A dental instrument for screw-retained implant prostheses

Abstract

A dental instrument 10 for screw-retained implant prostheses comprising a tweezer portion 11 with a pair of lever portions 12 each having a pincer portion 13 at one end. A plugger working end 15 is pr

Description

Technical Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to the field of dental implant instruments and more particularly to a dental instrument for screw-retained implant prosthcscs. Background to the Invention There are a variety of dental instruments which are known. Dental instruments are invariably designed for a particular purpose. Professional instruments are constructed from high-grade surgical steel to be suitable for autoclaving after consultations. Dental instruments have a central gripping area, which is shaped to allow the operator to manipulate the instrument and have a working end with a specific configuration to perform a corresponding function. Some dental instruments have a working end provided at both ends of an elongate gripping shaft to enhance versatility in use. Such instruments usually have working ends provided which are different sizes of the same working end or variations of, such as a probe end and a flattened probe end. The provision of a double ended dental instrument with two working ends is generally provided to reduce the number of instruments to be laid out for a consultation given the sterilisation requirements. One problem with providing a double ended dental instrument is the hygienic practice of sterilising the instrument which must be undertaken if either of the ends is used, and typically, the operator uses only one of the ends in any consultation, selecting the required end based on their expertise. Summary of the Invention According to a first aspect of the invention, there is provided a dental instrument for screw-retained implant prostheses, the dental instrument comprising a tweezer portion with a pair of lever portions each having a pincer portion at one end thereof and connected together at an opposite fixed end and a plugger working end provided at the fixed end of the tweezer portion with at least one abutment shoulder relative to the plugger working end. Providing a double ended dental instrument of this type with a tweezer portion and a plugger working end provided at the fixed end of the tweezer portion and an abutment shoulder relative to the plugger working end provides an instrument through which an operator can exert the required force / leverage to both working ends and particularly the plugger working end despite the shorter gripping length of the instrument. The dental instrument will preferably be manufactured from high-grade surgical steel to be suitable for sterilisation. Alternatively, although less preferred for reuse, the dental instrument will preferably be manufactured from plastic or a similar material. A plastic instrument may be better suited to a single use, and then be disposed of. The dental instrument will preferably have an overall length of between 15 and 30cms with a more preferred length of 13 to 18cm. If the overall length is too great, then the instrument will take up too much space on a preparation tray and / or be unusable, impractical or awkward for an operator to use in one hand. The dental instrument preferably comprises a tweezer portion with a pair of lever portions each having a pincer portion at one end thereof and connected together at an opposite fixed end. The tweezer portion will preferably account for the majority of the length of the instrument. This will give sufficient length to exert the required force / leverage to the lever portions to close the respective pincer portions tightly. It is to be appreciated that any length given to the tweezer portion will decrease the length available for the plugger working end while maintaining a useable length of the instrument overall. The pair of lever portions each have a pincer portion at one end thereof and connected together at an opposite fixed end. Each of the lever portions will preferably be elongate. Each of the lever portions may be shaped, having a wider central portion tapering to a narrower end at the fixed end and a narrower end at the pincer end. The pincer end may be narrower than the fixed end. The tweezer portion may have any configuration. For example, the pincer portions may be angled relative to the lever portions or straight. The tweezer portion may be configured as Meriam Tweezers, College (or London College) tweezers, Adson Kocher tweezers, Adson tweezers, Adson Brown tweezers, or Perry tweezers. In a preferred form, the tweezer portion may be London College Tweezers. This type of tweezer is most commonly used in dentistry to carry and place cotton rolls between cheek and gum. College (or London College) tweezers preferably have angled pincer portions to provide an optimum angle to perform the procedure. The pincer portions may have serrated or ridged facing surfaces for increased grip. The fixed ends of the lever portions may be attached directly together to create a fulcrum allowing the pincer portions to be biased into an open or spaced apart configuration but to be forced closed by an operator as required by squeezing the lever portions together. The plugger working end is preferably provided at the fixed end of the tweezer portion. The plugger end preferably includes an elongate extension portion with a plugger working tip. The elongate extension portion of the plugger working end is preferably attached to or extends from the fixed end of the tweezer portion. The elongate extension portion of the plugger working end is preferably coplanar with or parallel to the fixed end of the tweezer portion. The plugger working tip is preferably angled relative to the longitudinal axis of the elongate extension portion. The angle will preferably be obtuse. The angle may be between 95° and 120° and preferably approximately 100°. The plugger working end is preferably offset radially from the angle of the pincer portions of a preferred London College Tweezer portion configuration. In one form, the plugger working end may be offset radially by 90°, 180° or 270°, with a 180° radial offset being particularly preferred. The dental instrument preferably comprises at least one abutment shoulder relative to the plugger working end. The at least one abutment shoulder is preferably formed about the elongate extension portion of the plugger working end. An enlarged mount may be provided for the elongate extension portion of the plugger working end with the at least one abutment shoulder provided as a part of the enlarged mount. The enlarged mount may preferably have a number of abutment shoulders at different locations or sides of the enlarged mount. In one form, the enlarged mount may have at least one and preferably a pair of opposed lateral abutment lands positioned on at least one and preferably each side of the enlarge mount parallel to the direction of the closing of the tweezer portion. One of the opposed lands may be on the side of the enlarged mount on which the preferred angled pincer portions extend, and a second abutment land may be on the opposite side of the enlarged mount. Both lateral abutment lands may be planar. Both abutment lands may be sufficiently large to provide an abutment surface for an operator’s finger or thumb. The lateral abutment lands may be parallel to one another. The lateral abutment lands