a suckback prevention device. The suckback prevention device includes an elastic bowl-shaped axle shroud coupled to an annular skeleton that are buckled in an inner step of the head housing and an annular screw connected to the outer step of the head housing (or retaining of the elastic bowl-shaped axle shroud. An eyelet for the drilling needle is set at the center of the elastic bowl-shaped axle shroud, the diameter of the eyelet being slightly larger than that of the drilling needle.

Abstract: A dental model tray (12) for use in forming a dental model has a rigid bottom wall (16) and a relatively thin side wall (17) extending upwardly from the perimeter of the bottom wall (16) to form an open-topped cavity which is adapted to receive the dental casting material. The bottom wall (16) and the side wall (17) are formed integrally of polymeric material, with the side wall (17) being joined to or attached to the bottom wall (16) by a thin membrane-like connector member (19) that is formed integrally with the perimeter of the bottom wall (16) and a lower side edge of the side wall (17). The connector member (19) is frangible and easily broken so that the side wall (17) can be torn away from the base and discarded after dental casting material has hardened in the cavity formed by the side wall (17). The dental model tray (12) further includes an ell-shaped articulator member (13,14) that extends from a back side of the bottom wall (16).

Abstract: Endodontic instruments for use in performing root canal therapy on a tooth are disclosed. In one form, the instruments include an elongate shank having a cutting edge extending from a distal end of the shank along an axial length of the shank. The shank comprises a titanium alloy, and the shank is prepared by heat-treating the shank at a temperature above 25° C. in an atmosphere consisting essentially of a gas unreactive with the shank. In another form, the endodontic instruments have an elongate shank having a cutting edge extending from a distal end of the shank along an axial length of the shank. The shank consists essentially of a titanium alloy selected from alpha-titanium alloys, beta-titanium alloys, and alpha-beta-titanium alloys. The instruments solve the problems encountered when cleaning and enlarging a curved root canal.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus fit a set of upper and lower teeth in a masticatory system by generating a computer representation of the masticatory system and computing an occlusion based on interactions in the computer representation of the masticatory system.

Abstract: Endodontic instruments for use in performing root canal therapy on a tooth are disclosed. In one form, the instruments include an elongate shank having a cutting edge extending from a distal end of the shank along an axial length of the shank. The shank comprises a titanium alloy, and the shank is prepared by heat-treating the shank at a temperature above 25° C. in an atmosphere consisting essentially of a gas unreactive with the shank. In another form, the endodontic instruments have an elongate shank having a cutting edge extending from a distal end of the shank along an axial length of the shank. The shank consists essentially of a titanium alloy selected from alpha-titanium alloys, beta-titanium alloys, and alpha-beta-titanium alloys. The instruments solve the problems encountered when cleaning and enlarging a curved root canal.

Abstract: The application of a dental material to a site in the oral cavity includes the application of vibrational energy and heat to the dental material in order to substantially impart a preselected or desired viscosity to the dental material.

Abstract: There are disclosed methods for the restoration of a decayed portion of a tooth, and interdental matrix stabilizers that can be used in the methods. The matrix stabilizer includes an elongated elastic body having a first end portion, a second opposite end portion, a middle portion connecting the first end portion and the second end portion. The middle portion includes a first section attached to the first end portion, a first intermediate section attached to a central section and the first section, a second intermediate section attached to the central section opposite the first end portion, and a second section attached to the second intermediate section and the second end portion. The first side surface of the body includes a curved outwardly extending protrusion on the first intermediate section and a curved outwardly extending protrusion on the second intermediate section. The protrusions stabilize a dental matrix.

Abstract: A dental implant for a patient includes an anchoring part to anchor the dental implant in the bone and an abutment that is designed for fixation of a crown or similar supraconstruction and is or can be connected to the anchoring part. The anchoring part and the abutment are manufactured on a zirconium-oxide basis. The anchoring part and the abutment have special sections corresponding to the individual dimensions of the patient's bone and/or gums, said sections comprising a roughened surface designed to promote bone fusion. The special sections are produced on the green compact before the latter is finally sintered.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed to prevent interference between two physical tooth models in a physical dental arch model by acquiring the coordinates of a plurality of points on the surfaces of each of the two physical tooth models and digitally representing the surfaces of each of the two physical tooth models by a mesh of points in three dimensions using the acquired coordinates. The meshes representing the surfaces of the two physical tooth models intersect at least at one point to form an overlapping portion. The method also includes calculating the depth of the overlapping portion between the two meshes to quantify the interference of the two physical tooth models.

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods, systems, kits and devices that emit light to the oral cavity. The device includes a light source; a power source in electrical communication with the light source; and a bite actuated switch in electrical communication with the power source and the light source. The device is a size or shape that fits within an oral cavity of an individual. Since the device along with the light and power source are self contained, the user have their hands-free and can perform other activities while using the device. The device, methods, systems, and kits, further include the use of an agent (e.g., antibacterial agents, tooth whitening agents, cleaning agents) that assists or enhances the efficacy of the light therapy.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a rapid prototype overmold for locating a dental implant analog in a modified stone model for use in creating a tooth prosthesis is provided. An impression of a mouth having a first installation site that has a dental implant and a gingival healing abutment with at least one informational marker installed is taken. A stone model based on the impression is prepared. The model is scanned. A three-dimensional computer model of the installation site on a CAD program using data from the scan is created. The at least one informational marker is determined to gather information about the location of the dental implant. Abutment dimensional information based on the three-dimensional image and the at least one informational marker is developed. Overmold rapid prototype dimensional information based on the three-dimensional image is developed. The overmold rapid prototype adapted to fit over the modified stone model is fabricated.