Title: Hygiene instrument for cleaning and polishing the surface of the teeth and the composite materials of dental fillings
Abstract: Hygiene instrument for removing stains, cleaning and polishing the surface of the teeth and the composite materials of dental fillings.The structure of the hygiene instrument is made up of fibers and optionally a load of particles embedded in a resinous matrix giving the working surface of the hygiene instrument a continuous abrasive power.
Patent Number: 6,860,738 Issued on 03/01/2005 to Bachmann, et al.
| Inventors:
|
Bachmann; Marc William (20 rue Biron, 34190 Ganges, FR);
Bachmann; Sonia (20 rue Biron, 34190 Ganges, FR)
|
| Appl. No.:
|
098961 |
| Filed:
|
March 15, 2002 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
| Nov 26, 1999[EP] | 999440327 |
| Current U.S. Class: |
433/142 |
| Intern'l Class: |
A61C 003//06 |
| Field of Search: |
433/142,141,146,147,125,166
51/308,298
451/41
|
References Cited [Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
| 1813675 | Jul., 1931 | Moore | 433/142.
|
| 2122920 | Jul., 1938 | Russell | 433/142.
|
| 2474684 | Jun., 1949 | McCaughey | 433/142.
|
| 2937446 | May., 1960 | Weisenfeld | 433/142.
|
| 3698388 | Oct., 1972 | Muhler.
| |
| 3775848 | Dec., 1973 | Barnett.
| |
| 4462136 | Jul., 1984 | Nakao et al.
| |
| 4946389 | Aug., 1990 | Weissenburger | 433/142.
|
| 5114438 | May., 1992 | Leatherman et al. | 51/296.
|
| 5118291 | Jun., 1992 | Varaine | 433/142.
|
| 5273559 | Dec., 1993 | Hammar et al. | 51/298.
|
| 5290170 | Mar., 1994 | Weissenfluh et al. | 433/142.
|
| 5697390 | Dec., 1997 | Garrison et al. | 132/321.
|
| 5797748 | Aug., 1998 | Reynaud et al. | 433/224.
|
| Foreign Patent Documents |
| 0 425 357 | May., 1991 | EP.
| |
| 11192246 | Jul., 1999 | EP.
| |
Primary Examiner: Bumgarner; Melba
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Young & Basile, P.C.
Parent Case Text
This application is a Continuation-In-Part Ser. No. 09/761,200 filed Jan.
16, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,874 which is a Continuation-in-Part of
Ser. No. 09/561,803 filed on May 1, 2000, now abandoned.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. Hygiene instrument for cleaning, removing stains and polishing the
surface of teeth and/or composite materials of dental fillings wherein the
instrument has a shape of a rod and wherein a structure of the rod
comprises fibers selected from the group consisting of fibers made of
quartz and fibers made of pure silica, embedded in a resinous matrix
giving a continous abrasive power to a working surface of the rod; and the
structure of the rod furthermore comprises a load of particles selected
from the group consisting of china clay, hydrated kaolin, talc and a
polytetrafluoroethylene powder.
2. Hygiene instrument for cleaning, removing stains and polishing the
surface of teeth and/or composite materials of dental fillings wherein the
instrument has a shape of a rod and wherein a structure of the rod
comprises fibers selected from the group consisting of fibers made of
quartz and fibers made of pure silica, embedded in a resinous matrix
giving a continuous abrasive power to a working surface of the rod,
wherein the structure of the rod furthermore comprises a load of particles
of china clay.
3. The instrument according to claim 1 wherein the resinous matrix is made
of one of a thermohardening polymer matrix and a thermoplastic polymer
matrix.
4. The instrument according to claim 1, wherein the fibers constitute
between 45 and 65% by volume of the rod.
5. A The instrument according to claim 1 wherein the load of particles
constitutes between 5 and 30% by weight of the rod.
6. The instrument according to claim 1 wherein the rod has a cylindrical
shape of which one end is beveled.
7. The instrument according to claim 6 wherein the beveled end is
longitudinally beveled in such a manner to form two adjacent sides making
a specific angle there between.
8. The instrument according to claim 1 comprising a handle created in one
piece with the rod, this handle being made from the same material as the
rod.
9. The instrument according to claim 1 comprising a handle created in one
piece with the rod, this handle being made of the material different from
the rod.
10. The instrument according to claim 1 wherein the rod has two beveled
ends, one end having a thin and pointed shape for penetrating into the
interdentals spaces and the other end having a rectangular cross section
and being beveled to rub the internal and external surfaces of the teeth.
