Dental irrigation drill with internal anti-backwash baffle

Abstract

A dental drill is formed of a solid elongate body, having a longitudinal shank including an axially disposed irrigation channel and a working portion having an annular boss and a neck of reduced radius relative to the boss, and a cutting region disposed distally of the neck, the cutting region including at least four axi-symmetric flutes formed upon lateral surfaces of the cutting region, each of the flutes defining co-axial peripheral profiles, each of the flutes separated by substantially co-axial channels, the working portion of the drill having an irrigation channel extending the entire length and having at least one outlet within each of the channels, the one outlet of each channel located proximally to a distal tip of the working portion, the tip defining a surface formed integrally and continuously with ends of the flutes and channels. The drill also includes a fluid-tight unidirectional baffle located between opposing press-fittably complemental surfaces of the shank and working portion, inclusive of the irrigation channels thereof, the baffle defining a one-way interior valve situated within the irrigation channels at an interface thereof, to preclude proximal fluid backflow within the channel of the shank of the dental drill.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.