Abstract: Canal instrument used in endodontics, characterized in that its flexible blade is made at least partially of titanium or of titanium alloy.

Abstract: Automatic apparatus for cleaning dental handpieces and turbines is in the form of a housing having a compartment with hinged door. Standard motor noses project down from the top of the compartment to receive handpieces or turbines to be cleaned. Cleaning fluids, namely water, a disinfectant and oil are supplied sequentially to the motor noses while internal shafts of the motor noses are rotated by a set of pinions to drive the handpieces or turbines while the fluids are passed through them. The hinged door has an inflatable tube seal.

Abstract: A precision injection system and method for intralignmental anesthesia and the like having a syringe with a tubular handle portion to which are removably connectable individually tubular headpieces as a longitudinal extension thereof. The headpieces receive a carpule cartridge with semi-solid contents therein or with liquid injection contents monitored during injections through elongate windows on opposite sides of the headpieces. Provision is also made for injection of known composite materials the viscosity of which cannot be determined by standard viscosity measurement methods. A dosing plunger housed in the tubular handle portion in a retracted start position is activated by a servo-dosing lever and advances incrementally axially into a mounted headpiece for delivery of metered quantities of the contents of the carpule cartridge each time the servo-dosing lever is actuated.

Abstract: A chuck for receiving a plain shank of a dental burr is rotatably mounted in the head of a dental handpiece and is driven by a pinion or by turbine vanes. The chuck comprises a sleeve adapted to receive the shank of a burr and provided with at least one elongate clamping claw which is movable radially between an inner clamping position and an outer releasing position. Facing grooves in the clamping claw and in an actuating member which is movable axially relative to the sleeve define a ramp way for a row of bearing balls. The ramp way extends in a direction which is generally axial but is inclined at an angle of 1.degree. to 4.degree. to the axis so that the clamping claw is moved radially by axial movement of the actuating member. The clamping claw is spring biased to clamping position and is movable to releasing position by a push button for moving the actuating member axially relative to the sleeve and thereby moving the clamping claw radially outwardly.

Abstract: The contra-angle is provided with means for illuminating the site of treatment. The light source is incorporated inside the body of the contra-angle, and in front of this light source is inserted an optical element arranged to deflect the light rays towards the site of treatment. This optical element comprises a total reflection prism embedded in a recess in the body of the contra-angle.

Abstract: This contra-angle head of a dental handpiece comprises means for axially locking the dental instrument, in the form of a hollow guide member enclosing the upper portion of the driving pinion inside the head casing, this guide member being mounted for axial movement in the casing and rotating with the pinion by means of at least two wedge members disposed in the guide member and adapted to engage an annular groove of the dental instrument and to bear against the upper edge of this groove. A spring constantly urges the guide member away from the casing so that the instrument is pushed inwardly in the pinion by the wedge members for engagement with a shoulder formed in the pinion bore and acting as a stop means, the wedge members thus exerting a constant play take-up function.

Abstract: A precision injection system for intralignmental anesthesia and the like having a syringe with a tubular handle portion which is removably connected a tubular headpiece as a longitudinal extension thereof. The headpiece receives a carpule cartridge with injection contents monitored during injections through elongate windows on opposite sides of the headpiece. A dosing plunger housed in the handle portion in a retracted start position is activated by a servo-dosing lever and advances incrementally axially into the headpiece for delivery of metered quantities of the contents of the carpule cartridge each time the servo-dosing lever is actuated. Provision is made for semiautomatic resetting of the dosing plunger to a retracted start position by depressing a resetting key and raising the syringe to a generally vertically raised position.

Abstract: A dental tool having a head with an output spindle to which are coupled dental treating devices such as a dental massaging brush. The output spindle is driven with a reciprocatory rotary motion imparted to it from a rotationally driven drive shaft coupled to the output spindle by a drive coupling device which converts the rotational motion of the drive shaft to reciprocatory rotary output of the output spindle. An O-ring effects a seal about the output spindle where it extends outwardly of the head. The drive coupling device has an eccentric stud fixed eccentrically to the drive shaft extending therefrom from one side to the other of a projection of the longitudinal axis of the drive shaft and making an angle with the projection of the axis. The eccentric stud is received in an axial slit in the output spindle for effecting the motion conversion.

Abstract: A device for supplying luminous energy to a dental instrument to illuminate the area of treatment on a tooth being treated. The luminous energy is applied from a bulb housed in the device through an optical fiber extending through the dental instrument and having an end disposed for receiving the luminous energy from the bulb. Provision is made for energizing the bulb when the device is mounted on an electrical supply cable. A contact arrangement of two conductive studs disposed in a bore of an insulating sleeve and axially biased by a conductive spring to extend from the bore provides for making contact between the bulb and supply cable when the device is mounted on the supply cable. A section of the bore of the sleeve between the ends of the sleeve defines shoulders limiting the axial travel of the studs which have enlarged ends for engaging the shoulders.

Abstract: This device for preventing the ingress of water into the head of a dental contra-angle comprises a ring seal of cylindrical configuration adapted to be inserted through a hole formed in the bottom wall of the head body for the passage of the dental tool. This ring seal comprises at one end a flange having a diameter greater than the diameter of the passage hole and at its opposite end a bead also of greater diameter than the hole but adapted to be compressed when inserting the ring seal through the hole.