11. Hygiene instrument for cleaning, removing stains and polishing the
surface of teeth and/or composite materials of dental fillings wherein the
instrument has a shape of a rod having two beveled ends, one end having a
thin and pointed shape for penetrating into the interdental spaces and the
other end having a rectangular cross section and being beveled to rub the
internal and external surfaces of the teeth and wherein a structure of the
rod comprises fibers made of a glass which is enriched with zirconium
oxide embedded in a resinous matrix giving continuous abrasive power to a
working surface of the rod, wherein the structure of the rod comprises a
load of particles selected from the group consisting of china clay,
hydrated kaolin, talc and a polytetrafluoroethylene powder.
12. The instrument according to claim 11 wherein the load of particles
constitutes between 5 and 30% by weight of the rod.
13. Hygiene instrument, for use by professionals, for cleaning, removing
stains and polishing the surface of teeth and/or composite materials of
dental fillings wherein the instrument has a shape of a bur and wherein a
structure of the bur comprises fibers selected from the group consisting
of fibers made of a glass which is enriched with zirconium oxide, fibers
made of quartz and fibers made of pure silica, embedded in a resinous
matrix giving a continuous abrasive power to a working surface of the bur
wherein the structure of the bur furthermore comprises a load of particles
selected from the group consisting of china clay, hydrated kaolin, talc
and a polytetrafluoroethylene powder.
14. The instrument according to claim 13 wherein the resin matrix is made
of one of the thermohardening polymer matrix and thermoplastic polymer
matrix.
15. The instrument according to claim 13, wherein the fibers constitute
between 45 and 65% by volume of the rod.
16. Hygiene instrument for use by professionals, for cleaning, removing
stains and polishing the surface of teeth and/or composite materials of
dental fillings wherein the instrument has a shape of a bur and wherein a
structure of the bur comprises fibers selected from the group consisting
of fibers made of a glass which is enriched with zirconium oxide, fibers
made of quartz and fibers made of pure silica, embedded in a resinous
matrix giving a continuous abrasive power to a working surface of the bur,
wherein the structure of the bur furthermore comprises a load of particles
of china clay.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The subject of this invention is an hygiene instrument, also called
hereinafter polisher, for removing stains, cleaning and polishing the
surface of the teeth and/or composite materials of dental fillings, the
instrument or polisher being designed to be used by private individuals
i.e., for home care as well as by practitioners of dental art.
One knows that correct maintenance of the teeth consists of daily
elimination of dental plaque and food debris from the surface of the teeth
and from the spaces between the teeth by a careful brushing, followed by
the use of instruments used only once, such as toothpicks made of wood,
plastic, or bird feathers; single tufted brushes; bottle brushes or dental
floss.
However these instruments are not satisfactory.
The sticks, commonly called toothpicks, are made of wood or bird feathers
and are not hygienic, they break easily, and they are traumatic to the
gums; if made of plastic they are simultaneously too thick and too
flexible and don't easily pass between the teeth.
Dental floss, made of silk or nylon materials, is efficient but has
problems in crossing the point of contact of the teeth if these latter are
too close from each other, and it shreds and remains stuck between the
teeth, provoking immediate discomfort. The small brushes and the bottle
brushes cannot be used when the spaces between the teeth are narrow, and
their high cost is an obstacle to their regular use.
Dental professionals, dentists and hygienists must eliminate deposits,
stains, and discolorations of the tooth surface and have, for the cleaning
and polishing of the teeth and fillings made of composite materials, a
vast array of instruments and devices, such as rotating brushes,
instruments to remove tartar, ultrasonic instruments, air-polishers, or
also abrasive strips or discs
However, these instruments present the following drawbacks:
The rotating brushes, used with a cleaning powder, possess a very
significant abrasive power that leads to excessive abrasion of the raised
tooth surfaces. Furthermore, they cannot reach the interdental spaces to
remove stains and deposits.
The instruments made of stainless steel that remove tartar only act at
their points of contact with the tooth and are time and attention
demanding, which leads to an elevated cost for a well done job.
Ultrasonic instruments have an end that is too large to go into small
fractures and most of the time they are painful so that an anesthetic
injection in the gum of the patient is rendered necessary.
Air polishers, which work like a micro-sandblaster by projecting a powder
at a supersonic speed, unpolish the enamel, and consequently require a
careful repolishing of the teeth with another otherwise adapted powder
because in the absence of such a repolishing the surface of the teeth very
quickly retarnishes. They are also rather painful in contact with gums.
