Abstract: A dental tool or instrument having a shank located adjacent a first end thereof and a working area located adjacent an opposite second end. At least one elongate cut is formed along the working area and a memorized shape, having at least one protrusion, is formed in the working area. The dental tool or instrument is manufactured from a nitinol wire which initially has a transition temperature that is below room temperature, while the dental tool or instrument, following manufacture, has a final transition temperature of about 90.5±4 degrees Fahrenheit (i.e., 32.5±3 degrees Celsius). When the dental tool or instrument is at a temperature below its final transition temperature, the dental tool instrument is moldable to facilitate insertion into a root canal, but as soon as the dental tool or instrument is at or above the final transition temperature, the dental tool instrument automatically adopts the memorized shape.

Abstract: An endodontic instrument (10) for preparing a tooth of a patient, in particular an instrument for cleaning the root canal that follows the natural geometry of the canal. The instrument (10) comprises a rigid tip (11) arranged to be mounted on a rotating support (102) of an apparatus (103), known as a contra-angle, and a working sector (12). The working sector (12) comprises a free end section (13) which is arranged to engage in the root canal (101). The working sector (12) is composed of a first essentially straight active segment (14) disposed in the extension of the rigid tip (11), and at least one second active segment (15) comprising the free end section (13). In the static state, the second active segment (15) is substantially straight and, in the dynamic state, the second active segment (15) has a curved shape.

Abstract: A method of forming a dental tool or instrument having a memorized shape. The method comprises selecting a nitinol wire having an initial transition temperature below room temperature; grinding the nitinol wire to form the dental tool or instrument so as to have a shank, located adjacent a first end, and a working area, with at least one cutting edge, located adjacent an opposite second leading end; molding the working area into a molded shape having at least one protrusion formed therein; heating the dental tool or instrument to both: a) alter the initial transition temperature of the dental tool or instrument to a final transition temperature, and b) memorize the Molded shape including the at least one protrusion so that the dental tool or instrument will automatically return to the molded shape having the at least one protrusion when at a temperature at or above the final transition temperature.

Abstract: A method of forming a dental tool or instrument having a memorized shape. The method comprises selecting a nitinol wire having an initial transition temperature below room temperature; grinding the nitinol wire to form the dental tool or instrument so as to have a shank, located adjacent a first end, and a working area, with at least one cutting edge, located adjacent an opposite second leading end; molding the working area into a molded shape having at least one protrusion formed therein; heating the dental tool or instrument to both: a) alter the initial transition temperature of the dental tool or instrument to a final transition temperature, and b) memorize the molded shape including the at least one protrusion so that the dental tool or instrument will automatically return to the molded shape having the at least one protrusion when at a temperature at or above the final transition temperature.

Abstract: A method of forming a dental tool or instrument having a memorized shape. The method comprises selecting a nitinol wire having an initial transition temperature below room temperature; grinding the nitinol wire to form the dental tool or instrument so as to have a shank, located adjacent a first end, and a working area, with at least one cutting edge, located adjacent an opposite second leading end; molding the working area into a molded shape having at least one protrusion formed therein; heating the dental tool or instrument to both: a) alter the initial transition temperature of the dental tool or instrument to a final transition temperature, and b) memorize the Molded shape including the at least one protrusion so that the dental tool or instrument will automatically return to the molded shape having the at least one protrusion when at a temperature at or above the final transition temperature.

Abstract: An endodontic instrument for drilling the root canals of a tooth. The instrument comprises a working area for forming and/or shaping and/or cutting the wall of the root canal of the tooth. The working area is provided with a supporting endpiece that can be attached to a manual or mechanically driven mounting. The working area is arranged so as to assume a stowed configuration when the instrument is in an inoperative position to the working position, and vice versa, being cause by a predetermined variation in the temperature of the instrument. To this end, the working area is made from a wire of a metal alloy having shape-memory properties or particular elasticity properties.

Abstract: A method and device for monitoring and identifying a medical instrument, capable of being incorporated in the instrument itself, and provided with the sufficient storage capacity to store all the data relative to the use of the instrument. The device for monitoring and identifying the medical instrument (10) includes an electronic component (14) integrated in the grip (11) of the instrument. The electronic component is an electronic label comprising an integrated circuit including a storage unit containing variable data based on the use of the instrument (10) and a way for writing and/or modifying and reading the data. The electronic label communicates, via radio frequency, with the software of a motor driving the instrument and via a read/write interface module to allow the software to monitor the motor based on a cyclic fatigue value of the odontological instrument.

Abstract: The invention concerns a drilling instrument (10), in particular for drilling dental root canals comprising a base (11) and a guide section (13) as well as a polygonal cutting section (12). Said cutting section includes several helical cutting edges (17) defining an envelope (15). The flutes (14), which are the surfaces linking in the cutting edges, are cut out such that part of them define clearance zones (16a) alternately arranged between the drilling zones (16b). In the central part of a clearance zone (16a), the cutting edges (17) are all arranged recessed inside the envelope (15), in the central part of the drilling zone (16b), said cutting edges are all arranged on the envelope, and in a zone intermediate between a clearance zone (16a) and an adjacent drilling zone (16b), at least one cutting edge is on the envelope and at least one cutting edge is recesses inside the envelope.

Abstract: The invention concerns a drilling instrument (10), in particular for drilling dental root canals comprising a base (11) and a guide section (13) as well as a polygonal cutting section (12). Said cutting section includes several helical cutting edges (17) defining an envelope (15). The flutes (14), which are the surfaces linking in the cutting edges, are cut out such that part of them define clearance zones (16a) alternately arranged between the drilling zones (16b). In the central part of a clearance zone (16a), the cutting edges (17) are all arranged recessed inside the envelope (15), in the central part of the drilling zone (16b), said cutting edges are all arranged on the envelope, and in a zone intermediate between a clearance zone (16a) and an adjacent drilling zone (16b), at least one cutting edge is on the envelope and at least one cutting edge is recesses inside the envelope.

Abstract: The invention concerns a device comprising a mechanism for indicating a value representing current fatigue and devices for modifying the value based on parameters related to the use of the odontological instrument. In a particular embodiment, the devices indicating the fatigue value comprises a washer (16) connected to the instrument and provided with a certain predetermined number of detachable elements or pre-perforations (17). Depending on the use of the instrument, for example, its diameter, its taper ratio, the curve of the dental canal to be excavated and the duration of the operation, a certain number of detachable elements are removed or a certain number of pre-perforations are perforated (17′). When the number of detachable elements or the number of pre-perforations (17) remaining on the device is less than the number of elements to be detached or perforated on the basis of the predetermined operational parameters, the odontological instrument should no longer be used.