Abstract: A plastic, disposable, easy-to-assemble dental angle is provided. The angle includes a one-piece hollow body having a head at its front end which is angled with respect to the body. Both the head and the body have a bore therethrough. The head has an aperture which is centered with respect to the bore of the body to allow insertion of a drive gear through the head of the angle. A driven gear is inserted in the head from above. A snap cap fits within the head over the driven gear to lock both the drive gear and the driven gear in the angle. A sheath on the cap covers the aperture. A latch on the cap is received in the aperture to lock the cap to the head to hold the angle together. An elongated slot in the body permits the body to be force-fit on a dental handpiece.

Abstract: A plastic, disposable, easy-to-assemble dental angle is provided. The angle includes a one-piece hollow body having a head at its front end which is angled with respect to the body. Both the head and the body have a bore therethrough. The head has an aperture which is centered with respect to the bore of the body to allow insertion of a drive gear through the head of the angle. A driven gear is inserted in the head from above. A snap cap fits within the head over the driven gear to lock both the drive gear and the driven gear in the angle. A sheath on the cap covers the aperture. A latch on the cap is received in the aperture to lock the cap to the head to hold the angle together. An elongated slot in the body permits the body to be force-fit on a dental handpiece.

Abstract: A dental scaler is provided which has a control unit and a handpiece assembly linked to the control unit by a conduit carrying fluid and electrical power. The handpiece assembly includes a conduit connector secured to an end of the conduit remote from the control unit and an autoclavable handpiece removably securable to the conduit connector. The connector and handpiece have slidably connectable bodies, each having mating fluid and electrical connectors. The handpiece connector body includes a check valve to prevent rearward flow of water. The conduit connector body includes a check valve and a double fluid tight seal. The use of the two check valves and two seals reduces the possibility of fluid leaking from the back of the handpiece or from the connector. The conduit connector body is received in a sleeve of the handpiece. The connector has a finger which is received in an axial slot of the handpiece sleeve.

Abstract: A prophylaxis cup is provided to be used with a dental prophylaxis angle. The cup includes an elastomeric body having an upper section and a lower section and a threaded shaft extending axially from the lower section. The shaft has a head embedded in the body's lower section. The lower section has a deformable annular ring concentric with, and adjacent to, the shaft head. The ring is deformable outwardly into an adjacent annular groove radially outboard of the ring. A peripheral slinger or skirt outboard of the groove extends downwardly and away from the groove. The cup's body upper section defines a pocket which receives cleaning abrasives. When the cup's shaft is threaded into a rotatable driven gear on the dental prophylaxis angle, a stationary edge of a hollow cap stem on the angle engages the cup's ring, to form a rotational ring seal. The structure of the cup ensures that the seal is maintained even when the cup is bent or deformed during use.

Abstract: A plastic, disposable, easy-to-assemble dental angle is provided. The angle includes a one-piece hollow body having a head at its front end which is angled with respect to the body. Both the head and the body have a bore therethrough. The head has an aperture which is centered with respect to the bore of the body to allow insertion of a drive gear through the head of the angle. A driven gear is inserted in the head from the above. A snap cap fits within the head over the driven gear to lock both the drive gear and the driven gear in the angle. A sheath on the cap covers the aperture. A latch on the cap is received in the aperture to lock the cap to the head to hold the angle together. An elongated slot in the body permits the body to be force-fit on a dental handpiece.

Abstract: A plastic, disposable, easy-to-assemble dental angle is provided. The angle includes a one-piece hollow body having a head at its front end which is angled with respect to the body. Both the head and the body have a bore therethrough. The head has an aperture which is centered with respect to the bore of the body to allow insertion of a drive gear through the head of the angle. A driven gear is inserted in the head from above. A snap cap fits within the head over the driven gear to lock both the drive gear and the driven gear in the angle. A sheath on the cap covers the aperture. A latch on the cap is received in the aperture to lock the cap to the head to hold the angle together. An elongated slot in the body permits the body to be force-fit on a dental handpiece.

Abstract: A control unit for an air-polisher is provided, wherein a bleed air line and an air/abrasive line both communicate with a diaphragm valve which in turn communicates with an air polisher handpiece which is stored in a bracket or other holder. The diaphragm valve is closed when the handpiece is in an idle mode and not in its bracket. This blocks pressurized container air and bleed air from carrying water and abrasive out of the nozzle immediately after the handpiece is deactivated, without allowing soluble abrasive within the handpiece to form a plug therein.

Abstract: A control box for both a scaler and an airpolisher wherein the abrasive flow to the airpolisher and the power to the scaler is controlled by a single control knob. Activation of the scaler or polisher handpiece is automatic upon lifting the selected handpiece from its bracket. The polisher portion of the unit includes an abrasive pickup system having a replaceable abrasive container. Air flow within the container is such that the abrasive empties substantially linearly with time.

