Abstract: A feeding bowl mounted unitarially fabricated with edges which form an angled support for the bowl. The food in the bowl is protected by a rotational or sliding cover movable by an animal to expose the food for feeding. The exposed surface of the lid may be textured to be engagable by the animal. The lid is biased so that under the condition of the lid being released by the animal the lid is urged into a position to cover the food and form a seal between the lid an bowl to prevent the intrusion of insects. The lid further protects the food from moisture and from animals and birds not capable of moving the lid.

Abstract: A method of and an apparatus for making a dental set-up model utilizable in the practice of orthodontics and, more particularly, to facilitation of making the dental set-up model. The shape of an impression which is a replica of dental teeth and dental alveolar ridges of a patient is first converted on a non-contact basis into electronic data by means of a three-dimensional profile analyzer utilizing an irradiation beam. Using this electronic data and within the framework of such electronic data, representative plane defined by anatomically proximal contact points A1, anatomically distal contact points A2 and an intermediate point E between the bucco-cervical point B1 and the lingo-cervical point B2 are formed by cutting out the individual teeth.

Abstract: An anchor for a dental implant, having a compact cavity for receiving the post of a post and core, and a tapered threaded end having tapered, self-tapping threads. The cavity is configured to have flat walls forming a hexagonal or other polygonal interior surface. This interior surface also has screw threads superimposed on the polygonal surface. The anchor is thus of reduced axial length than prior art anchors having threads and polygonal surfaces not superimposed. The tapered threads formed on the tapered threaded end engage different areas of bone tissue. Since bone tissue may not be homogeneously strong and resilient, this arrangement helps assure that some threads will engage strong, resilient bone tissue. This threading preferably comprises buttress type threads. A pitched relief groove extends across all convolutions of the external, self-tapping threads formed on the tapered end. These self-tapping threads are buttress threads.

Abstract: A dental cleaning assembly including a disposable dental tool including a main body tubular portion and a head portion disposed at right angles to the main body. A prophy cup is secured to a shaft projecting from the head portion so that the cup may be rotated to perform a tooth cleaning operation. A series of flexible bristles are secured to the head of the dental tool and extend forwardly therefrom in surrounding relation to the prophy cup so as to provide an anti-splatter shield for the cup to preclude splatter of toothpaste, saliva and blood. The bristles form an effective circumferential barrier around the prophy cup but yet allow complete freedom of movement of the prophy cup to perform the cleaning function and further allow potentially impacting paste to escape outwardly from the annular space between the prophy cup and the bristles to avoid impairment of the cleaning operation of the assembly.

Abstract: A removable orthodontic appliance repositions misaligned anterior teeth with a plurality of springs and a labial wire each secured to an acrylic palatal fitting. Each spring has a head portion in the shape of an eyelet which is positioned on the lingual side of an anterior tooth and a foot portion secured to the fitting. The springs provide lingual-to-labial force to the teeth, and the labial wire provides labial-to-lingual force to the teeth. A spring may engage the lingual surface of a tooth to provide active force to urge the tooth labially into a proper position, or may be spaced away from a tooth at a desired position to engage the tooth as it move lingually. The springs may be positioned on a mesial or a distal surface of a tooth to induce rotation. Further, the springs may provide passive resistance to maintain a properly positioned tooth in place. Each spring is made of a single strand of wire which has one end terminating at the head portion and the other end terminating at the foot portion.