Abrasive strips, made of fabric or plastic covered with an abrasive glue,
introduced between the teeth and moved in a backwards and forwards
movement are supposed to polish the proximal sides of the teeth, which
requires the practician to hold the bands between the two fingers at each
end in the oral cavity: this uncomfortable position does not allow one to
correctly guide the strip to make it to conform to the shape of the
proximal surface of the tooth. In addition, during this movement, if this
extremely fine strip comes into contact with the gums, it can cut them
like a razor and furthermore the strip loses its abrasive coat very
quickly, which causes it to unglue itself while crossing over the contact
point of the teeth if the teeth are sharp and/or very close from each
other.
The abrasive disks, mounted on rotating instruments, are disks of a small
diameter made of a plastic material covered with an abrasive material
which can cut the gums and cannot penetrate the space between the teeth.
Finally, in a dental office, the difficulty, during the finishing and
polishing of fillings made of a composite material, rests in the creation
of a composite-tooth seal without excess while being perfectly polished.
There still is a problem of access and of instrumentation more or less
imperfectly adapted and not giving total satisfaction.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The goal of this invention is to remedy the drawbacks of existing
instruments by proposing an instrument or polisher, with a low cost, which
allows the cleaning and polishing of dental surfaces and which can be used
by professionals without any pain or discomfort for the patient as well as
private individuals.
The instrument or polisher for cleaning the surface of the teeth is created
in the shape of a rod, which, in turn, can be shaped as a bur, and is
characterized essentially by the structure of the rod which comprises
fibers and optionally a load of particles embedded in a resinous matrix,
the structure giving the working surface of the rod a continuous abrasive
power effect and the rod being rigid.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In a first embodiment of this invention, the rod is made only of abrasive
fibers embedded in a resinous matrix and is rigid. The abrasive fibers
give a scratching action, which removes stains.
In a second embodiment of this invention, the rod is made of abrasive
fibers and a load of abrasive particles which are included in the resin
matrix and is rigid, and the abrasive function created by the fibers or by
the particles can be the same or different according to the choice of
fibers and particles.
In a third embodiment of this invention, the structure of the rod is
created from abrasive fibers and non-abrasive particles embedded in a
resinous matrix, these unabrasive particles being able to smooth the
abrasive power of the fiber and permitting to obtain a desired viscosity
of the resin.
The structure of the rod can contain, in addition, a nucleus, made of a
metal, a resin or a composite material, of a same or different type from
the material forming the rod, and of the same or a different color.
The particles of the load allow, depending on their type, their shapes,
their dimensions, and/or their quantity, to make varying the abrasive
effect of the instrument, these particles, having preferably a hardness
between 3 and 10 on the MOHS scale and a size between 2 and 25 microns.
The particles can be of the same size or have different sizes in order to
diminish the interstitial spaces between adjacent particles and in order
to promote regularity of the abrasive effect.
The load of these particles can vary from 5 to 30 weight % of the total
weight of the resin plus the load of the particles.
The particles of the load incorporated into the resin during the
fabrication process, of the instrument or polisher i.e. by extrusion,
coextrusion, or by compression molding, transfer-compression, injection or
pultrusion, allows one to obtain the researched viscosity to promote the
sliding of the resin during the polymerization in the dies or in the
molds. According to the method of production of the invention's instrument
or polisher to be obtained, the particles of the load can be made:
on the one hand, of materials with an abrasive power, such as calcium
carbonate, calcined clay, silica, glass or ceramic microspheres, aluminum
oxide, such as alumina or even corundum, cerium oxide, tin oxide and
mixtures or analogs thereof,
on the other hand, of a material which does not possess an abrasive power
but has a function of softening the abrasive effect procured by the fibers
such as China clay or hydrated kaolin, talc, and a polytetrafluoroethylene
(P.T.F.E.) sold under the trademark Teflon.RTM. powder,
or of a mixture of the two preceding material types.
According to the invention, the fibers can be continuous or not, parallel
or not, or assembled, for example, in the shape of coils, braids, or
links.
When hardened, the resinous matrix gives rigidity to the polisher of the
invention.
