Dental prophylactic cup

Claim 2

In a flexible prophylactic cup for cleaning teeth comprised of an elastomeric material mounted on a holding member, the improvement in the holding member, which comprises: (a) a holding portion having a longitudinal axis and having a proximal end which is rotated by a rotating means on a dental handpiece and having a distal end; and (b) a head portion mounted on the distal end of the holding portion along the longitudinal axis with one end of the head portion mounted adjacent to the handpiece and an opposed end along the longitudinal axis, wherein the head portion is provided with an inlet portion that extends through the head portion intermediate the ends of the head portion and wherein the cup is mounted on the head portion with the material filled in the inlet portion to lock the prophylactic cup on the head portion of the holding member so that the cup remains on the head portion as the teeth are cleaned with the cup.

Claim 3

In a flexible prophylactic cup comprised of an elastomeric material mounted on a holding member, the improvement in the holding member, which comprises: (a) a holding portion having a longitudinal axis and having a proximal end which is rotated by a rotating means on a dental handpiece and having a distal end; and (b) a head portion mounted on the distal end of the holding portion along the longitudinal axis with one end of the head portion having a shoulder mounted adjacent to the handpiece and an opposed end along the axis, wherein the head portion is provided with at least two holes through the head portion which are across the axis and wherein the opposed end of the head portion has at least one slot across the opposed end and wherein the cup is mounted on the head portion with the elastomeric material filled in the holes and the slot.

Claim 4

In a flexible prophylactic cup comprised of an elastomeric material mounted on a holding member, the improvement in the holding member, which comprises: (a) a holding portion having a longitudinal axis and having a proximal end which is rotated by a rotating means on a dental handpiece and having a distal end; and (b) a head portion mounted on the distal end of the holding portion along the longitudinal axis with one end of the head portion having a shoulder mounted adjacent to the handpiece and an opposed end along the axis, wherein the head portion is provided with at least two holes through the head portion which are across the axis and wherein the opposed end of the head portion has at least one slot across the opposed end and wherein the cup is mounted on the head portion with the elastomeric material filled in the holes and the slot.

Claim 5

The cup of claim 2 wherein the holding portion is part of a disposable attachment for the dental handpiece with mating angle gears and a housing supporting the holding portion and gears and wherein one of the gears is provided towards the proximal end of the holding portion of the holding member.

Claim 6

The attachment of claim 3 wherein the gears, housing and holding member are comprised of a plastic material.

Claim 7

In a flexible prophylactic cup comprised of an elastomeric material mounted over a threaded member, which removeably mounts on a dental handpiece for cleaning teeth, the improvement in the threaded member defined, which comprises: (a) a threaded portion around and along a longitudinal axis of the threaded member having a proximal end which threads into a rotating member on the handpiece and a distal end; and (b) a head portion provided on the distal end of the threaded member along the axis with one end of the head portion having a shoulder mounted adjacent to the rotating member of the handpiece and an opposed end along the axis, wherein the head portion is provided with at least two holes through the head portion which are across the axis and wherein the opposed end of the head portion has at least one slot across the opposed end and wherein the cup is mounted on the head portion with the material in the holes and the slot.

Claim 8

In a flexible prophylactic cup comprised of an elastomeric material mounted over a threaded member, which removeably mounts on a dental handpiece for cleaning teeth, the improvement in the threaded member defined, which comprises: (a) a threaded portion around and along a longitudinal axis of the threaded member having a proximal end which threads into a rotating member on the handpiece and a distal end; and (b) a head portion provided on the distal end of the threaded member along the axis with one end of the head portion having a shoulder mounted adjacent to the rotating member of the handpiece and an opposed end along the axis, wherein the head portion is provided with at least two holes through the head portion which are across the axis and wherein the opposed end of the head portion has at least one slot across the opposed end and wherein the cup is mounted on the head portion with the material in the holes and the slot.

Claim 9

The cup of claim 5 wherein the threaded member has two holes that are spaced 90° from each other around the axis and wherein the two holes intersect.

Claim 10

The cup of claim 6 wherein the slot intersects one of the holes along the axis.

Claim 11

The cup of claim 7 wherein the slot is parallel to one of the holes.

