A DENTAL INSTRUMENT

Abstract: A dental instrument including a shaft having firmly attached at one end thereof a mirror which is carried by a housing provided with an inlet opening to a first internal channel which communicates with a channel provided in the shaft, this latter channel being intended for connection to a suction source. According to the invention the shaft (17) incorporates a second channel (16) having one end which opens above the mirror (2) and the other end of which is intended for connection to a pressurized-air source via a control means (23) effective to regulate the supply of pressurized air to a turbine drill, whereby the supply of pressurized air to the instrument (1) is proportional to the supply of pressurized air to the turbine drill, and whereby the pressurized air supplied to the instrument (1) is blown over the mirror (2).

Description: A dental instrument The presen invention, relates to a dental instrument. A When examining and treating the teeth of: a dental patient, it is often necessary to place a suction device in the 5 patient's mouth in order to. remove saliva therefrom. In present day dental surgeries, teeth are normally dril¬ led with the aid of a drill which drives a drill bit by means of a turbine. A drill, of this-..kind is provided with 10 water jets or nozzles- located in the vicinity of the drill bit. Significant quantities of water are sprayed through the jets onto the teeth in order to cool the teeth while drilling takes place. Fragments of the tooth being drilled, together with old fillings when found, 15 are loosened and broken away during drilling of the teeth. In order for the dentist to be able to drill a tooth properly, he/she must be able to see the drilling site clearly. Consequently, it is necessary to remove conti- 20 nuously all saliva, water, tooth and filling debris from around the tooth, so that the drilling site is kept clean. To this end there is used a suction device in the form 25 of a straight pipe, normally a plastics pipe, which is connected to a suction source by means of a connecting hose. In order to be able to- see the drilling site clearly, 30 and to illuminate the drilling site, there is used a dental mirror by means of which light is reflected from an overhead lamp onto the drilling site. Thus, it is often necessary for the dentist to use a 35 drill, a- suction device and a mirror simultaneously, at one and the same time. In- addition to being extremely difficult,- if. not impossible, to hold, all three instru¬ ments at. the. same, time, a. further problem resides- in the fact that access, to- the. tooth area decreases with the number of . instruments placed in the location of the tooth. In order to enable- three instruments to be ' used simulta¬ neously, , the. suction device- is normally held in place by the dental nurse while the dentist holds the drill and the mirror. Thus,, it is necessary for the dental ' nurse to remain at the patient's side, together with the dentist, solely because of the need to use three instruments. It has previously been proposed to combine a mirror with a suction device. This proposal, however, gives rise to a further problem, namely that the mirror, and therewith the suction device, must be frequently removed from the mouth cavity, in order to clean the mirror so that the working area can be seen, clearly. Because of this the use of a conventional suction device and a conventional mirror prevails, despite the aforesaid disadvantages associated therewith. The aforementioned problems are fully solved by means of the present invention, which provides an instrument which enables solely the instrument and a drill to be used simultaneously. The present invention, relates to a dental instrument comprising a. shaft having, firmly mounted on one end thereof a mirror which is supported by a housing provi¬ ded with an inlet opening leading to a first internal channel which communicates with a further channel provi- ded in the shaft, this channel being intended for connection to a suction source, and is characterized in that the shaft incorporates a second channel having one end which opens above the mirror and the other end of which is intended, for connection to a pressurized-air source, via a control means for controlling the supply of pressurized air to a turbine drill, whereby the supply of pressurized air to the instrument is proportional to 5 the supply of pressurized, air to said turbine drill, whereby the pressurized air. supplied to the instrument is blown over the mirror. The invention will now be described in more detail with 10 reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a sectional view of the instrument according to the invention; Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line A-A in 15 Figure 1 ; Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line B-B in • Figure 4; Figure 4 is a plan view of the mirror; and Figure 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating coupling 20 of the instrument. Figure 1 illustrates a dental instrument 1 constructed in accordance with the invention and comprising a shaft 17 and a mirror 2 which is intended for attachment to 25 the lower end 3 of the shaft. The mirror 2 is carried by a housing 4. The