Still according to the invention, the proportion of the volume of fibers
will be preferably from 45 to 65 volume % of the total volume of the
fibers plus the resinous matrix, the resinous matrix optionally containing
the load of particles, and the fibers can be glass fibers and notably AR
glass fibers i.e. a glass enriched with zirconium oxide. Such volume
proportions approximately correspond to weight percents varying from 45 to
55% of the total weight of the fibers plus the resinous matrix. The most
preferably the fibers are chosen in the group constituted by fibers made
of a glass which is enriched with zirconium oxide, fibers made of quartz
or fibers made of pure silica. They can also be carbon fibers, or
synthetic fibers, preferably aramide fibers such as Kevlar.RTM.. In all
these alternatives, the fibers will have a diameter of between 2 and 25
microns, preferably of between 14 and 25 microns and most preferably of 20
microns.
In the first preferred embodiment of the invention, the fibers are fibers
made of a glass which is enriched with zirconium oxide. These fibers give
the instrument or polisher a very good resistance to acidic and/or
alkaline agents and make the instrument detectable by electromagnetic
radiation and, notably by X-rays, i.e. by a mere and common medical
radiography.
In the second preferred embodiment of the invention, the fibers are made of
quartz or pure silica. These fibers have the advantage, like fibers made
of a glass which is enriched with zirconium oxide not to disintegrate in
tiny fibrils, which disseminate in the mouth when the polisher of the
invention is used, and to be resistant to alkaline or acid agents contrary
to fibers of common glass.
In a third preferred embodiment, the polisher of the invention is made of
fibers of quartz, pure silica or glass enriched with zirconium oxide and
of a load of non abrasive particles, such as China clay, hydrated
kaolites, talc or a polytetrafluoroethylene (P.T.F.E.) sold under the
trademark Teflon.RTM. powder, embedded in a resin matrix.
In a fourth preferred embodiment of the invention, the fibers are fibers
made of aramide, such as Kevlar.RTM. or Twaron.RTM.. These fibers enable
to obtain a working surface, i.e a polishing surface, of the instrument or
polisher of the invention, with a felt texture. In this latter case, the
aramide fibers do not have any polishing function but they have the
function to give the polishing surface of the polisher of the invention a
felt texture and also they act as a rigid skeleton in the polisher of the
invention. Consequently, in this embodiment, it is necessary to add
abrasive powders either in the resin matrix of the polisher of the
invention or onto its polishing surface. Such preferred abrasive polishing
powders are powders of inorganic materials such as tin oxide or cerium
oxide or alumina and mixtures of analogs thereof.
The resinous matrix will be made of thermohardening polymer resins or
thermoplastic polymer resins and, preferably, of epoxy or polyester or
polyether ketone (PEEK) resins and gives rigidity to the polisher of the
invention.
The instrument or polisher of the invention can furthermore comprise
surface treating agents, such as titanates, zirconates, or preferably
silanes, in order to increase the adhesion of the particles to the resin.
The structure of the instrument or polisher according to the invention thus
enables one to give the polisher the fineness required to access the
tightest spaces between the teeth, without risk of fracture and without
danger for the teeth or the periodontal area, as well as all the desired
shapes to conform to the dental surfaces as closely as possible.
In addition, the structure of the instrument or polisher with abrasives
fibers according to the invention gives it a permanent abrasive power,
because the abrasive agents are entirely a part of its structure and, as
one goes along using this instrument, the working surface of the
instrument or polisher always includes new sections of fibers and/or
particles which insure its abrasive function.
Finally, its structure enables it to be cleaned, decontaminated, or
sterilized and renders it an instrument or polisher perfectly adapted to
the hygienic and bio-compatibility requirements for a use in the oral
cavity.
The instrument or polisher according to this invention thus offers to
private individuals a means of hygiene and maintenance of their teeth
which is efficient, easy to use, without danger, and economical, also
enabling them to eliminate the stains and undesirable discoloration, even
in places difficult to access, and such a polisher had no equivalent until
the invention.
As already disclosed above, the polisher of the invention can be used as
well by private individuals as by professionals.
When to be used by private individuals, the polisher of invention must have
a shape that permits it to be taken by hand. Thus, preferably the polisher
of the invention is constituted of a rod comprising fibers and optionally
a load of particles, both the fibers and the particles being embedded in a
resinous matrix, at least one end of which is beveled.
In one embodiment, the rod has only one beveled end, which is the end to be
applied to the teeth, i.e. the working end. The other end of the rod is
used to handle the polisher of the invention.
In another embodiment, the rod still has one beveled and i.e. the working
end and, at the other end, a handle made of different material.
