A method of using a device to remove a dental covering from a mouth of a patient comprising:
- (i) contacting an engagement portion of the device to a base of the dental covering and locating the engagement portion between the base of the dental covering and a gum line of the patient, wherein the engagement portion includes a first plate portion, wherein the engagement portion includes one or more lateral ends parallel to a longitudinal axis of the device, and wherein at a least a portion of the engagement portion tapers to a smaller thickness toward the one or more lateral ends and away from the longitudinal axis so that the one or more lateral ends are wedged between the dental covering and the gum line of the patient;
- (ii) resting a load applying portion of the device upon an adjacent tooth relative to the dental covering, wherein the load applying portion includes a second plate portion distanced from the first plate portion, wherein the load applying portion includes a first surface which rests upon the adjacent tooth and a second surface opposite the first surface, and wherein the load applying portion is connected to the engagement portion via an intermediate portion which is integral with and adjacent to both the engagement portion and the load applying portion and which is configured to bridge the engagement portion and the load applying portion and resides generally in a single plane;
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- (iii) applying a prying load by a hand of an operator to the device and removing the dental covering from the mouth of the patient, wherein applying the prying load includes applying a linear force to the load applying portion such that the load applying portion remains in contact with the adjacent tooth and is a fulcrum and applying a torque to the engagement portion so that the engagement portion rotates about the fulcrum;
- wherein the longitudinal axis generally extends from the engagement portion to the load applying portion and the device is sufficiently mirrored about the longitudinal axis to allow for ambidextrous use of the device;
- wherein the single plane of the intermediate portion is transverse to the first plate portion and the second plate portion, the first plate portion and the second plate portion each project away from the single plane so that the first plate portion forms a first angle with the intermediate portion and the second plate portion forms a second angle with the intermediate portion, and the first angle and the second angle are alternate exterior angles formed on opposite sides of the intermediate portion which are perpendicular or obtuse;
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- wherein the intermediate portion is configured to avoid contact with any teeth or tissue adjoining the dental covering by having a width measured as a distance between two lateral ends and the width is smaller than a width of the load applying portion and smaller than a width of the engagement portion, wherein the width of the load applying portion is measured as a distance between lateral ends of the load applying portion which are opposing and the width of the engagement portion is measured as a distance between lateral ends of the engagement portion which are opposing.