Dental instruments for use with ultrasonic handpieces

A dental instrument for use on an ultrasonic dental handpiece for performing endodontic procedures, said handpiece having an ultrasonic transducer therein and an output chuck operatively coupled to said transducer such that when the transducer is rendered resonant, said instrument having a hub adapted to be operatively coupled to said output chuck and a shank portion extending from said hub, a first portion of said shank extending in a generally axial direction from said hub and tip portion extending from said first portion, said shank having a bend therein between said first portion and said tip portion ranging between about 90° and about 140°, said tip portion having an end portion with the outermost end thereof constituting a working surface, the latter having a suitable abrasive coating applied thereto, said end portion and said tip portion each being of circular cross section, said end portion having an inner end where the diameter of said outermost end is greater than the diameter of said inner end, said tip portion being tapered along its length with the diameter of the proximate end of said tip portion being larger than the diameter of the distal end of said tip portion and with the diameter of said distal end of said tip portion being substantially equal to the diameter of the inner end of said end portion.

A dental instrument for use on an ultrasonic dental handpiece for performing endodontic procedures, said handpiece having an ultrasonic transducer therein and an output chuck operatively coupled to said transducer such that when the transducer is rendered resonant, said output chuck is vibrated in axial direction, said instrument having a hub adapted to be operatively coupled to said output chuck and a shank portion extending from said hub, a first portion of said shank extending in a generally axial direction from said hub and tip portion extending from said first portion, said shank having a bend therein between said first portion and said tip portion ranging between about 90° and about 140°, said tip portion having a free distal end constituting the working area of said tip, said working area having a suitable micro abrasive coating applied thereto, said free distal end having a radius ranging between about 0.25 mm. and about 1.00 mm such that with said tip rendered resonant by said transducer and brought into operating engagement with a tooth, said radiused distal end will remove dental material from said tooth substantially without scratching said tooth thereby facilitating visual identification of the canal in said tooth.