However, the polisher of the invention can also have each of its end
beveled, both of them being working ends. In this case, preferably one end
has a thin and pointed shape in order to penetrate in the interdental
spaces and the other end has a rectangular beveled cross section in order
to permit to rub the front and rear surfaces of the teeth. Otherwise
stated, the polisher of the invention has the shape of the tooth sticks
made of wood that presently exists.
Professionals in their practice can also use this hand polisher.
However, for those professionals, the polisher of the invention can be
shaped as burs made from the inventions rod. The burs work by being fixed
by a latch or friction grip attachment into a rotating dental hand piece
or contra-angle that every dentist owns. Consequently, no further expenses
are incurred such expenses incurred for buying special devices.
These burs can be used with success:
to remove stains and to clean teeth,
to polish the enamel after ultrasonic scaling. Indeed to remove calculus,
the dentists use hand scalers and ultrasonic scaling and, when this
procedure is achieved, tiny particles remain in the mouth and on the teeth
and give to the patient the feeling of rough surfaces. The use of the
rotating burs made according to the invention eliminates these relieves
and give and gives a smooth and comfortable feeling,
to eliminate soft tartar deposits from the buccal surface of the teeth
which are difficult to be reached,
to grind composite fillings, in particular the excess of composite in the
interdental spaces where no instrument is able to do a quick and nice job.
Indeed, diamond burs used to do it are too much abrasive, they grind the
enamel, the composite and the dentin, resulting in grooves instead of a
smooth surfaces.
However the burs of the invention can also be used for root surfacing.
Indeed, in periodontal therapy, to remove calculus the dentist proceeds
under gingival, either in a blind manner or with a gingival flap surgery,
first with hand scalers and ultrasonic scalers. To be successful in this
therapy, it is necessary to obtain completely smoothen root surfaces; to
do this particular work, the burs of the invention are particularly
suitable because they polish the enamel without grinding it an they gently
sand the dentin of the root, giving clean and smooth surfaces.
These operations are done by rotation of the burs at low and medium speeds
or from 1,000 to 5,000 RPM under a flow of water into the gingival sulcus,
to wipe away all grinding dusts.
The instrument or polisher of this invention enables dental professionals
to gain a considerable time and efficiency and gives their patients, more
comfort, and better results, without any loss of their dental integrity,
and at a lower cost and above all without any pain or discomfort.
Another advantage of the instrument or polisher of the invention is its low
cost. Indeed, they are shaped, from the rod of the invention, in one
single operation. Then, they are ready to be used, contrarily to a diamond
bur that needs to be shaped as a preform from a steel rod, then glued and
covered with diamond powder which is nickel-electroplated to bond it, and
then laser engraved.
Furthermore dental devices of the prior art, which have a significant cost,
must be cleaned and sterilized prior to be reused. In case of any failure
in the sterilization chain there is a major danger to make a cross
contamination between patients.
For this reason more and more medical materials are for unique use i.e.
disposable.
The burs according to the invention have a low price so that they can be
sold s disposable burs to be used only one time and thrown away: this
advantage and the efficiency at the burs of the invention give the dental
practice and public health an effective low cost and safe instruments
which are not existing today.
The burs of the invention can also be advantageously used to enlarge the
gingival sulcus before taking impressions at chair side. Such an
enlargement conducted with the burs of the invention is advantageous
because it produces a soft peeling of the gingival, contrarily to the
enlargement conducted with the presently used diamond burs, while still
permitting a good healing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The advantages and features of the present invention will become clearer in
the following description, which is made in relation to the attached
drawings representing a non-limiting embodiment.
FIG. 1a is a profile view of a tooth-cleaning instrument or polisher
according to the invention following a particular form;
FIG. 1b is a profile view of a tooth-cleaning instrument or polisher
according to the invention following another form;
FIG. 1c is a profile view of a tooth-cleaning instrument or polisher
according to the invention according to another form;
FIG. 1d is an end view of the instrument or polisher represented in FIG.