Abstract: A plastic, disposable, easy-to-assemble dental angle is provided. The angle includes a one-piece hollow body having a head at its front end which is angled with respect to the body. Both the head and the body have a bore therethrough. The head has an aperture which is centered with respect to the bore of the body to allow insertion of a drive gear through the head of the angle. A driven gear is inserted in the head from above. A snap cap fits within the head over the driven gear to lock both the drive gear and the driven gear in the angle. A sheath on the cap covers the aperture. A latch on the cap is received in the aperture to lock the cap to the head to hold the angle together. An elongated slot in the body permits the body to be force-fit on a dental handpiece.

Abstract: A head or handpiece for a dental cleaner which cleans teeth by impinging soluble abrasive particles against teeth in the presence of a liquid. The head includes a gas/abrasive tube and a water tube which opens into an accumulator. The water is injected from the accumulator into the gas/abrasive tube through a hole therein. The water, air and abrasive combine in the air/abrasive tube to form a fine mist which exits through a nozzle. The exiting mist is formed to enable a hygienist to clean a small area of a tooth. A constant supply of bleed air flows through the gas/abrasive tube to force out remaining abrasive and fluid after the abrasive and fluid flow have been discontinued. A sleeve with a pair of bores through its sides is placed on the end of the nozzle to prevent water from backing up and clogging the head when the nozzle is pressed against a tooth.

Abstract: An autoclavable air polisher handpiece having an insert which is removably inserted in a jacket having an air polisher tip. The insert connects an air/abrasive tube and water tube to the handpiece. The jacket and tip may be disconnected from the insert body for autoclaving the jacket and tip without the necessity of disconnecting the tubes from the insert.

Abstract: A reciprocating tool in the nature of a dental handpiece is modified to carry a needle/cone assembly for use as a tattooing device. The needle/cone assembly includes a needle assembly trapped in a cone structure. The needle assembly includes a cap portion which is held by fingers in the handpiece to prevent rotation of the needle assembly, and a frangible neck which is broken on removal of the needle/cone assembly from the handpiece to prevent reuse of the needle assembly. A removable protective tube around the needles acts also as an insertion tool for the needle assembly.

Abstract: A dental handpiece having a head mounted to a shoulder has a coupling ensemble formed of two coupling assemblies. The first coupling assembly is mounted within the shoulder and comprises a gear mounted to a shaft with the shaft extending into a coupling hand. A second like coupling assembly has a bevel gear with a shaft extending therefrom into a coupling hand. The second assembly is mounted within a throat sleeve, which is mounted within the neck of the head. Each coupling hand has a pair of tongues, with slots formed between the side walls of the tongues, to allow the coupling hands to drivingly lock together. The tongues are shaped so that as they are moved into contact with each other, they are directed to have their side walls interlock with one another. The tongues can have anterior slanted walls extending into a point, to facilitate such directing of the tongues into interlocking position.

Abstract: A dental tool and handpiece, wherein the tool has a projecting cylindrical, flexible flange extending into a cylindrical recess in the handpiece and sealable thereinto by centrifugal force. Various forms are illustrated. The operation of the flange is independent of the attaching means for the tool, and end forces on the tool are not transmitted through the flange, but rather are transmitted through a driven shaft on which the tool is mounted, thence through a driven gear having a thrust bearing engagement with the closed end of the head.

Abstract: A dental handpiece having a cross head with one end capped and the other end open, a driven gear in the capped end having a thrust bearing against the cap, and a fixed bearing extending from the gear to the open end with a driven shaft rotatably mounted in the bearing; a threaded socket in the driven shaft to receive the complementary attaching means on a dental tool, a cylindrical recess in the open end to receive a flange on the tool and grooves in the driven shaft to restrain travel of abrasive from the open end toward the closed end thereof, the bearing being long enough to give complete bearing support for the rotating mechanism.

Abstract: A dental handpiece including an instrument holder which comprises an integral gear and tube, the tube having a closed-end bore or socket which houses a spiral spring of uniform inside diameter, with a slot being provided in the tube for securing one end of the spring, and with a cap which fits on the end of the tube and aids in securing the spiral spring within the tube bore, and acting to grip and hold a dental instrument within the instrument holder when the holder is stationary and driving the instrument to rotate with the instrument holder by a tightening of the coils of the spring around the instrument. A modification of the disclosure features an instrument holder comprising an integral sleeve and turbine, with the holder having means to hold the turbine and sleeve motionless so as to allow insertion and removal of a dental instrument including a ramp-type bearing sleeve.

Abstract: A dental hand piece including a closed top housing, a bur tube therein which consists of an integral gear and sleeve, the sleeve having an inwardly-projecting boss to engage a bur and drive it, a resiliently releasable member to hold the bur in the tube against accidental displacement, and a positive retaining member to prevent removal of the tool during operation, so that a dental tool can, by insertion into the tube, and by the rotation of the bur tube, be rotated and also secured in the tube.