Abstract: A dental implant system has an implant member, an abutment member and a transfer key with cooperatively engaging structures for aligning and orienting an abutment assembled on the implant member and for preparing a dental impression and mold which represents the implantation site and its relationship to adjacent teeth structures. The dental implant system includes an O-ring type abutment assembly with a reduced footprint, a surgical screw and bone screw insertion tool, a healing abutment that need not be removed during an impression taking procedure, and an implant coding system for selecting and identifying dental implants and implant analogs.

Abstract: An orthodontic bracket mountable on a tooth for use in retraction mechanics to facilitate movement of teeth along an arch, which includes an archwire-receiving member rotatably mounted on a base and structured to freely rotate when tipping a tooth during sliding of the bracket along an archwire thereby minimizing friction between the archwire and bracket to significantly decrease the required retraction force, and treatment time, thereby minimizing the possibility of root resorption and maintaining the integrity of the root and surrounding bone. A locking pin for locking the member against rotation is employed when uprighting the tooth from a tipped position.

Abstract: A pinless dental articulator includes a work tray, a retention pocket, and a monorail formed by a plurality of upwardly tapering cylinders which allow jelly or stone to slide out of the retention pocket when the work tray is turned upside down. The work tray has a ledge which stabilizes a rotatable arm that retains the jelly or stone in the retention pocket. A method of using the articulator includes the steps of installing the locking arm onto the stabilizing ledge of the work tray, rotating the locking arm into a closed position on the stabilizing ledge, pouring jelly into the retention pocket, installing a height-adjusting post in the work tray, tightening a fastener against the post in order to keep the post in an upright position, and placing a small tray with at least one negative tooth impression on top of the jelly.

Abstract: A dental system comprises a dental prophy angle and an adapter. The prophy angle includes a housing and a latch mechanism. The adapter is configured to drive the prophy angle. The latch mechanism includes a lever and a first latch element, which are both defined by a pair of opposing U-shaped slots within the housing, such that free ends of one of the pair of opposing U-shaped slots are disposed between free ends of the other of the pair of opposing U-shaped slots. The adapter includes a nose having a second latch element and a depression proximate to the second latch element. Upon the first latch element mating with the second latch element, the depression is positioned adjacent the lever.

Abstract: An appliance fabricated to improve the appearance of a patient's smile includes a plurality of simulated teeth. The interior surfaces of each of the teeth closely fits and conforms to the surface of a patient's real teeth while the outer surfaces of each of the simulated teeth has an ideal surface configuration. The dental appliance provides the patient with the appearance of a perfect set of teeth and an ideal smile without a need to alter the dental structure of the patient's teeth.

Abstract: A set of endodontic instrument adapted to remove material from walls of a root canal having a working portion with a relatively short working length. A substantially untapered nonworking portion of the instrument shaft with substantially parallel sidewalls and a diameter substantially the same as the diameter of the proximal end of the working portion extends from adjacent a proximal end of the working portion to the proximal end of the shaft. The working portions of the set of instruments have relatively small, slowly progressing taper rates.

Abstract: A self ligating orthodontic bracket system includes a bracket, a slidable ligating member and at least one wedge locking ramp. The bracket includes an archwire slot defined therein, which is configured to receive an archwire therein. The ligating member slides along a slide path defined on the bracket and which extends transverse relative to the archwire slot. The wedge locking ramp is disposed on the slide path, wherein the wedge locking ramp is configured to deflect the ligating member vertically upward and away from an upper surface of the slide path, and over the wedge locking ramp when the ligating member travels along the slide path from an unlocked position to a locked position. The archwire is securely retained in the archwire slot when the ligating member is in the locked position.

Abstract: An oral irrigator has a pump, a discharge nozzle and a pressure control. The pump has a generally constant operating speed and feeds the discharge nozzle. The pressure control is adapted to modify a discharge pressure at the nozzle without a significant change in pump speed. The pressure control modifies a level of fluid flow restriction between the pump and the nozzle. The modification of the level of fluid flow restriction is accomplished by modifying aspects of a fluid flow path extending through the pressure control. The aspects modified include the diameter, length and/or number of direction changes of the fluid flow path.

Abstract: An endodontic instrument with an elongate shaft and a plurality of inverted frusto-conical sections with radial cutting edge disposed along a working portion of the shaft.

Abstract: The oral retractor is provided for retracting at least a portion of a patient's mouth. The oral retractor is formed from single, continuous closed-loop strand of stainless steel wire. The oral retractor includes a superior lip-engaging portion for retracting the patient's upper lip away from the upper teeth and gums, and an inferior lip-engaging portion for retracting the patient's lower lip away from the patient's lower teeth and gums. Bilateral arcuate cheek-engaging portions extend posteriorly from the lip-engaging portions for retracting the patient's cheeks away from the teeth and gums. The lip-engaging portions are formed from linear portions defining tented arches that extend anteriorly, and the superior lip-engaging portion may be canted upward, while the inferior lip-engaging portion may be canted downward. The cheek-engaging portions may be substantially parabolic. The retractor may be substantially symmetrical about planes bisecting the retractor vertically and horizontally.