1c;
FIG. 2 represents a partial, transversely cut view of a tooth-cleaning
instrument or polisher according to the invention in a preferred
embodiment of its internal structure;
FIG. 3a is a profile view of a polisher for professionals following a
particular shape;
FIG. 3b is a profile view of a polisher for professionals following a
second particular shape;
FIG. 3c is a profile view of a polisher for professionals following a third
particular shape;
FIG. 3d is a profile view of a polisher for professionals following a
fourth particular shape;
FIG. 3e is a profile view of a polisher for professionals following a fifth
particular shape;
FIG. 3f is a profile view of a working end of a polisher for professionals
following a sixth particular shape;
FIG. 3g is a view from above of a polisher for professionals following a
seventh particular shape;
FIG. 3h is a profile view of the polisher for professionals following the
eight particular shape; and
FIG. 3i is a profile view of the polisher for professionals following a
ninth particular shape.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
If one refers to FIGS. 1a, 1b, and 1c, one can see that a tooth-cleaning
instrument or polisher according to the present invention presents itself
in the shape of a rod 1 consisting of a handle 10 to hold on to and a part
11 comprising a working end 11' enabling one to polish the surface of
teeth. The handle 10 and part 11 will preferably be made of only one piece
i.e. of the same material as is the case in the figures, or the handle 10
will be an added part made of a different or same material as the part 11.
The part 11 has a cylindrical shape and its working end 11' is beveled
obliquely (FIG. 1a), or in a manner more or less rounded (FIGS. 1b and
1c), or is straight. One can also see in FIGS. 1c and 1d that part 11 can
also be beveled longitudinally in such a manner to form two adjacent sides
13, 13', forming a certain angle there between and slightly curved.
The working end 11' can have many various shapes, as well in order to
penetrate different spaces between teeth, especially very small spaces, as
in order to be able to clean and polish the teeth by moving the rod in a
back and forth, an up and down, movement in contact with the surfaces to
be cleaned.
The polishing of the teeth is made possible thanks to the particular
structure 2 of the rod 11 which gives it, during the entire polishing
operation, an abrasive power which continuously renews itself. The
structure 2 is made up of, as one can see on FIG. 2, abrasive fibers 20,
each forming a file, embedded in a resinous matrix 21 preferably made on
the basis of an epoxy resin.
In the first particularly preferred embodiment, the instrument or polisher
of the invention is constituted of fibers 20 made of glass enriched with
zirconia ZrO.sub.2, these fibers 20 bing embedded in a resin matrix. The
fibers 20 made of a glass which is enriched with zirconium oxide are
fibers manufactured from a glass which has itself been manufactured by
melting raw materials powders among which zirconium oxide or a precursor
of zirconium oxide. In this glass, zirconium oxide replaces and
substitutes to a part of the other usual constituents of a glass as well
before as after the melting of the constituents of the glass i.e. the
manufacture of the glass. For use in the invention the glass from which
the fibers 20 are manufactured preferably contains between 15 and 20% by
weight of zirconium oxide as compared to the total weight of the
constituents of the glass and the most preferably between 16,8 and 17,1%
by weight of zirconium oxide as compared to the total weight of the
constituents of the glass. From this glass, glass fibers are spun and then
embedded within a resin matrix. Then one gives the desired shape to the
instrument or polisher of the invention and, as already described, the
working end 11' is beveled either obliquely or in a more or less rounded
fashion or longitudinally in order to form two adjacent faces 13, 13',
which make a certain angle between them and slightly curved.
This polisher containing fibers of a glass enriched with zirconium oxide
possesses numerous advantages.
First of all, the fibers 20 made of a glass enriched with zirconium oxide
are resistant to acid and/or alkaline agents and consequently render the
polisher of the invention resistant to acid and/or alkaline agents. This
is very interesting because the mouth is a medium, which can alternatively
be acid or alkaline.
That is to say that the fibers 20 made of a glass enriched with zirconium
oxide, contrarily to classic glass fibers made of glass non enriched with
zirconium oxide, are not attached by acid or alkaline agents present in
the mouth, during their use in the mouth, and consequently do not lead to
the formation of residues which could be noxious.
Furthermore, the fibers 20 made of a glass enriched with zirconium oxide
are radiopaque to electromagnetic radiations and thus render the
instrument or polisher of the invention detectable by X-rays, enabling to
locate it in case of accidental ingestion.
But more importantly, contrarily to the classic glass fibers, which
disintegrate in tiny fibrils when used as a polisher, these fibrils
overunning the mouth, the fibers made of a glass which is enriched with
zirconium oxide do not produce such fibrils.
Indeed, a dental instrument or polisher made from fibers of classic glass,
i.e. a glass non enriched with zirconium oxide, when used as a polisher,
forms small fibrils which are irritating and even dangerous for the mucosa
and soft parts of the user. These fibrils are even more dangerous if they
are swallowed. The user, when using a polisher constituted of such fibers
made of a classic glass, such as E glass, has the mouth filled with such
fibrils, rendering such a polisher particularly dangerous and unpleasant
to use. In contract, the polisher of the invention made from fibers of a
glass enriched with zirconium oxide does not have such drawbacks.
