Abstract:
A dental clamp clamps a tooth and supporting a flexible sheet around a tooth during a dental operation. The dental clamp includes oppositely disposed jaws, each having a wing and a groove extending from an interior of the jaw to an outside edge of the wing; and a resilient bridge connecting oppositely disposed jaws and biasing the jaws toward each other. The clamp may include a curvaceous terminal at one end of each groove to facilitate the placement of the sheet around the tooth.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The invention relates to a dental clamp and, more particularly, to a clamp for use with a rubber dam.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0004]    During dental treatment, it is frequently desirable or necessary to isolate and shield the tooth or teeth being treated from the neighboring teeth or the oral cavity in general, for instance in order to prevent saliva from contacting the treated tooth or, inversely, to prevent therapeutic fluids and other agents from contacting the area around the treated tooth. This isolating function is realized by means of a rubber barrier sheet designated as a rubber dam and featuring openings that facilitate extending it over the tooth to be treated or other teeth as well. The sheet isolates and shields the teeth tightly, so as to prevent the passage of liquids. The dam also prevents ingestion by the patient of medicine or other substances associated with the operation and inhibits the introduction of bacteria and other contaminants from the mouth into the operating theater around the tooth during the procedure.  
           [0005]    The dam comprises a flexible membrane retained in a frame. While the frame is placed outside the mouth, the membrane is flexible enough to extend inwardly of the patient&#39;s mouth. In the case of a single treated tooth, a hole is punched in the membrane to accommodate the tooth and the dam is inserted over the tooth so that it is the only tooth exposed through the hole. A similar procedure is employed if more than one tooth is to be isolated.  
           [0006]    A dental clamp is typically used to retain the rubber dam in proper position around the tooth. Dental clamps include a pair of laterally opposed jaws that are spring-biased to grip the tooth immediately above the gum line. The clamp typically attaches to the dam at the hole for positioning the dam around the tooth. The clamp is applied by spreading the jaws with a special forceps, positioning the clamp around the tooth, and carefully releasing the jaws when the clamp has been properly placed. The edges of the jaws may include serrations to facilitate gripping of the tooth or it may include a soft bumper to avoid damage to the surrounding gums.  
           [0007]    As discussed in U.S. application Ser. No. US 2002/0061492A1, published on May 23,  2002 , one embodiment of a tooth clamp according to the prior art is shown in FIG. 1. The tooth clamp comprises a resilient arcuate spring A which is attached at each end to jaws B. The jaws B are laterally opposed and define an intervening space C. The inwardly directed edge D of each jaw B is curved. The shape of the edge D is intended to correspond roughly with the arc of a tooth along the gum line. The edge D may include serrations for better traction to the tooth.  
           [0008]    Each jaw B is provided with an aperture F for insertion of a forceps, which is used to spread the jaws B apart for placement of the clamp around the tooth. Tabs E extend laterally from the outside edges of the jaws B. The tabs E are inserted into a hole in a rubber dam G to spread the hole open.  
           [0009]    The rubber dam or sheet surrounding the tooth or teeth is fastened to a retaining device that holds it stretched over the oral opening, allowing access only to the tooth or teeth being treated or other teeth as well, so as to realize its function as described. As discussed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,299,446, the devices can be either closed full frames or open (U-shaped) frames made of metal or plastic, over which the rubber sheet is laid, which frames feature pointed projections on which the rubber sheet is suspended and thus retained. However, as recognized by the &#39;446 patent, this method of retention of the rubber dam, i.e. of anchoring it to the holder, represents a significant problem in rubber dam applications. If the rubber dam comes loose from the holder during dental treatment, its protective shielding effect may be lost in the sense that substances on the outer surface of the rubber dam may enter the oral cavity or that substances from the oral cavity may contaminate the tooth or teeth being treated. This occurs in particular during treatment of the rear molars. In this case, fastening down the rubber dam around the teeth to be isolated, for instance using metal clamps, may be a stubborn problem due to tooth forms that are hardly retentive. In such cases, the rubber dam must not be stretched across the holder so as to form a smooth, taut surface, but must rather hang loosely in the frame to some extent. Fulfilling this requirement, however, means the tension required for secure anchoring of the rubber dam to the pointed projections on the frame is lost, greatly increasing the risk of accidental slippage of the rubber dam from the holder.  