Abstract: An orthodontic bracket mountable on a tooth for use in retraction mechanics to facilitate movement of teeth along an arch, which includes an archwire-receiving member rotatably mounted on a base and structured to freely rotate when tipping a tooth during sliding of the bracket along an archwire thereby minimizing friction between the archwire and bracket to significantly decrease the required retraction force, and treatment time, thereby minimizing the possibility of root resorption and maintaining the integrity of the root and surrounding bone. A locking mechanism for locking the member against rotation is employed when uprighting the tooth from a tipped position.

Abstract: The present invention provides a dental prophylaxis angle that includes a housing, a drive shaft, and a rotor. The housing may define a first bore and a second bore in communication with the first bore. The drive shaft is positionable in the first bore and may include a distal bearing surface. The rotor is positionable in the second bore and can be driven by the drive shaft. Further, the rotor rotates about a first axis. The second bore can further include a side surface, a plane perpendicular to the first axis that intersects both the side surface and the distal bearing surface. The drive shaft and the side surface of the second bore can operate together, against a common surface of the rotor, to prevent removal of the rotor from the second bore in a direction along the first axis.

Abstract: A prophy device incorporating a shaft and one or more corrugated members eliminates the need for plastic gears. The corrugated members effectively transfer rotational energy from a shaft to an applicator. In another version, a flexible paste chamber contains polish within a housing of the device. A difference between a rotational speed at a front of the paste chamber and rear of the chamber causes the flexible chamber to contract on itself thereby automatically forcing polish from the chamber and into a polish applicator. A rod extending through a paste chamber includes openings for contents to exit. The rod has one end in contact with a drive disk and a second end in contact with a front disk such that the ends of the rod are maintained substantially in place by the drive disk and front disk, respectively, but remain rotatably independent relative to the drive disk and front disk.

Abstract: A combination retractor includes an operational unit, a neck region and a handle region. The operational unit further includes a tongue retractor and a flap retractor. The tongue retractor may be concave to provide for a natural area to encapsulate the tongue. The tongue and flap retractors may also be provided as part of a continuous planar extension of the operational unit or may be disposed on different planes. The flap retractor may be formed of a tapered extended edge or tab, which can be made in various lengths and include a beveled edge. A suction mechanism may be added for eliminating fluids. The neck region may contain an S-shaped bend or lateral bends for better operative functionality and ergonomics. The proximal end of the handle region, opposite the operational unit, may further include any useful apparatus, such as a periosteal elevator or periosteal retractor.

Abstract: A positioning method for orthodontic appliance and structure, mainly provided with base units molded by plastic injection. During the fabricating process, a crossed reference line is first drawn on a dental mold of the patient, after heating, the orthodontic appliance is embedded to the base unit, and a flexible member is used to bind and fixedly position the orthodontic appliance. Each of the aforementioned base units together with the orthodontic appliance is attached to the dental mold, and then light curing composite resin is attached to each of the base units. Accordingly, after applying an adhesive layer to each of the orthodontic appliances, each of the series connected base units together with the orthodontic appliances bound to the base units is directly attached to the respective teeth portion of the patient requiring straightening, thereby enabling fitting of orthodontic appliances to be more convenient and providing a more efficient fabricating process.

Abstract: An artificial tooth apparatus for dispensing medicating agents to the body through the patient's jaw bone comprising a mechanical movement and kinetic mainspring winder, a tourbillon mechanism, a electronic regulator, and a pump mechanism arranged and configured to allow any medicating agent to be dispensed from the apparatus in a highly controlled and regulated manner according to input received by the electronic regulator and the patient's specific pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic attributes. Multiple artificial teeth or a comprehensive bridge with several chambers may be used in cases where a polypharmaceutical approach is needed.

Abstract: Techniques are described for providing an environment for modeling and depicting a three-dimensional (3D) representation of a patient's dental arch to assist practitioners in orthodontic diagnosis and treatment. A system is described, for example, that includes modeling software executing on a computing device to provide a three-dimensional (3D) environment. The modeling software includes a rendering engine that renders a digital representation of a dental arch within the 3D environment, and a user interface that displays a planar guide within the 3D environment as a visual aid to a practitioner in the placement of an orthodontic appliance relative to the dental arch. By interacting with the system, orthodontic practitioners are able to visualize the 3D representation of the dental arch, and precisely position “virtual” orthodontic appliances relative to the modeled dental arch.

Abstract: A method and instrument for removing material from an internal portion of a tooth wherein the tool used to remove the material includes an elongate shaft extending from a first end to a second end; a cutting surface extending along a working portion of the elongate shaft; a handle attached to the first end of the elongate shaft, the handle including a first end and a second end; a projection attached to the elongate shaft and extending around a portion of the perimeter of the shaft substantially adjacent to the first end of the handle, wherein the projection provides a barrier to prevent a user's fingers from moving beyond the handle directly onto the elongate shaft.

Abstract: An elongated flexible dental strip includes front and rear surfaces defining a thickness therebetween. The strip also includes first and second edges defining a lateral width therebetween. A first portion of the strip further is spaced from a second portion along the length of the strip, wherein the thickness of the first portion is different from the thickness of the second portion. The strip has a constant thickness across a lateral width defined between the first and second edges.

Abstract: Embodiments are provided for utilizing metallic portions in dental positioning appliances. One embodiment includes a removable dental positioning appliance having a shell having one or more cavities shaped to receive and reposition one or more teeth from a first orientation to a successive orientation and where at least a portion of the shell is formed from a metallic mesh material.