In a second particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the
instrument or polisher of the invention is constituted of quartz or pure
silica fibers embedded in a resinous matrix.
Indeed such a polisher possesses the same advantages as the polisher
constituted of fibers made of a glass enriched of zirconium oxide
according to the first preferred embodiment of the invention, except that
they do not render the polisher or instrument radiopaque.
According to a particularly third preferred embodiment of the invention,
the polisher of the invention is constituted of fibers made of a material
chosen from the group constituted of a glass enriched with zirconium
oxide, pure silica fibers and quartz fibers or a mix of them and of a load
of particles of a material chosen from the group consisting of China clay,
hydrated kaolin, talc and a polytetrafluoroethylene (P.T.F.E.) sold under
the trademark Teflon.RTM. powder, the fibers and particles being embedded
in a resinous matrix. Indeed, by incorporating such a load of particles of
such a material, which does not possess an abrasive powder of the fibers,
is soften and one is allowed to obtain the researched viscosity of the
resin.
The softening of the abrasive powder of the fibers presents the advantage
of obtaining a good cleaning and whitening of the teeth without excess
noxious abrasive action when this polisher is used.
The viscosity of the resin that is researched is the one that promotes the
sliding of the resin in the dies or in the molds in which the polisher of
the invention is manufactured.
Preferably, the particles constitute from 5 to 30 weight percent of the
total weight of the resin and particles.
This means that one adds from 5 to 30 weight parts of particles into 70
weight parts of resin.
The preferred load of particles is constituted by China clay. In this case,
preferably the load of China particles constitutes from 5 to 10 weight
percent of the total weight of the resin particles.
In a fourth particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the
instrument or polisher of the invention is constituted of aramide fibers,
such as Kevlar.RTM. fibers, embedded in a resin matrix. The aramide fibers
are particularly advantageous because when they are put at the desired
shape, for example by machining, they produce filaments that do not
completely take off from the machined part. This behavior is generally
considered as a drawback of these fibers but, in the case of the polisher
of the invention, this behavior is an advantage.
Indeed, during the manufacture of the beveled working end 11' of the
polisher of the invention, this behavior enables to create a surface of
the working end 11' which has a felted texture, and this is particularly
advantageous in the case of a polisher.
However, the aramide fibers do not have any polishing function. Here, they
have the function to create the rigid skeleton of the polisher of the
invention and also to create a surface of the working end 11' having a
felted texture. Then it is necessary to add abrasive powders in the resin
matrix of the polisher of the invention. However the abrasive powders may
also be added onto the surface of the working end 11', before each use.
Preferred abrasive powders that can be used for this aim are powders of
tin oxide or cerium oxide or alumina and a mixture thereof.
Whereas the polisher according to the first preferred embodiment of the
invention in which the fibers 20 are fibers made of a glass which is
enriched with zirconium oxide, or of pure silica or quartz, is more
particularly designed for a domestic use, by the private individual, the
polisher of the invention according to the fourth preferred embodiment in
which the fibers 20 are aramide fibers and in which the resin matrix
furthermore contains abrasive agents such as tin oxide, cerium oxide or
alumina, is more particularly designed for a use by a professional.
Indeed, it can be used not only by hand, but also fixed to an apparatus
capable to put it in rotation or vibration.
However, the polisher according to the first, second and third embodiments
of the invention are also usable by a professional in the shape of burs.
When the polisher of all the embodiments of the invention is to be used by
professionals, it is particularly advantageous that the polisher be
specifically designated under a shape that render it usable with the
rotating instrument, usually used by these professionals.
Indeed, presently diamond burs are too abrasive and indifferently grind
down as well the enamel as the dentine of the teeth that creates notches
and grooves in the sound enamel of the teeth, impairing the protective
function of enamel against dental decays.
Furthermore, the important abrasive power of the diamond burs erases the
differences of relief existing between the enamel and the dentine insuring
deflection of food and keeping them away from the gums around the tooth,
which is very important for the prophylaxis of parodontopathies.
Moreover, the polisher of the invention does not create any pains or
discomfort for the patient, contrarily to the polisher presently used.
For this aim, the polisher of the invention can be shaped to fit
contra-angles and hand pieces like the burs used by the professionals when
rotating movements on the teeth are wanted.
Thus, the polisher of the invention can be shaped in order to fit
contra-angles or hand pieces presently used by the professionals when an
alternative back and forth or up and down movement or a combination a back
and forth and up and down movements on teeth are wanted.
