Abstract: An inter dental device which is a tooth cleaner and gum massager which cleans the area between anterior and posterior teeth, comprising a handle and a stem and flanges and a tip which is grooved or twisted in a spiral pattern, and the flanges extending from a central stem are arranged in a spiral pattern which is continuous with the spiral pattern of the grooves of the tip. This device also may serve as a delivery device which holds and delivers substances to the area between teeth, and does not remove said substances as the device is withdrawn.

Abstract: Method and kit for producing implant drilling guides positioned at the proper orientation to avoid inadvertent damage to critical regions of the patient's jaw when drilling to place dental implant screws. The method works by placing a small post device with x-ray visible depth markers in the root socket of the patient's tooth immediately after tooth extraction. The post device may additionally be configured to guide the drill at a position and angle that is different from that of the original tooth socket. This post device is used to construct a removable guide that anchors to the patient's adjacent teeth, and preserves the location and orientation of the extracted tooth root. Once the root socket is filled in with new bone, the guide, in conjunction with the X-ray post depth information, can be used to direct drilling along the same route as the old tooth root, thus avoiding critical structures.

Abstract: A casting abutment for a dental implant comprising: an apical socket portion, a transition portion bordering coronally on the socket portion, an occlusal portion bordering coronally on the transition portion and having an apical lower rim, wherein the occlusal portion, starting from its lower rim, is provided on its peripheral surface with an area having indentations, whose crests face the transition portion.

Abstract: An adjustable angle adapter for a prophy angle comprises a nose, a rotating member, a body, a shaft, a multi-axis rotation joint, and an outer joint. The nose is configured to receive a portion of the prophy angle. The rotating member is positioned within the nose. The body is adjustably connected to the nose. The shaft is positioned within the body. The multi-axis rotation joint connects the shaft to the rotating member. The outer joint includes a ball portion connected to one of the body and the nose, and a ball receiver connected to an other of the body and the nose. The nose is configured to pivot relative to the body into at least a first configuration and a second configuration.

Abstract: To anchor a fixture in a jaw bone, the fixture is applied in a hole which is substantially smaller than the diameter of the fixture. The fixture has a front portion which from the point of view of diameter grows very much narrower and which is arranged with both a cutting function and a threading function. The fixture is provided with a thread, with one, two or more thread turns extending down along the greatly narrowing portion while substantially maintaining their thread profile. One or more porous layers arranged on the thread turns can also be included. In this way the fixture can exploit the clamping effect from the soft parts of the jaw bone and still effectively penetrate through any hard parts possibly present in the jaw bone, without these hard parts being pressed inward upon fixture application. An effective fusion of the fixture in the jaw bone is achieved with the aid of said porous outer layers.

Abstract: The present invention provides a dental prophylaxis angle that includes a housing, a rotor disposed in the housing, and a drive shaft driving the rotor. The drive shaft and the rotor operate together with a sidewall of the housing against a common surface of the rotor to prevent removal of the rotor from the housing in a direction along an axis of rotation of the rotor.

Abstract: A dental implantation system is provided, comprising an implantation device adapted to prepare a site within a mouth of a patient for receiving a dental implant. A guidance device is operably engaged with the implantation device and is adapted to operably engage the mouth of the patient. The engagement between the guidance device and the mouth of the patient provides a fiducial marker for guiding the implantation device to prepare the site for receiving the dental implant. An associated method of implanting a dental implant, and associated devices, are also provided.

Abstract: An ultrasound dental treatment appliance having a surgical handpiece (220) fitted with a transducer connected to an ultrasound generator (230), the handpiece being designed to receive ultrasound tips (210) that are mechanically coupled to the transducer and that operate in different ultrasound wave power and amplitude ranges. The dental treatment appliance includes elements (224, 225), e.g. optical elements, for automatically detecting the utilization power and amplitude range of the tip (210) mounted on the handpiece, and a processor for automatically setting the ultrasound generator to the detected power and amplitude range.

Abstract: A dental implant system including a dental implant having an apical end, a top end, an anchoring portion adjacent the apical end. The dental implant is adapted to engage bone and has an axial length. The dental implant has an internally threaded opening of a predetermined depth accessible from the top end of the dental implant. The system includes an abutment receiving portion adjacent the top end for receiving an abutment. The system also includes an annular shoulder formed between the anchoring portion and the abutment receiving portion. The system also has an implant abutment having a peripheral wall and a central axial bore extending through the abutment.

Abstract: An adjustable angle adapter for a prophy angle comprises a nose, a rotating member, a body, a shaft, a pivot, and a multi-axis rotation joint. The nose is configured to receive a portion of a prophy angle. The rotating member is positioned within the nose. The body is adjustably connected to the nose. The shaft is positioned within the body. The pivot connects the body to the nose and includes a groove configured for a ball bearing that is passed through a channel formed within the pivot and the body. Also, the channel is parallel to the rotational axis of the shaft. The multi-axis rotation joint connects the shaft to the rotating member. The nose is rotatable relative to the body into a first configuration and a second configuration.