may be spaced apart by the width of the fixed end of the tweezer portion of the instrument. A transverse abutment land may be provided at a proximal end of the elongate extension portion of the plugger working end, opposite to the distal plugger working end. The transverse abutment land may extend at least partially, and preferably fully across the width of the enlarged mount. The transverse abutment land may be angled toward the distal end as it extends outwardly away from the tweezer portion. An outer surface of the enlarged mount (the surface opposite to the tweezer portion and between the preferred lateral abutment lands) may be shaped, such as arcuate or rounded. This may encourage the operator to not exert force or load against this surface. An outer surface of at least one abutment surface or land may be provided with gripping formations to increase the security of the abutment between the user’s finger and the at least one abutment surface or land. This may be particularly important when the user is wearing protective gloves for example. Any transition between the elongate extension portion of the plugger working end, the enlarged mount and the fixed end of the tweezer portion of the instrument may be smoothed or gradual. This may lower the chance of creating portions susceptible to holding debris, detritus or other undesirable material or organisms or within which these could move and possibly avoid removal or sterilisation or decrease sterilisation effectiveness. Detailed Description of the Invention In order that the invention may be more clearly understood one or more embodiments thereof will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 a side elevation view of a dental instrument for screw-retained implant prostheses according to a preferred embodiment. Figure 2 is a view from below of the dental instrument illustrated in Figure 1. A preferred embodiment of a dental instrument 10 for screw-retained implant prostheses is illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. The illustrated dental instrument 10 comprises a tweezer portion 11 with a pair of lever arms 12, each having a pincer portion 13 at one end thereof and connected together at an opposite fixed end 14 and a plugger working end 15 provided at the fixed end 14 of the tweezer portion 11. As illustrated, the dental instrument 10 has an overall length of between 15 and 30cms with a more preferred length of 13 to 18cm. As shown, the tweezer portion 11 accounts for the majority of the length of the instrument 10. This will give sufficient length to exert the required force / leverage to the lever arms 12 to close the respective pincer portions 13 tightly when required. As shown, each of the lever arms 12 is elongate. Each of the lever arms 12 of the illustrated embodiment is shaped, having a wider central portion tapering to a narrower end at the fixed end 14 and a narrower end at the pincer end 13. The pincer 13 end is narrower than the fixed end 14 in the embodiment shown. The tweezer portion 11 may have any configuration. In the preferred form illustrated, the tweezer portion 11 is provided as College (or London College) tweezers. This type of tweezer is most commonly used in dentistry to carry and place cotton rolls between cheek and gum. As illustrated, the tweezer portion 11 has pincer portions 13 angled relative to the length of the lever arms 12 to provide an optimum angle to perform the procedure. The angled pincer portions 13 have serrated or ridged facing surfaces for increased grip. The fixed ends 14 of the lever arms 12 are attached directly together to create a fulcrum allowing the pincer portions 13 to be biased into an open or spaced apart configuration but to be forced closed by an operator as required by squeezing the lever arms 12 together. The plugger working end 15 is provided at the fixed end 14 of the tweezer portion 11. The plugger end 15 shown includes an elongate extension portion 16 with a plugger working tip 17. As shown, the elongate extension portion 16 of the plugger working end 15 is attached to or extends from the fixed end 14 of the tweezer portion 11. The elongate extension portion 16 of the plugger working end 15 extends parallel to the fixed end 14 of the tweezer portion 11. The plugger working tip 15 is preferably angled relative to the longitudinal axis of the elongate extension portion 16. The angle a of the illustrated embodiment of Figure 1, is approximately 100°. The plugger working end 15 is preferably offset radially from the angle of the pincer portions 13. In the illustrated form, the plugger working end is offset radially by 180°. The at least one abutment shoulder is preferably formed through the provision of an enlarged mount 18 formed about the elongate extension portion 16 of the plugger working end 15. The enlarged mount 18 illustrated has a number of abutment shoulders at different locations or sides of the enlarged mount 18. The enlarged mount 18 illustrated has a pair of opposed lateral abutment lands 19, one positioned on each side of the enlarged mount 18 which is parallel to the direction of the closing of the tweezer portion 11. One of the lateral abutment lands 19 is on the side of the enlarged mount 18 on which the angled pincer portions 13 extend, and a second abutment land 19 is on the opposite side of the enlarged mount 18. Both lateral abutment lands 19 are planar. Both abutment lands 19 are sufficiently large to provide an abutment surface for an operator’s finger or thumb. The lateral abutment lands 19 of the illustrated embodiment are parallel to one another. The lateral abutment lands 19 are spaced apart by the width of the fixed end 14 of the tweezer portion 11 of the instrument 10. A transverse abutment land 20 is provided at a proximal end of the elongate extension portion 16 of the plugger working end 15, opposite to the distal plugger working tip 17. The transverse abutment land 20 extends at least partially, and preferably fully across the width of the enlarged mount 18. The transverse abutment land 20 is angled toward the distal end as it extends outwardly away from the tweezer portion 11. An outer surface of the enlarged mount 18 (the surface opposite to the tweezer portion 11 and between the lateral abutment lands 19) is arcuate or rounded in the illustrated embodiment. This may encourage the operator to not exert force or load against this surface. Any transition between the elongate extension portion 16 of the plugger working end 15, the enlarged mount 18 and the fixed end 14 of the tweezer portion 11 of the instrument 10 may be smoothed or gradual. This may lower the chance of creating portions susceptible to holding debris, detritus or other undesirable material or organisms or within which these could move and possibly avoid removal or sterilisation or decrease sterilisation effectiveness. The one or more embodiments are described above by way of example only. Many variations are possible without departing from the scope of protection afforded 5 by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A dental instrument for screw-retained implant prostheses, the dental instrument comprising a tweezer portion with a pair of lever portions, each having a pincer portion at one end thereof and connected together at an opposite fixed end, and a plugger working end provided at the fixed end of the tweezer portion with at least one abutment shoulder relative to the plugger working end.

