Dental wedge
OwnerDavid J. Clarkinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The dental wedge has an elongated body extending from an outer end to an opposite inner end. The body includes a longitudinal intermediate wall, a longitudinal first side wall connected to the intermediate wall, and a longitudinal second side wall connected to the intermediate wall. The first side wall and the second side wall each flare away from the intermediate wall such that a first distal end of the first side wall and a second distal end of the second side wall are spaced apart creating an inverted generally V-shaped transverse section for the body. The body has a top surface and a bottom surface formed by the intermediate wall, the first side wall and the second side wall. The intermediate wall includes a region of increased flexibility compared to each of the first side wall and the second side wall.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- inserting a distal tip of a dental wedge between adjacent teeth;
- contacting at least one of the adjacent teeth with the distal tip of the dental wedge;
- collapsing the distal tip of the dental wedge at a throughhole of the dental wedge when the distal tip of the dental wedge contacts the at least one of the adjacent teeth and the distal tip of the dental wedge is advanced through an interproximal space between the adjacent teeth;
- and
- expanding the distal tip at the throughhole when the distal tip of the dental wedge advances past the adjacent teeth.
A method comprising:
- inserting a dental wedge into an interproximal space between adjacent teeth, the dental wedge including a first side wall, a second side wall, and a throughhole directed vertically through the dental wedge at an intersection between the first side wall and the second side wall;
- collapsing the first side wall and the second side wall towards each other at the throughhole as the dental wedge is inserted into the interproximal space between the adjacent teeth;
- and
- retracting the first side wall and the second side wall away from each other at the throughhole of the dental wedge, when a distal tip of the dental wedge advances past the adjacent teeth.
A method comprising:
- retracting a first side wall and a second side wall of a dental wedge away from each other at a throughhole of the dental wedge by pushing the dental wedge through an interproximal space between adjacent teeth with the first side wall and the second side wall collapsed towards each other at the throughhole of the dental wedge.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.