Abstract: An electric dental handpiece including a head engaging a handle and configured to rotatably support a tool. The handle includes a lower handle portion and an upper handle portion with the lower handle portion engaging the head and the upper handle portion having an attachment area configured for attachment to a power supply. An electric motor is positioned with a majority thereof within the lower handle portion and is configured to rotate the tool.

Abstract: An electric dental handpiece including a head engaging a handle and configured to rotatably support a tool. The handle includes a lower handle portion and an upper handle portion with the lower handle portion engaging the head and the upper handle portion having an attachment area configured for attachment to a power supply. An electric motor is positioned with a majority thereof within the lower handle portion and is configured to rotate the tool. Additionally, a method of operating a dental drilling system connected with one of a plurality of handpieces.

Abstract: An irradiation device for directing radiation onto a substance in a desired wavelength range for curing the substance, and particularly for use in curing substances on the teeth of dental patients. A light-emitting lamp assembly is located within a plastic housing of the device, and a heat shield surrounds the lamp assembly to divide the housing into an outer chamber between the shield and housing, and an inner chamber within the shield. The housing includes an entrance conduit for receiving pressurized cooling air, and a channeling arrangement is provided for directing the pressurized cooling air from the entrance conduit, through the outer and inner chambers within the housing, and out of the housing through exit passages.

Abstract: A dental instrument is disclosed having a light source assembly suspension which includes resilient means, such as a coil spring, for supporting the lamp assembly while at the same time reducing vibration that may be transmitted from the instrument to the light source assembly. The resilient means also reduces heat loss from the light source assembly to the dental instrument so that shorter filament warm-up time is provided. The light source assembly suspension is particularly useful in a dental handpiece in which the frequency of vibration of the gas-driven motor may coincide with one of the harmonic frequencies of vibration of the lamp filament or filament support.

Abstract: An air-driven dental scaler is disclosed having water transport means associated with the tool assembly for delivering water to a scaling type work tool. The water transport means comprises a tube disposed within a hollow connector body and extending between a water plenum at one end of the connector body to the other end of the connector body, whereat the scaling type work tool is attached. The water transport tube has an internal diameter of greater than 0.010 inch and a surface roughness smoother than 25 micro-inches to minimize clogging of the tube by mineral deposits or sediment. The independent fluid path permits the use of hard, martensitic stainless steels for the work tool and softer, corrosion-resisting austenitic stainless steels for the water transport tube. The water transport means delivers a controlled quantity of water to the work tool and the water is atomized by the vibratory movement of the tool.

Abstract: A dental handpiece is disclosed having at least two connectable portions and having a substantially rigid connection between the two connectable portions, there being resilient means forming a portion of the substantially rigid connection. The resilient means inhibits transfer of vibration from one of the connectable portions which contains a gas-driven motor to the other connectable portion which provides a hand-grippable surface.