Claim 12

The cup of claim 5 wherein the cup is composed of a silicone polymer as the material.

Claim 13

The cup of claim 9 wherein the silicone polymer is filled with a finely divided abrasive having a particle size between about 10 and 250 microns.

Claim 14

The cup of claim 10 wherein the silicone polymer contains between about 20 and 50 percent by weight abrasive.

Claim 15

The cup of claim 11 wherein the abrasive is pumice.

Claim 16

The cup of claim 5 wherein the cup has an opening in the shape of a cone with an apex angle between about 75° and 142° so that the cup can be used without a dental paste for polishing teeth.

Claim 17

The cup of claim 5 wherein the head portion of the threaded member has a circular cross-section perpendicular to the axis and a radial groove around the head portion perpendicular to the axis which intersects one of the holes.

Claim 18

The cup of claim 5 wherein the head portion of the threaded member has a square cross-section perpendicular to the axis.

Claim 19

A threaded member for mounting a flexible prophylactic cup on a dental handpiece for cleaning teeth, the improvement in the threaded member, which comprises: (a) a threaded portion around and along a longitudinal axis of the threaded member having a proximal end that removeably threads into a rotating member on the handpiece and a distal end; and (b) a head portion having a circular cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis provided on the distal end of the threaded member and having an outside sidewall along and around the longitudinal axis with one end of the head portion having a shoulder mounted adjacent to the rotating member of the handpiece and an opposed end along the longitudinal axis, wherein the head portion is provided with at least two intersecting openings with a circular cross-section that extend through the head portion and across the longitudinal axis and wherein each of the openings has spaced apart open ends on opposed portions of the outside sidewall of the head portion to provide an opening through the head portion, wherein the opposed end of the head portion has at least one slot across the opposed end, wherein a radial groove is provided around the head portion, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis with the groove intersecting at least one of the open ends of one of the openings extending through the outside sidewall of the head portion, and wherein the prophylactic cup is comprised of an elastomeric material that can be mounted on the head portion with the elastomeric material filled in the openings and the slot to form an integral interlock of the prophylactic cup on the head portion of the threaded member.

Claim 20

A threaded member for mounting a flexible prophylactic cup on a dental handpiece for cleaning teeth, the improvement in the threaded member, which comprises: (a) a threaded portion around and along a longitudinal axis of the threaded member having a proximal end that removeably threads into a rotating member on the handpiece and a distal end; and (b) a head portion having a circular cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis provided on the distal end of the threaded member and having an outside sidewall along and around the longitudinal axis with one end of the head portion having a shoulder mounted adjacent to the rotating member of the handpiece and an opposed end along the longitudinal axis, wherein the head portion is provided with at least two intersecting openings with a circular cross-section that extend through the head portion and across the longitudinal axis and wherein each of the openings has spaced apart open ends on opposed portions of the outside sidewall of the head portion to provide an opening through the head portion, wherein the opposed end of the head portion has at least one slot across the opposed end, wherein a radial groove is provided around the head portion, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis with the groove intersecting at least one of the open ends of one of the openings extending through the outside sidewall of the head portion, and wherein the prophylactic cup is comprised of an elastomeric material that can be mounted on the head portion with the elastomeric material filled in the openings and the slot to form an integral interlock of the prophylactic cup on the head portion of the threaded member.

Claim 21

The threaded member of claim 16 wherein two openings in the head portion are spaced 90° from each other around the longitudinal axis.

Claim 22

The threaded member of claim 16 wherein the slot intersects one of the openings along the longitudinal axis.

Claim 23

The threaded member of claim 16 wherein the slot is parallel to one of the openings.

Claim 26

The method of claim 20 wherein the cup is molded of a silicone polymer as the material.

Claim 27

The method of claim 21 wherein the silicone polymer is filled with a finely divided abrasive having a particle size between about 10 and 250 microns so that the cup can be used without a dental paste for polishing teeth.

Claim 28

The method of claim 22 wherein the silicone polymer contains between about 20 and 50 percent by weight abrasive.

Claim 29

The method of claim 23 wherein the abrasive is pumice.

