Patent Publication Number: US-2013244201-A1

Title: Universal Dental Elevator

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an elevator for loosening or elevating a tooth or implant. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Pliers type devices have long been used to loosen or remove a tooth from a mouth. Through the years improvements have been made in the configuration of the portions of the pliers engaging the tooth and/or the surrounding tissue to make it more convenient or easier to loosen or remove a tooth or a portion of a tooth. U.S. Pat. No. 354,863, issued on Dec. 21, 1886 to F. G. Hughes shows a dental forceps adapted for extracting certain kinds of roots of teeth. The dental forceps shown in the Hughes patent has a swiveling pad mounted on one part of the forceps and a beak formed on the other part of the forceps. Since the forceps is designed to extract roots of teeth, the swiveling pad would have to engage the gum on one side of the root to be extracted. The pad swivels about a ball-shaped head extending toward the beak on the other part of the forceps. Due to the position of the pad and of the beak with respect to the pliers, the pliers can only be conveniently used with respect to teeth in certain positions within a mouth, and then without any apparent leverage advantage provided by the configuration of the pliers. 
     A more recent U.S. Pat. No. 6,910,890, issued Jun. 28, 2005 to Richard Golden shows a dental plier with offsetting jaw and pad elements for assisting in removing upper and lower teeth utilizing the dental plier design. A first operating end of the pliers has an arcuately extending jaw with a substantially pointed end. The second operating end has a ergonomic configuration support surface substantially matching that of a patient&#39;s gum line opposing and offset from the pointed end of the jaw. Due to the fixed relationship of the support surface and the pointed end, only a limited portion of the support surface will engage the gum line, depending on the positioning of the pliers.  FIGS. 4 ,  5 ,  10 ,  11 , and  12 , show various portions of the support surface engaging the gum, depending on the positioning of the dental pliers shown in the Golden patent. Thus, only a small portion of the support surface engages the gum, thereby applying a greater force to a smaller portion of the gum when the tools is used to extract a tooth. The Golden patent indicates that the dental plier is designed such that the pad engages the gum on the buccal side of the tooth being extracted. Further, four variations of the dental pliers of the Golden patent are required for right and left sides of the upper and lower teeth. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is an object of this invention to provide an elevator which is designed to be used to loosen a tooth, implant, or crown located at any position in a mouth. It is a further object of this invention to provide an elevator having a hook shaped member extending from one handle of the elevator and a pad member extending from the other handle, which pad member may be positioned against either the buccal or the lingual side of the tooth or gum, with the hook shaped member on the opposite side, when elevating or loosening a tooth, implant or crown. It is a still further object of this invention to rotationally support the pad member from the handle, such that it will rotated so as to provide the largest possible surface area of engagement between the pad member and the tooth or gum. 
     In accordance with this invention an elevator is provide which may be used to loosen a tooth, implant or crown from any position in a mouth, upper or lower, right side or left side. That is, the elevator of this invention can be used both anterial, posterior, lingually or bacally. Extending from one handle of an elevator in accordance with this invention is a hook shaped member terminating in a curved sharp edge, such that two points are formed at the ends of the sharp edge for engaging the side of a tooth, implant or crown to be loosened and extracted. Extending from the other handle of a forceps in accordance with this invention is a pad, rotationally supported from the handle. The pad is provided with a generally flat surface which will rotate to engage the gum or tooth when the elevator is used to loosen and extract a tooth. The axis or rotation of the pad being perpendicular to the major axis of the handle and the plane in which the handles of the elevator lay. The pair of elevators are mirror images of each other. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a first one of a pair of elevators in accordance with this invention, designed for use in loosening or elevating a tooth, implant or crown from its attachment in a mouth. 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view of a second one of a pair of elevators in accordance with this invention, designed for use in loosening or elevating a tooth, implant or crown from its attachment in a mouth. 
         FIG. 3  is a detailed perspective view of the claw end of one of the arms of the elevator of this invention. 
         FIG. 4  is a view of one of the elevators of this invention shown positioned to be used to elevate or loosen a tooth from the lower left jaw. 
         FIG. 5  is a view of one of the elevators of this invention shown positioned to be used to elevate or loosen a tooth from the lower left jaw. 
         FIG. 6  is a view of one of the elevators of this invention shown positioned to be used to elevate or loosen a tooth from the upper right jaw. 
         FIG. 7  is a view of one of the elevators of this invention shown positioned to be used to elevate or loosen a tooth from the upper right jaw. 
         FIG. 8  is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a first way of rotationally attaching a pad to an elevator in accordance with this invention. 