Abstract: A dental implant device for insertion into bone includes an implant anchor having an interlocking thread helically defined around a longitudinal axis, the thread being adapted to couple to a female threaded portion in a bone. The interlocking thread has a first superior contact surface having a first angle relative to the longitudinal axis, a second superior contact surface extending radially outward from the first contact surface and having a second angle relative to the axis, and an inferior flank surface having a third angle relative to the axis. The first angle is larger than the second angle such that the first contact surface and the second contact surface form an approximate “V” or chevron shape in a cross-sectional view. The first angle is larger than the third angle.

Abstract: A dental tool including a dental prophy angle and a dental prophy angle adapter is provided. A dental prophy angle includes a housing and a rotor. The dental prophy angle adapter can include a drive shaft with a tip. The drive shaft of the adapter can be coupled to a gear at the same end of the tip with the rotor of the prophy angle being configured to receive the tip. Further, a slidable sleeve can extend over a portion of the drift shaft so that the slidable sleeve becomes automatically retracted upon engaging a shoulder of the housing resulting in the gear of the drive shaft being positioned beyond the end of the slidable sleeve.

Abstract: A magnetic device includes a cylindrical portion and a flange portion. The cylindrical portion is mounted with a cylindrical shaped flexible sleeve. The sleeve is axially longer than the cylindrical portion and includes an outer peripheral concavo-convex portion. When one end of the sleeve is abutted on a flange portion, the other end of the sleeve is projected above an attractive surface to form a keeper housing recess. The sleeve is relatively moved in an axial direction of the magnetic device to be inserted into and removed from a top end of the cylindrical portion. The magnetic device is used under condition the sleeve is fitted, an outer side surface of the magnetic device including the outer peripheral concavo-convex portion of the sleeve and the flange portion abutted on the one end of the sleeve is embedded in a denture base, and the keeper housing recess is exposed.

Abstract: According to a present invention embodiment, a dental appliance maintains a patient mouth in an open state, retracts tissue, and evacuates bodily and/or other fluids from a dental site. The dental appliance includes an elongated tube configured with a looped section. The elongated tube is flexible, where the looped section is adjustable and manipulated to enable the dental appliance to accommodate mouths of various dental patients. Further, the looped section is resilient in order to maintain the patient mouth in an open state for dental procedures. In addition, the elongated tube includes perforations to remove bodily or other fluids from the patient mouth. A vacuum or suction device is coupled to an end of the elongated tube, where suction is applied to the tube to draw bodily or other fluids from the patient mouth through the perforations and remove these fluids from a dental site.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for the efficient, safe, and hygienic removing of removable tooth positioning appliances such as aligners or other dental appliances from the teeth of a patient. A straight rigid barrel has a lever appendage on the proximal end for fully engaging and removing a lower aligner and a hook appendage on the distal end for fully engaging and removing an upper aligner.

Abstract: A method and kit for producing implant drilling guides positioned at the proper angle and orientation so as to avoid inadvertent damage to critical regions of the patient's jaw when drilling to place dental implant screws. The method works by placing a small post with x-ray visible depth markers in the root of the patient's tooth immediately after tooth extraction. This post, along with guideblocks, optional washers, reduction or expansion guides, and rapidly hardening guide materials (such as acrylics or thermosetting materials) is used to construct a removable guide that anchors to the patient's adjacent teeth, and preserves the location and orientation of the extracted tooth root. Once the root is filled in with new bone, the guide, in conjunction with the X-ray post depth information, can be used to direct drilling along the same route as the old tooth root, thus avoiding critical structures.

Abstract: An oil-free aqueous lecithin composition is suitable as a release agent and lubricant for dental procedures. Layered between a first entity and a second entity during a dental procedure, the composition promotes ready separation of the first entity from the second entity as needed in the procedure.

Abstract: A dental implement that includes a biasing ring and a pair of opposing tines. The biasing ring includes a substantially hoop-like configuration terminating at two opposing ends which are spaced apart from each other a distance. The pair of opposing tines extend inwardly from each of the two ends of the biasing ring toward each other. Each of the pair of opposing tines is coupled to the respective opposing end about a central region thereof and extends radially outwardly therefrom. Each tine includes a front face having opposing sides, a top end and a bottom end. The front face is defined by two inwardly inclined surfaces which start at the opposing sides and incline inwardly toward each other and intersect to form a peak that extends at least partially between the top end and the bottom end of the front face. The peaks of the opposing tine assemblies face each other.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device for the automated production of dental workpieces. A blank is inserted in a substantially slab-shaped support of the device, said support being dimensioned such that the blank does not extend beyond it in any direction. The blank is linked with corresponding inner walls of a recess provided in the support only on two opposite faces while a gap is left between the other inner walls of the recess and the corresponding faces of the blank. The inventive design allows to avoid tensions and microcracks of the blank material thereby caused. The gaps further make the blank directly accessible for a lateral working by the milling tool.

Abstract: A dental prosthesis comprises an implant, an abutment and a crown. The implant has distal and proximal portions with the implant proximal portion including distal and proximal segments. The implant proximal segment has an outer surface. The abutment has distal and proximal segments and defines an abutment shoulder therebetween. The abutment shoulder is configured to circumferentially engage the outer surface of the implant proximal segment such that an implant abutment joint is defined therebetween. The crown is configured to be positioned over the abutment and the implant such that the crown covers the implant abutment joint. The implant proximal segment has an annular concave cross-section such that the crown distal end has a rounded shape to reduce the potential for stress cracking of the crown.