         SUMMARY  
         [0010]    In one aspect, a dental clamp clamps a tooth and supporting a flexible sheet around the tooth during a dental operation. The dental clamp includes oppositely disposed jaws, each having a wing and a groove extending from an interior of the jaw to an outside edge of the wing; and a resilient bridge connecting oppositely disposed jaws and biasing the jaws toward each other.  
           [0011]    In another aspect, a dental clamp for clamping a tooth and supporting a flexible sheet around the tooth during a dental operation includes oppositely disposed jaws, each having a wing and a plurality of grooves extending diagonally from an interior of the jaw to outside edges of the wing; and a resilient bridge connecting oppositely disposed jaws and biasing the jaws toward each other.  
           [0012]    In another aspect, a dental system includes a flexible sheet to cover teeth; and a dental clamp for clamping a tooth and supporting the flexible sheet around the tooth during a dental operation. The dental clamp includes oppositely disposed jaws, each having a plurality of grooves extending diagonally from a center of the jaw to outside edges of the jaw; and a resilient bridge connecting oppositely disposed jaws and biasing the jaws toward each other.  
           [0013]    Implementations of the above aspects may include one or more of the following. A second groove extends from the center of the jaw to a second outside edge of the wing. Each groove extends diagonally from the interior of the jaw to the second outside edge. Each wing includes one or more openings to receive the tips of pliers to resiliently expand the distance between the jaws prior to insertion on a tooth, for example. Each jaw is shaped to accommodate a molar tooth, a pre-molar tooth, or an incisor tooth. The clamp can be a metal material or a plastic material. The clamp can also be disposable.  
           [0014]    In yet another aspect, a method uses a dental clamp to clamp a tooth and supporting a flexible sheet around the tooth during a dental operation. The dental clamp has oppositely disposed jaws, each having a wing and a groove extending from a center of the jaw to an outside edge of the wing; and a resilient bridge connecting oppositely disposed jaws and biasing the jaws toward each other. The method includes placing the flexible sheet on the clamp; placing the dental clamp with the flexible sheet on the tooth; placing a dental instrument on the groove; moving the dental instrument along the groove to the outside edge of the wing; catching the flexible sheet on top of the wing; and moving the flexible sheet underneath the wing. The clamp may include a curvaceous terminal at one end of each groove to facilitate the placement of the sheet around the tooth.  
           [0015]    Implementations of the method may include moving the dental instrument along a curvaceous terminal positioned at one end of the groove. Additionally, the user can move the dental instrument along a second curvaceous terminal positioned at one end of a second groove.  
           [0016]    Advantages of the invention may include one or more of the following. The clamp provides an improved method of placing a rubber dam and anchoring it to the tooth. The rubber dam is easily mounted on the clamp and does not come loose during dental treatment. Hence, the invention ensure the protective shielding effect of the rubber dam and prevents substances on the outer surface of the rubber dam from entering the oral cavity or prevents substances from the oral cavity from contaminating the tooth or teeth being treated. The clamp can be used for fastening the rubber dam around the teeth to be isolated even though the tooth forms are hardly retentive.  
           [0017]    Other advantages and features will become apparent from the following description, including the drawings and claims.  
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0018]    [0018]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a prior art tooth clamp.  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a clamp.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a second embodiment of a clamp.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 4 shows a top view illustrating in more detail a curvaceous terminal and a groove.  
     
    
     DESCRIPTION  
       [0022]    Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, there is illustrated therein structure diagrams for a grooved dental clamp and its exemplary usage with a rubber dam to isolate and protect a particular tooth for dental work. It will be understood that the groove guides a practitioner in maneuvering the rubber dam on the clamp and provides a tactile and visual feedback, as will be more readily understood from a study of the diagrams.  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a dental clamp  10 . The clamp  10  has a resilient arcuate bow  12  connecting a pair of opposing jaws  14 . The bow  12  is configured to extend over the teeth when the clamp  10  has been properly installed. The jaws  14  define a space to receive a tooth there between.  
         [0024]    Each jaw  14  includes a plate  18  with an aperture  20  therethrough. The aperture  20  accommodates in a conventional manner a rubber dam forceps (shown in FIG. 3) for spreading the jaws  14  apart in order to install the clamp  10  around a tooth (shown in FIG. 3). The plate  18  extends forward in a generally lateral direction from the end of the bow  12  and may be curved. The outward edge of the plate  18  terminates in a generally laterally disposed dam engaging wing  26 . In one embodiment, the wing  26  is bent slightly downwardly from the top of the plate  18 . The clamp  10  may optionally have a dam tab  22  that extends forwardly from the plate  18 .  