housing 4 is provided- with an inlet opening 5 which leads to a first internal channel 6. When the-housing 4 is mounted on the shaft, the internal channel 6 communicates with a channel 7 located in the 30 shaft 1. The channel 7 located in the shaft is intended - to be connected at the upper end 8 of said shaft to a suction source, via a hose suitably fitted onto a cylindrical section 9 provided at the upper end 8 of the shaft. The shaft 17 is of hexagonal cross-section 35 along the major part of . its length, as illustrated in Figure 3, thereby to enable the shaft to be gripped more comfortably. The lower end 3 of he- shaft, has the form of a pipe connector 10 which constitutes the mouth of the channel 7. The pipe connector 10 is provided with external screw-threads 11 , which co-act. with internal screw-threads 12 provided in the ' upper, mouth or orifice 13 of the channel 6 in the housing 2,. when the housing-, is attached to the shaft. The housing 2 is thus removably connected to the shaft 17, which can be beneficial from a cleaning aspect. The shaft is made from metal or of plastics material. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention illu¬ strated in Figures 1 an 3, the housing 1 comprises a bowl-shaped part 14 which is covered by the mirror 2. The bowl-shaped, portion 14 may be made of metal or a plastics material. The mirror 2 may either be made of glass or metal. In accordance with this embodiment, the internal channel 6 of the housing comprises an inner cavity 15, to which one or more inlet openings 5 are found in the part of the housing 4 distal from the shaft 1. In use the instrument functions both as a mirror and as a suction device. Saliva together with tooth and filling residues are removed by suction through the inlet ope- nings 5 and the channels 6, 7, away from the region of the tooth being treated. It will be understood that the housing and the mirror, and also the shaft, can be given other forms than those illustrated and described, without departing from the concept of the invention. For example, an instrument comprising mirror and suction device can be combined in one and the same instrument assembly, with the inlet openings located in the. vicinity of the mirror. In accordance with the invention a second channel 16 is provided in the shaft 17. The one end 18 of the further channel 16 opens in the- shaft at a location above the mirror 2,.. whereas the other end 19 of the channel 16 is intended to be connecte to a source of pressurized air. The other end 19 of the channel preferably termina- . tes in a nipple 20, onto which a hose extending from 5 the pressurized-air source can be fitted. When pressurized- air is forced through the channel 16, air. will be blown over the mirror 2, as indicated by the arrows 21, thereby keeping the mirror 2 clean. Because air is sucked into the housing through the inlet openings 5 and along the 10 channel 7 in the shaft, part of the airstream 21 will oscillate around the lower end of the mirror, as indica¬ ted by the arrow 22, therewith contributing in maintai¬ ning a sweeping airflow over the mirror. 15 The instrument according to the invention is also intended for connection to the pressurized-air output line of a control means for controlling pressurized air to one or more pressurized-air driven turbine drills. 20 One such control means is referenced 23 in Figure 5. The control means has connected thereto a pressurized-air supply line 24, and has extending therefrom a number of pressurized-air lines 25,26 leading to one or more drills. In accordance with the invention, an additional pressuri- 25 zed-air line 27 departs from the control means. This pressurized-air line 27 can also be connected to one of the aforesaid outgoing lines 25,26. The pressurized-air line 27 is connected to the nipple 20. According to one embodiment, the pressurized-air line 27 is connected 30 directly to the nipple 20, as indicated in broken lines .-JV /. in Figure 5. According to another embodiment, the pressu¬ rized-air- line 27 is connected to the nipple 20 via a valve 28. The valve 28 is controlled by means of an instrument holder 29 of the kind used for turbine drills. 35 When an instrument is placed in the upper part 30 of the holder, a shaft 31 is activated- so as to close the valve 28. When an instrument is lifted from the holder, on the other hand, the valve 28 opens. As a. result of-.this- connection of .i±e.-present instrument, the -amount of air supplied to the- ins.t ' rument will be proportional to the amount of air which the control means allows to pass through, for the turbine drill. The control means is normally . regulated, by means- of -a foot pedal. When drilling a tooth, the amount of tooth substance, filling etc. removed from the tooth increases with the speed of the drill. In addition, the amount of water exiting from the water ducts or channels in the drill head also increases with increasing ' drill speeds. Thus, the amount of air which flows 21 across the mirror 2 via the channel 6 will be proportional to the drill speed. It has been found that a particularly valuable advantage is afforded when the air stream 21 over the mirror in¬ creases when, the drill speed increases. This enables the mirror to be kept