Patent ID: 7604479

Claim:
An improved ultrasonic dental instrument comprising a handpiece containing: a source of ultrasonic energy and a mounting stud extending from the source of ultrasonic energy through a front end of the handpiece and an ultrasonic tip removeably connected by an attachment hub thereon to said mounting stud and in operative communication with said source of ultrasonic energy, wherein said improvement comprises a wrench for use in attaching and removing the ultrasonic tip from the handpiece, said wrench comprising a nose piece mounted on the front end of the handpiece and slideable longitudinally from a retracted position to a forward position such that in the retracted position the nose piece does not extend over the attachment hub and is not in engagement with the attachment hub, said nose piece rotateable radially about the front end of the handpiece and when positioned longitudinally forward of the front end of the handpiece, an opening in a front end of the nose piece extends over the attachment hub of the ultrasonic tip, such that rotating the nose piece radially around the front end of the handpiece causes the attachment hub of the ultrasonic tip to rotate to effect securement of the ultrasonic tip to the mounting stud or removal of ultrasonic tip from the mounting stud.