Abstract:
Made of a durable and auto-claveable material including a handle portion of the intra-oral tongue/cheek retractor with a mirror device with an offset in the handle, with a handle flat surface on the mirror side, and with a retention end of handle; at least one mirror or mirrored surface; and a manner for securing/holding or having a mirror or mirrored surface to the handle flat surface on the mirror side where the device can free-up hands of a professional and/or an assistant; can remove any extra “hardware” in a mouth of a patient; provides better visual feedback from the mouth of the patient to the professional; is useable for dental procedures and oral surgery; and is sterilizable in conventional dental or surgical machines.
Abstract:
A method of making a machinable puck of a hard, solvent free, substantially non-hydrophilic polyurethane elastomer for use in fabricating dental appliances. The elastomer has a hardness of not less than about Shore D65. A first polyester or polyether polyol with a functionality greater than two and a molecular weight greater than one hundred is reacted with an isocyanate prepolymer prepared from one or more branched polyester or polyether polyols with a functionality greater than two; and then blending prepolymer and first polyester or polyether polyol with nanoparticles and colorants as needed. In one embodiment, the polypropylene glycol triether and the isocyanate prepolymer comprises dicyclohexylmethane 4,4′-diisocyanate. The machined, elastomer appliance is able to be heated in hot water to make it flexible and formable for individual, customed-fitting for the patient.
Abstract:
The invention relates to a handheld part for dental or surgical use that comprises static components, i.e. head and body, and dynamic components, i.e. dented wheels, drivers, turbines, characterized in that some at least of the static and/or dynamic components are made of a metallic alloy that solidifies at least partially in an amorphous phase in the volume.
Abstract:
Dental instruments and appliances made from a super-flexible alloy, which includes atoms from the group IVB and group VB transition metals and oxygen have superior strength and flexibility. The metal alloys are cold worked to increase the tensile strength of the dental instruments and appliances. Cold working the metal also increases the flexibility of the dental instruments and appliances. In one particular example a super-elastic endodontic file is described.