Dental prophylactic cup

A threaded member for mounting a flexible prophylactic cup on a dental handpiece for cleaning teeth, the improvement in the threaded member, which comprises:

• (a) a threaded portion around and along a longitudinal axis of the threaded member having a proximal end that removeably threads into a rotating member on the handpiece and a distal end;
• and
• (b) a head portion having a circular cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal axis provided on the distal end of the threaded member and having an outside sidewall along and around the longitudinal axis with one end of the head portion having a shoulder mounted adjacent to the rotating member of the handpiece and an opposed end along the longitudinal axis, wherein the head portion is provided with at least two intersecting openings with a circular cross-section that extend through the head portion and across the longitudinal axis and wherein each of the openings has spaced apart open ends on opposed portions of the outside sidewall of the head portion to provide an opening through the head portion, wherein the opposed end of the head portion has at least one slot across the opposed end, wherein a radial groove is provided around the head portion, perpendicular to the longitudinal axis with the groove intersecting at least one of the open ends of one of the openings extending through the outside sidewall of the head portion, and wherein the prophylactic cup is comprised of an elastomeric material that can be mounted on the head portion with the elastomeric material filled in the openings and the slot to form an integral interlock of the prophylactic cup on the head portion of the threaded member.

A screw assembly for mounting a prophylactic cup on a dental handpiece, comprising:

• (a) a shaft means having a cylindrical cross-section along a longitudinal axis with opposed ends wherein one of the ends is threaded for threadingly mounting the prophylactic cup on the dental handpiece and wherein the other end is unthreaded;
• and
• (b) a head means extending from the unthreaded end of the shaft means, the head means having spaced apart ends and an outside sidewall along the longitudinal axis wherein one end of the head means is adjacent to the unthreaded end of the shaft means and the other end of the head means provides an enlarged section that extends from the one end of the head means, opposite the shaft means and wherein there are at least two intersecting holes across the axis providing channels through the head means, intermediate the spaced apart ends with the holes having spaced apart open ends provided on opposed portions of the outside sidewall of the head means, wherein there is at least one groove in the enlarged section of the head means, wherein the prophylactic cup has a shaped body molded from a resilient, abrasive, elastomeric material containing a dental cleaning and polishing agent uniformly dispersed therein and the head means serves for mounting the prophylactic cup on the screw assembly with the elastomeric material enveloping the head means and filling the holes in the head means to form an integral interlock of the prophylactic cup on the head means of the screw assembly.

A method for cleaning teeth, which comprises:

• (a) providing a flexible prophylactic cup comprised of an elastomeric material mounted over a holding member, the improvement in the holding member defined, which comprises:
• a holding portion having a longitudinal axis and having a proximal end which is rotated by a rotating means on a dental handpiece and a distal end;
• and a head portion provided on the distal end of the holding portion along the longitudinal axis with one end of the head portion having a shoulder mounted adjacent to the handpiece and an opposed end along the axis, wherein the head portion is provided with at least two holes through the head portion which are across the axis and wherein the opposed end of the head portion has at least one slot across the opposed end and wherein the cup is mounted on the head portion with the material in the holes and the slot;
• and
• (b) cleaning the teeth with the prophylactic cup whole holding the dental handpiece.