         FIG. 9  is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a second way of rotationally attaching a pad to an elevator in accordance with this invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring to the  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a complementary pair of elevators  10  and  12  in accordance with this invention are shown. The elevators  10  and  12 , each comprise a first elongated member  14  and a second elongated member  16 , pivotally secured to each other at  18 . The pivotal connection between the first elongated member  14  and the second elongated member  16  may be formed by a rivet extending through holes in both members, or by a projection on one of the members extending into a hole in the other member. First portions  20  of the first and second elongated members extending from said pivotal connection form handles which are essentially the same, and are shaped to provide for easy grasping by a hand to manipulate the elevator. The central principal axis of the handles lay in a plane. 
     A second portion of the first elongated member  14  is formed as a hook shaped member  22 . The hook shaped member  22  extends at essential a right angle to the principal axis of the handle  20  and the plane in which the handles lay, and then curves to the right in elevator  10  and to the left in elevator  12 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the hook shaped members  22  terminate in a sharp edge  24 , having a curved edge, such that two sharp points  26  and  28  are formed for engaging the side of a tooth as will be explained later. The sharp edge  24  along with two sharp points  26  and  28  is commonly called a “bear claw”. 
     A second portion of the second elongated member  16  is formed with an portion  30  which extends at essentially a right angle to the principal axis of the handle portion  20  and the plane is which the handles lay. A pad member  32  has a projecting portion  33  which is mounted for rotation at the distal end of the portion  30 . The pad member rotates about an axis which is essentially at right angles to the major axis of the handle portion  20  and to the plane in which the handles of the pliers lay. In a preferred embodiment of this invention, the pad member may rotate a full 360 degrees with respect to the portion  30 . As shown in the preferred embodiment, the pad has a generally rectangular configuration. 
     Referring to  FIGS. 8 and 9 , two arrangements for rotationally mounting the pad member  32  on the portion  30  are shown. As shown in  FIG. 8 , the pad member  32  is provided with a cylindrical projection  34 , which is received in a hole  35  in a bushing  36 . The distal end of the cylindrical projection  34  is expanded to form a rivet type head  37  to secure the bushing  36  to the pad member  32 . The bushing  36  is received in a hole formed in the distal end of the portion  30 , and is secured therein by tightly forming and securing the portion  30  around the bushing  36 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 9 , a cylindrical projection  38  of the pad member  32  is received in a hole  40  formed in the distal end of the portion  30 . Grooves are formed in the cylindrical projection  38  and the hole  40  to receive a snap ring  42 , which secures the pad member  32  to the portion  30 . Referring to  FIGS. 1 ,  2 ,  7 , and  8 , the length portion  30  and the length of projecting portion may be increased or decreased in length with respect to each other and to provide the desired location of the sharp edge  24  of the hook shaped member with respect to the pad. 
     The use of an elevator to elevate or loosen a tooth from the surrounding tissue in a mouth will be described by making reference to  FIGS. 4-7 . Referring to  FIG. 4 , a tooth  44  and surrounding tissue  46  on the lower left side of a jaw is shown. The pad member  32  of the elevator  10  shown in  FIG. 1  is shown positioned against baccal side of the tooth  44  and surrounding tissue  46 . The sharp edge  24  and more particularly the points  26  and  28  engage the buccal side of the tooth  44 . As the handle portions are held together, the pad member  32  will rotate to rest with its generally flat surface engaging the baccal side of the tooth  44  and surrounding tissue  46 , and the sharp edge  24  and particularly the points  26  and  28  will engage the lingual side of the tooth  44 . While the handles are held together, they may be rocked and lifted with respect to the tooth to elevate or loosen and dislodge the tooth from the surrounding tissue. 
     Referring to  FIG. 5 , the same tooth  44  and surrounding tissue  46  on the lower left side of a jaw is shown. The pad member  32  of the elevator  12  shown in  FIG. 2  is shown positioned against lingual side of the tooth  44  and surrounding tissue  46 . The sharp edge  24  and more particularly the points  26  and  28  engage the buccal side of the tooth  44 . As the handle portions are held together, the pad member  32  will rotate to rest with its flat surface engaging the lingual side of the tooth  44  and surrounding tissue  46 , and the sharp edge  24  and particularly the points  26  and  28  will engage the buccal side of the tooth  44 . While the handles are held together, they may be rocked and lifted with respect to the tooth to elevate, loosen or dislodge the tooth from the surrounding tissue in a mouth. 
     The elevator  12  may be used to elevate or loosen a tooth  48  from the upper right side of a mouth as shown in  FIG. 6 . 
     Similarly, the elevator  10  may be used to elevate or loosen the same tooth  48  from the upper right side of a mouth as shown in  FIG. 7 . 
     Thus, only a pair of elevators  10  and  12  is required to elevate or loosen or dislodge any tooth in a mouth, upper or lower, right or left side. 
     While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that what has been shown and described is considered at present to be a preferred embodiment of the dental elevators of this invention. In accordance with the Patent Statute, changes may be made in the dental elevators of this invention without actually departing from the true spirit and scope of this invention. The appended claims are intended to cover all such changes and modifications which fall in the true spirit and scope of this invention.