Abstract: A high speed dental drill includes a drill head having a housing including a bottom and a cavity, and a turbine assembly mounted in the cavity for supporting a dental tool extending outwardly from the bottom of the housing, the turbine assembly including a rotor shaft and an annular turbine drive mounted thereon. The outer surface of the annular turbine drive has blades with an outer shape of a substantially inverted D-shaped chordal segment cut out therefrom so that rotation of the rotor shaft occurs at high speed when air impinges against the part-circular cut-away surfaces of the blades.

Abstract: A rotary dental drive tool has a rotatable driving member which is connected to a working tool via a self-tightening chuck, the rotatable driving member rotating in a clockwise direction during use. The chuck includes a chuck member having a tool-engaging internal surface portion for receiving a working tool therein, the chuck member having a tapered outer surface portion which is engageable with a tapered inner surface portion of the rotatable driving member so as to press the tool-engaging internal surface portion of the chuck member against the working tool to fixedly engage the working tool with said rotatable driving member via the chuck member. The chuck member has a left-hand threaded screw member on an outer surface portion thereof, which is engageable with a left-hand threaded screw portion on an inner surface portion of the rotatable driving member.

Abstract: A dental scaler comprises an elongated housing having a forward end at which a dental scaling tool is removably connectable, and a rearward end for connection to a source of pressure working fluid. A substantially rigid elongated tubular member is resiliently supported in the housing. A vibration imparting device is coupled to an intermediate portion of the elongated tubular member, and is driven by the pressure working fluid to vibrate the elongated tubular member. A dental scaling tool is connected at the forward end portion of the elongated tubular member, and is vibrated by the vibrations produced by the vibration device.

Abstract: A disposable right angle dental handpiece comprises a disposable plastic outer housing having an elongated opening therein for receiving a drive shaft mechanism which is preferably made of metal. The drive shaft mechanism is connected to the disposable outer plastic housing by means of a quick connect-quick disconnect mechanism. The outer housing also contains a gear which is engaged with a gear at the end of the drive shaft mechanism, a working member being connected to the gear for being driven by the drive shaft member. The drive shaft member is connectable to the dental tool for being driven thereby. Also disclosed are embodiments wherein the drive shaft mechanism is connected to the dental drive tool, and wherein the outer housing is independently connected to the dental drive tool by means of a quick connect-quick disconnect mechanism, which locks the outer housing relative to the dental drive tool in both the longitudinal and circumferential directions.

Abstract: A disposable right angle dental handpiece comprises a disposable plastic outer housing having an elongated opening therein for receiving a drive shaft mechanism which is preferably made of metal. The drive shaft mechanism is connected to the disposable outer plastic housing by means of a quick connect-quick disconnect mechanism. The outer housing also contains a gear which is engaged with a gear at the end of the drive shaft mechanism, a working member being connected to the gear for being driven by the drive shaft member. The drive shaft member is connectable to the dental tool for being driven thereby.

Abstract: An edge sensor includes a housing having an outer grasping surface adapted to be grasped by a collet, the outer grasping surface having a plurality of different outer dimensions for engagement with different sized collets, respectively; a metal ball extending from the housing for contacting a workpiece; a plurality of light emitting diodes for indicating contact of the workpiece with the ball; a spring holding the ball to the housing in a centered manner; and electrical wires within the housing for enabling energizing of the light emitting diodes in response to contacting of the workpiece with the ball.

Abstract: A lubricant delivery system for a dental handpiece, the dental handpiece having an air inlet tube having a predetermined internal shape in the vicinity of an open end portion thereof. The lubricant delivery system comprises a squeezable sealed capsule which includes a main body portion and a necked down portion extending from the main body portion. The necked down portion is smaller than the internal shape of the air inlet tube and is insertable into the open end of the air inlet tube. A passage is formed in the necked down portion extending from the main body portion to a tip end portion of the necked down portion. A lubricant fills at least a part of the squeezable main body portion. When the tip end portion of the necked down portion is opened, the opened necked down portion is inserted into the air inlet tube of the dental handpiece and the main body portion is squeezed to expel lubricant contained therein into the handpiece via the air inlet tube.

Abstract: A disposable right angle dental handpiece comprises a disposable plastic outer housing having an elongated opening therein for receiving a drive shaft mechanism which is preferably made of metal. The drive shaft mechanism is connected to the disposable outer plastic housing by means of a quick connect-quick disconnect mechanism. The outer housing also contains a gear which is engaged with a gear at the end of the drive shaft mechanism, a working member being connected to the gear for being driven by the drive shaft member. The drive shaft member is connectable to the dental tool for being driven thereby.

Abstract: A cleaning device includes a source of a premixed abrasive liquid containing abrasive particles suspended therein. A nozzle head having a nozzle therein is coupled to a source of pressure air, whereby the nozzle accelerates or increases the velocity of the pressure air supplied thereto. The source of premixed asbrasive liquid is coupled to the nozzle head. In the nozzle head, the accelerated air is mixed with the premixed abrasive liquid and a jet of the mixture of accelerated air and abrasive liquid is provided at an outlet of the nozzle head, the jet being directed onto an object to be cleaned. The premixed abrasive liquid preferably comprises water, a plurality of abrasive particles suspended in the water, and a surface tension reducing agent for maintaining the abrasive particles in suspension. Liquids other than plain water can be used.

Abstract: A pneumatic dental drill handpiece has a light-bulb (40) fastened in its head, so directed that it illuminates the tip of the burr (32). An electric cell (2) is positioned in a semicylindrical chamber (15) located in the rear part (10) of the handpiece casing; the chamber is eccentric to the axis of the casing and is accessible through an opening therein, this opening being closed by a thin sleeve (9) slidable on the rear part. Ducts for admission of air (13) and water (12) extend through a channel (17) in the portion of the casing opposite the opening. Electric contact between the front pole of the cell (2) and one terminal of the bulb (40) is made by a conductor wire (21) passing through the hollow front part (20), and between the rear pole of the cell and the second terminal of the bulb through the anodized aluminum parts (10) and (20) of the casing. The aluminum parts are conductively connected through non-anodized contacting surfaces.

Abstract: A dental hand-piece having a fluid powered tool and a self-contained light source for illuminating the region of the work tip of the tool. The sleeve portion of the hand piece defines a substantially cylindrical cavity for containing a battery and the conduits for supplying the necessary fluid to the dental tool extend generally longitudinally of the sleeve member, exteriorly of the battery in the cavity.