These shapes are well known from the man skilled in the art and exist at
the present time for diamond burs.
For example, the polisher of the invention can have the shape of a rod 11
of a diameter of 2,35 mm and a length between 15 and 30 mm having a
working end an active portion (the working end 11') and at the other hand
a shape 40, 41 designed for fitting in the presently existing dental tools
support of burs such as contra-angles or hand pieces used by the
professionals such as presented in FIG. 3de.
The active portion or working end 11', the polisher may have any shapes
such as the shape of a shell, a pear or straight or concave cones with
more or less sharp angles as represented in FIG. 3a.
Such shapes are particularly appropriate for cleaning and polishing the
interdental spaces and curve parts of the teeth.
However, the working end 11' can also be flat or have an inversed cone
shape, as represented in FIG. 3d.e. Such shapes are particularly
appropriate for cleaning and polishing wide tooth surfaces.
The working end 11' can also have the shape of a unitary inversed cone the
center of which can be pierced in order to enable it to be fixed through a
screw 30 into the head of the contra-angle which issues its rotation, as
represented in FIG. 3f.
Finally, the working end 11' may have the shape represented in FIG. 3g.i.
i.e. the shape of a straight or concave knife blade.
Such shapes are particularly appropriate for cleaning and polishing not
only the interdental spaces but particularly for removing form the use
interdental spaces the filling composite cement in excess without damaging
the dental enamel.
In any cases, the proportion of the fibers 20 is advantageously between 45
and 65% by volume of the total volume of the fibers plus the resinous
matrix plus the load of particles, when such a load is present, in order
to obtain a good polishing power, and the fibers 20 preferably have a
diameter of between 2 and 25 microns, preferably of between 14 and 25
microns, and most preferably of 20 microns.
The fibers 20 are preferably continuous fibers embedded in a resin matrix
which do not produce particles that can disseminate into the oral cavity.
Another common advantage of the polishers according to the first and second
preferred embodiments of the invention is that they are usable not only
for polishing natural teeth but also for polishing composite materials
which are used as dental filling material or as material for a dental
prosthetic element.
In particular the polisher according to the first preferred embodiment of
the invention is which the fibers 20 are fibers made of a glass which is
enriched with zirconium oxide can be used for giving the shape to the
composite material and for obtaining a smooth and appropriate surface of
the dental composite material. However the dental composite material after
such a polishing with such a polisher has a matte finish and therefore
should be rendered bright by a finer polishing. This is advantageously
obtained by using the polisher according to the second preferred
embodiment of the invention, in which the fibers 20 are aramide fibers,
this polisher being preferably placed on a device that enables to put the
polisher of the invention in rotation or vibration. This finishing enables
to attain a bright aspect that is very closed from, if not identical to,
the natural dental enamel.
It is to be noted that when the polisher according to the first preferred
embodiment of the invention in which the fibers 20 are fibers made of a
glass that is enriched with zirconium oxide s used on natural tooth, it
does not abrade the enamel so that the natural tooth keeps its bright
aspect.
Thus, the instrument or polisher of this invention allows cleaning and
polishing of the dental tissue, while respecting the tooth as well as
cleaning and polishing parts made of a composite material for dental
restoration, and because of its bio-compatible characteristics, is
particularly adapted to the required conditions for the use in the oral
cavity.
Finally, its abrasive power can be chosen and determined according to the
needs by acting on the nature of each of these constituents, that is to
say, the fibers and/or the particles embedded in the resin matrix.
The above is also true for the polisher according to the second and third
embodiments of the invention.
In all the embodiment of the polisher of the invention, the abrasive action
is given by the ends of fibers 20 and/or the load of particles appearing
at the surface of the working end 11' of the fibers 20, this abrasive
action consequently renewing itself as one goes along using the instrument
or polisher of the invention.
As already stated, in all the embodiments of the invention, the polisher is
rigid due to the hardened resinous matrix.
The polisher of the invention is most preferably manufactured by the
pultrusion process that means that the fibers are essentially continuous
fibers extending along the axial direction of the polisher. However, is
this pultrusion process the fibers can also be twisted or winded or used
in a form of a braid.
The finished pultruded product is a rod. This rod will be machined by known
industrial process, like a grinding, to produce the polishers of the
invention.
The section of the rod and of the polisher preferably is round but it can
be produced and used in any geometric shape like square, triangle, oval,
pentagon, hexagon, octagon, etc.
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