Abstract: The present invention relates to a heat sink material that can more efficiently remove or divert heat from a light source or sources with a given weight of heat sink material when compare to a heat sink made of a solid block of thermally conductive material such as metal. It further relates to a heat sink that can more efficiently remove or divert heat from a curing light device when a reduced weight of heat sink material is used. The inventive heat sink has at least one suitable phase change material including organic materials, inorganic materials and combinations thereof. These materials can undergo substantially reversible phase changes, and can typically go through a large, if not an infinite number of cycles without losing their effectiveness.

Abstract: Dentistry equipment includes a voice alert device adapted to annunciate a status of the dentistry equipment or a process performed by the dentistry equipment. The voice alert device in various embodiments employs synthesized and recorded human voices.

Abstract: A one-component prescription fluoride treatment composition having both fluoride efficacy and sensitivity relief is disclosed. The composition includes at least one metal fluoride and a nerve desensitizing agent such as potassium nitrate. The invention further includes a composition having at least one metal fluoride less than about 1.15% by weight of at least one metal fluoride; less than about 5 percent by weight of at least one alkali metal salt having desensitizing effect; at least one carrier; and at least one foaming agent that has thickening property. The composition may be formulated into a gel, a paste or any other convenient form, some of which contain abrasives.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a hand grip for dental instruments that provides a dental professional with a more secure and comfortable means of grasping a dental hygiene tool. In one embodiment, the instrument has an elongated dental handpiece having an interior that is solid, hollow or partially solid. The elongated handpiece has a distal end and a proximal end and a longitudinal portion in between. A grip portion is attached to the body of the handpiece anywhere between the distal end and the proximal end, comprising a grip stop against which the operator's hand rests while gripping the handpiece and using the tool. At least one insert is present on the handpiece at an end. A locking mechanism for locking the position of the grip anywhere along the handpiece is also disclosed. The handgrip can be fitted to any handpiece or a set of handpieces having varying diameters, some of which can also include a vibrator.

Abstract: A positive displacement flow meter includes a pair of smooth oval shaped rotors mounted to a pair of spaced apart rotatable shafts contained within a sealed housing. The rotatable shafts penetrate the measuring chamber and have a pair of toothed, oval shaped timing gears located in a separate gear cavity chamber which are responsible for synchronizing and maintaining the relative orientation of the smooth faced rotors with respect to one another. The fluid that is being metered forms seals between the rotating surfaces of the rotors, as well as between the rotors and the wall of rotor chamber, thus the inlet and outlet plenums are physically isolated and are consequently not in direct communication at any point during the rotation cycle of the rotors. Thus, each rotation of the rotors results in the transport of a precise and known volume of fluid from the inlet plenum to the outlet plenum.

Abstract: The firing circuit comprises a direct current voltage source having negat and positive terminals connected, respectively, to first and second terminals of a firing network. The network comprises first and second resistors connected, respectively, to the first and second network terminals. A diode, a silicon controlled rectifier (SCR), an electrical detonator and a third resistor are connected in series with each other and in parallel with the first and second terminals, respectively, with the anode of the diode connected to the cathode of the SCR, and the gate of the SCR connected to the junction of the first and second resistors. A capacitor and a fourth resistor are connected in parallel with the combination of the SCR and the detonator. In a modification, a Zener diode is connected in parallel with the capacitor.