2. A dental instrument as claimed in claim 1 wherein each of the lever portions is elongate.

3. A dental instrument as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein each of the lever portions is shaped, having a wider central portion tapering to a narrower fixed end and a narrower one end.

4. A dental instrument as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the pincer portions are angled relative to the lever portions or straight.

5. A dental instrument as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the pincer portions have serrated or ridged facing surfaces for increased grip.

6. A dental instrument as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the fixed ends of the lever portions are attached directly together to create a fulcrum to bias the pincer portions into an open or spaced apart configuration.

7. A dental instrument as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the plugger working end is provided at the fixed end of the tweezer portion.

8. A dental instrument as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the plugger working end is offset radially from the angle of the pincer portions of the tweezer portion configuration, preferably with a 180° radial offset.

9. A dental instrument as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the plugger end comprises an elongate extension portion with a plugger working tip.

10. A dental instrument as claimed in claim 9 wherein the elongate extension portion of the plugger working end is attached to or extends from the fixed end of the tweezer portion.

11. A dental instrument as claimed in claim 9 or claim 10 wherein the elongate extension portion of the plugger working end is coplanar with or parallel to the fixed end of the tweezer portion.

12. A dental instrument as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 11 wherein the plugger working tip is angled relative to a longitudinal axis of the elongate extension portion, preferably at an obtuse angle, more preferably at an angle between 95° and 120° and most preferably approximately 100°.

13. A dental instrument as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 12 wherein the at least one abutment shoulder is formed about the elongate extension portion of the plugger working end.

14. A dental instrument as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 13 further comprising an enlarged mount provided for the elongate extension portion of the plugger working end, with the at least one abutment shoulder provided as a part of the enlarged mount.

15. A dental instrument as claimed in claim 14 wherein the enlarged mount comprises a number of abutment shoulders at different locations on or sides of the enlarged mount.

16. A dental instrument as claimed in claim 14 or claim 15 wherein the enlarged mount comprises at least one lateral abutment land positioned on at least one side of the enlarged mount parallel to the direction of the closing of the tweezer portion.

17. A dental instrument as claimed in claim 16 comprising a pair of opposed lateral abutment lands, one abutment land on a side of the enlarged mount on which an angled pincer portion extends, and a second abutment land is provided on an opposite side of the enlarged mount.

18. A dental instrument as claimed in claim 17 wherein both lateral abutment lands are planar.

19. A dental instrument as claimed in claim 17 or claim 18 wherein both lateral abutment lands are parallel to one another.

20. A dental instrument as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 19 further comprising a transverse abutment land provided at a proximal end of the elongate extension portion of the plugger working end, opposite to the distal plugger working end.

21. A dental instrument as claimed in claim 20 wherein the transverse abutment 5 land may be angled toward the distal end as it extends outwardly away from thetweezer portion.

22. A dental instrument as claimed in claim 20 or claim 21 when dependent from any one of claims 14 to 19 wherein the transverse abutment land extends at least partially across the width of the enlarged mount.10 23. A dental instrument as claimed in claim 22 wherein the transverse abutmentland extends across the width of the enlarged mount24. A dental instrument as claimed in any one of claims 9 to 22 further comprising smooth transitions between the elongate extension portion of the plugger working end, the enlarged mount and the fixed end of the tweezer portion of the 15 instrument.

Images