constantly clean and clear, thereby enabling the dentist to see the drilling site clearly. Another important advantage afforded by the described arrangement used to connect the instrument resides in the ability of continuously varying the air flow by means ' of said control means when the instrument is used to syringe the teeth. Syringing of the teeth can be effected by distancing the instrument from the working site and thereafter regulating the air flow to the instrument with the aid of the aforesaid foot pedal. Thus, it is not necessary for the dentist to hang-up the drill and then take a conventional prophylactic instrument to syring the teeth, and then hang-up the syringe and again take-up the drill. Thus, syringing of the teeth, which is nor¬ mally required during drilling work, can be effected to advantage with the aid of the present instrument. Conventional tooth-syringes, however, are. required for other prophylactic purposes. When it is found necessary to add water during drilling of a tooth, it has been found a simple and effective expedient to ease, he drill bit. from the- drilling site and to. firstly direct the mouth 18 of the channel 16 towards the working site and. secondly to direct the mouth of the water channels of the drill head towards 5 said working site, and then to- increase the air flow to the instrument, with the aid of the aforesaid foot pedal, such that water from the drill head is mixed with the air exiting from the present instrument. 10 Thus, all the factors required to * carry out a drilling operation namely drill, mirror, suction device, water and pressurized air are found available solely in two instruments. The instrument thus enables a dentist to treat a patient completely alone, in those cases where 15 a suction device, a mirror and a drill need to be used simultaneously, thus dispensing with the presence of a • dental nurse. In addition, the instrument increases the available access to the tooth in question, since no separate suction device is required. 20 It will also be perceived that fewer manual manipulations are required when working with an instrument constructed in accordance with the present invention. 25 The use of an instrument holder 29 for the presentinstru¬ ment affords the advantage that the supply of oxygen to the instrument is cut-off when the instrument is placed in the holder 30. 30 According to one preferred embodiment, the instrument l a - holder 29 is connected to a further valve- 31 for closing and opening a suction line 32 connected.at one end to a suction source 33 and at its other end to the suction channel 7 in the instrument. 35 The present invention is not. restricted to the afore- described embodiments, and modifications can be made within the scope of the following claims.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A dental instrument including a shaft having firmly mounted on one end thereof a mirror which is carried by a housing provided with an inlet opening .to a first, internal channel which communicates with a channel loca- ted in the shaft, this latter channel being intended for connection to a suction source, characterized in that the shaft (17) incorporates a second channel (16) having one end which opens above the mirror (2) and the other end of which is intended for connection to a pressurized- air source via a control means (23) for regulating the supply of pressurized air to a turbine drill, whereby .the supply of pressurized air to the instrument (1) is propor¬ tional to the supply of pressurized air to said turbine drill, whereby the pressurized air supplied to the instrument (1) is blown over the mirror (2). 2. A dental instrument according to Claim 1, characterized in that said housing (4) includes a bowl-shaped part (14) which is covered by the mirror (2); and in that the said inner channel of the housing (4) is formed by an inner cavity (15) to which one or more inlet openings (5) are found in the part of the housing (4) distal from the shaft (17). 3. A dental instrument according to Claim 1 or 2, charac¬ terized in that one end (3) of the shaft (17) has the form of a pipe connector (10) forming a mouth of the channel (7) in the shaft (17), the housing (4) being removably attached to the pipe connector (10). 4. A dental instrument according to Claim 1 , 2 or , characterized in that a line (27) for. supplying pressu¬ rized air to the instrument (1) extends viaan instrument holder (29) connected to a valve (28) for closing and opening the aforesaid line (27) , said valve (28) being closed when the instrument (1) is located in the holder (29) and said valve (28) being open, when the ins.trument (1) is removed from the. holder (29) . 5. A dental instrument according to Claim 4, charac- 5 terized in that, a line (32) for connecting the. first channel (7) in the instrument (1) to a suction source (33) extends via a further, valve (31) connected to said instrument holder (29), said, valve (31) being closed when the instrument (1) is located in the holder (29) 10 and open when said instrument is * removed from said holder. ~ \

Inventors: BERLIN GOERAN, BERLIN, GOERAN
Applicants: BERLIN GOERAN, BERLIN, GOERAN
Application year: 1986
Main classification: A61C17
IPC codes: A61B1, A61C17, A61C19