         [0025]    Each plate  18  also includes one or more grooves  24  that extend from one side of the plate  18  or from the interior of the plate  18  to the outer edge of the wing  26 . In one embodiment, the groove  24  extends from the aperture  20  to the outer edge of the wing  26 .  
         [0026]    The groove  24  is approximately 1 mm deep, but can have any suitable depth to guide an instrument toward the outer edge of the plate  24 . In another embodiment, the groove  24  extends from the aperture  20  to one corner of the wing  26 .  
         [0027]    The groove provides a path to guide a dental instrument placed on the interior of the plate  18  toward the outer edge of the wing  26 . Once the tip of the instrument is placed on the plate, a dental practitioner such as a dentist or a dental assistant moves the tip of the instrument across the plate  18  to locate the groove  24 . Once the groove  24  is located, the practitioner follows the path of the groove  24  toward the outer edge of the wing  26 . Once at the edge, the practitioner can use a tip of the instrument to stretch a rubber dam beyond the wing  26 .  
         [0028]    Although a single groove  24  can be used per each plate  18 , in the embodiment of FIG. 2, another groove  25  is used. In this embodiment, the groove  24  diagonally extends from one side  19  extending from the interior of the plate  18  to a first corner of the wing  26 , while the groove  25  diagonally extends from the interior of the plate  18  to a second corner of the wing  26 .  
         [0029]    During operation, a dental practitioner places the flexible sheet on the clamp; placing the dental clamp with the flexible sheet on the tooth; places a dental instrument on the groove; moving the dental instrument along the groove to the outside edge of the wing; catches the flexible sheet on top of the wing; and moves the flexible sheet underneath the wing.  
         [0030]    An exemplary use of the clamp of FIG. 2 is demonstrated. As with a conventional dental clamp, a rubber dam is attached to the clamp  10  by stretching the edges of a hole in the rubber dam over the wings  26 . Additionally, the dam tab  22  is inserted into the dam hole to further spread the edges of the dam hole apart and increase the size of the dam hole. Using a suitable tool such as rubber dam forceps, the clamp  10  is placed over the selected tooth, thereby positioning the rubber dam in place.  
         [0031]    Next, a dental instrument is placed on the interior  19  of the plate  18  and is positioned to move toward the outer edge of the wing  26 . Once the tip of the instrument is placed on the plate  18 , a dental practitioner such as a dentist or a dental assistant moves the tip of the instrument over the plate  18  to locate the groove  24 . Once the groove is located, the practitioner follows the path of the groove  24  toward the outer edge of the wing  26  extending from the plate  18 . Once at the edge, the practitioner can use a tip of the instrument to stretch a rubber dam beyond the wing  26  and then slip the rubber dam underneath the wing  26  to secure the rubber dam to the clamp  10 . The thus placed rubber dam isolates and shields the tooth tightly, so as to prevent the passage of liquids. The dam also prevents ingestion by the patient of medicine or other substances associated with the operation and inhibits the introduction of bacteria and other contaminants from the mouth into the operating theater around the tooth during the procedure.  
         [0032]    Referring now to FIG. 3, a second embodiment  11 ′ is shown. This embodiment is similar to the embodiment of FIG. 2, with the addition of curvaceous terminal(s)  30  to the end of the groove(s)  24 . A top view of the groove  24  and the curvaceous terminal  30  is detailed in FIG. 4. The curvaceous terminal  30  provides additional guidance to the dental practitioner in slipping a rubber dam underneath the wing  26 . During operation, the practitioner places an instrument on the groove and follows the path of the groove  24  toward the outer edge of the wing  26 . Once at the edge, the practitioner can use a tip of the instrument to follows the curvaceous terminal  30  in stretching the rubber dam beyond the wing  26  and then slip the rubber dam underneath the wing  26  to secure the rubber dam to the clamp  10 . Although the embodiment of FIG. 3 shows a plurality of grooves  24 /terminals  30  on the plate  18 , only one set of groove and terminal may be used on each plate  18 .  
         [0033]    The invention has been described herein in considerable detail in order to comply with the patent Statutes and to provide those skilled in the art with the information needed to apply the novel principles and to construct and use such specialized components as are required. However, it is to be understood that the invention can be carried out by specifically different equipment and devices, and that various modifications, both as to the equipment details and operating procedures, can be accomplished without departing from the scope of the invention itself.