Segmented Dental Instrument for Tooth Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional dental instruments for tooth extraction often apply extreme localized pressure, leading to tooth breakage during the preparation for extraction, resulting in a more complex and traumatic procedure for the patient.
Innovation Solution
A dental instrument with two mutually opposed working end portions and a cushioned handgrip, featuring shallow axial channels and sharpened notches to distribute pressure and facilitate angular prying and axial rotation of the tooth, reducing the risk of breakage and enabling easier extraction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single contact point instrument is used, then the instrument can be simple in design, but the localized pressure becomes extreme causing tooth breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The instrument divides the single contact point into multiple contact points (at least two, preferably three or more) along the working end. This segmentation distributes the applied force across multiple points, reducing localized pressure on the tooth structure and preventing breakage while maintaining instrument simplicity
Solution Approach 2:
The instrument features a working end with multiple contact points having different geometries (e.g., rounded tips, flat surfaces, or combinations) optimized for specific tissue interactions. Each contact point is designed with local quality variations to distribute pressure evenly across the tooth and surrounding tissue, preventing extreme localized stress
2Device complexity
If a single contact point instrument is used, then the instrument structure remains simple, but the extraction procedure becomes more complex and time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the contact points, the instrument enables more effective luxation and loosening of the tooth in a single procedure step, reducing the need for additional surgical interventions to remove broken tooth fragments and improving overall extraction efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The multi-contact point instrument performs multiple functions simultaneously: it luxates the tooth, cuts periodontal ligaments, and prepares the extraction path all through one instrument application, replacing the need for multiple separate instruments and procedures
3Ease of manufacture
If a single contact point instrument is used, then the instrument is easy to manufacture, but patient trauma increases due to tooth breakage
Solution Approach 1:
The manufacturing process remains straightforward as the instrument is formed from a single piece of material with contact points created through standard forming techniques. The segmented contact points are integrated into the monolithic structure, maintaining ease of manufacture while eliminating tooth breakage and associated patient trauma
Data Source
AI summary
The dental instrument is formed of a single elongate, unitary length of surgical steel or other suitable material. The instrument preferably includes two mutually opposed working end portions and a generally medial cushioned handgrip portion. Each of the end portions has a shallow axial channel and a sharpened distal end having a notch formed therein. The two sides of the notch provide two contact points or areas to avoid the extreme pressures applied by conventional single contact point instruments and the resulting breakage of the tooth and subsequent difficulty in extracting the base or root of the tooth that often occurs. A lateral notch having sharpened edges is also preferably formed along one side of each working end portion of the tool. The configuration of the dental instrument provides greater versatility to perform the manipulations generally required for tooth extraction.