Claim 30

The method of claim 20 wherein the prophylactic cup has a proximal end and a distal end with a circular cross-sectioned outside sidewall along the longitudinal axis and between the ends and wherein the prophylactic cup has a molded opening in the shape of a cone with a base of the cone opening at the distal end of the cup having a first diameter smaller than the diameter of the distal end of the cup to thus form an annular shoulder at the distal end of the prophylactic cup, and wherein an apex angle of the cone opening is between about 75° and 142° so that the cup can be used without a dental paste for polishing teeth.

Claim 31

The method of claim 20 wherein the head portion of the threaded member has a square cross-section perpendicular to the axis.

Claim 32

A screw assembly for mounting a prophylactic cup on a dental handpiece, comprising: (a) a shaft means having a cylindrical cross-section along a longitudinal axis with opposed ends wherein one of the ends is threaded for threadingly mounting the prophylactic cup on the dental handpiece and wherein the other end is unthreaded; and (b) a head means extending from the unthreaded end of the shaft means, the head means having spaced apart ends and an outside sidewall along the longitudinal axis wherein one end of the head means is adjacent to the unthreaded end of the shaft means and the other end of the head means provides an enlarged section that extends from the one end of the head means, opposite the shaft means and wherein there are at least two intersecting holes across the axis providing channels through the head means, intermediate the spaced apart ends with the holes having spaced apart open ends provided on opposed portions of the outside sidewall of the head means, wherein there is at least one groove in the enlarged section of the head means, wherein the prophylactic cup has a shaped body molded from a resilient, abrasive, elastomeric material containing a dental cleaning and polishing agent uniformly dispersed therein and the head means serves for mounting the prophylactic cup on the screw assembly with the elastomeric material enveloping the head means and filling the holes in the head means to form an integral interlock of the prophylactic cup on the head means of the screw assembly.

Claim 33

A screw assembly for mounting a prophylactic cup on a dental handpiece, comprising: (a) a shaft means having a cylindrical cross-section along a longitudinal axis with opposed ends wherein one of the ends is threaded for threadingly mounting the prophylactic cup on the dental handpiece and wherein the other end is unthreaded; and (b) a head means extending from the unthreaded end of the shaft means, the head means having spaced apart ends and an outside sidewall along the longitudinal axis wherein one end of the head means is adjacent to the unthreaded end of the shaft means and the other end of the head means provides an enlarged section that extends from the one end of the head means, opposite the shaft means and wherein there are at least two intersecting holes across the axis providing channels through the head means, intermediate the spaced apart ends with the holes having spaced apart open ends provided on opposed portions of the outside sidewall of the head means, wherein there is at least one groove in the enlarged section of the head means, wherein the prophylactic cup has a shaped body molded from a resilient, abrasive, elastomeric material containing a dental cleaning and polishing agent uniformly dispersed therein and the head means serves for mounting the prophylactic cup on the screw assembly with the elastomeric material enveloping the head means and filling the holes in the head means to form an integral interlock of the prophylactic cup on the head means of the screw assembly.

Claim 34

The screw assembly of claim 27 wherein the channels are at right angles to each other and wherein a plane through the longitudinal axis of the shaft means bisects the channels.

Claim 35

The screw assembly of claim 27 wherein the enlarged section of the head means is provided with a first groove across the other end of the head means and has a circular cross-section along the longitudinal axis and wherein a second radial groove in the enlarged section has a second axis that is coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the shaft means with the second groove intersecting one of the channels at opposed ends of the channel.

Claim 36

The screw assembly of claim 27 wherein the enlarged section of the head means has a rectangular cross-section along an axis corresponding to the axis of the shaft means and wherein there is a groove in the enlarged section.

Claim 37

The screw assembly of claim 30 wherein the groove is diagonally across the rectangular cross-section of the enlarged section.

Claim 40

The method of claim 32 wherein the cup is composed of a silicone polymer as the material filled with a finely divided abrasive having a particle size between about 10 and 250 microns and wherein the cup has an opening in the shape of a cone with an angle between about 75° and 142° so that the cup polishes the teeth.

Claim 41

The method of claim 33 wherein the silicone polymer contains between about 20 and 50 percent by weight abrasive.

Claim 42

The method of claim 34 wherein the abrasive is pumice.