Dental prophylaxis cup

A prophylaxis cup for use with a dental prophylaxis angle, the cup including a cup body having a lower portion and an upper portion;

• said cup lower portion being adapted to mount the cup to a prophylaxis angle;
• said cup upper portion including:
• a wall having an outer surface and an inner surface, said inner surface being smooth and uninterrupted;
• a cavity defined by said inner surface;
• said cavity having a floor;
• said inner surface increasing in diameter from said cavity floor to a top of said inner surface;
• a circumferential flange extending radially inwardly from the top of said wall inner surface;
• said flange having a bottom surface shaped to prevent centrifugal forces from urging prophy paste out of said cavity while said cup is spinning;
• a working surface extending between an inner edge of said flange and said wall outer surface, said flange inner edge being spaced beneath an upper edge of said outer surface, said working surface being sloped;
• and
• a spiral groove in said working surface, said groove spiraling outwardly toward an outer edge of said working surface.

A prophylaxis cup for use with a dental prophylaxis angle, the cup including a cup body having a lower portion and an upper portion;

• said cup lower portion being adapted to mount the cup to a driven member of a prophylaxis angle;
• said cup upper portion comprising:
• a wall having an inner surface and an outer surface said inner surface defining a cavity which receives prophylaxis paste, said inner wall being smooth and uninterrupted, said cavity having a floor;
• a working surface;
• and
• a post extending up from said cavity floor and a circumferential flange extending inwardly from a top of said wall inner surface;
• said post having a side wall and a top surface;
• said flange having an inner edge and a bottom surface;
• said wall outer surface and working surface together defining a preformed annular wedge ending at a radially outer edge of said cup, said wedge having an outer edge sufficiently thin to permit said working surface to clean a tooth subgingivally and interproximally.

A prophylaxis cup for use with a dental prophylaxis angle, the cup including a cup body having a lower portion and an upper portion;

• said cup lower portion being adapted to mount the cup to a driven member of a prophylaxis angle;
• said cup upper portion comprising:
• a wall having an inner surface and an outer surface, said inner surface defining a cavity which receives prophylaxis paste, said cavity having a floor, said outer surface extending radially outwardly at the top thereof;
• a central post extending up from said cavity floor, said post having a side wall and a top surface;
• a continuous, uninterrupted, circumferential flange extending inwardly from a top of said wall inner surface, said flange having an inner edge and a bottom surface, and
• a working surface extending between said flange inner edge and said wall outer surface;
• whereby, said circumferential flange substantially prevents prophylaxis paste from exiting said cavity while said cup is spinning and when no side loads are applied to said cup;
• said cup being operable to deliver prophylaxis paste to said working surface from said cavity when a side load is applied to said cup.

A prophylaxis cup for use with a dental prophylaxis angle, the cup including a cup body having a lower portion and an upper portion;

• said cup lower portion being adapted to mount the cup to a prophylaxis angle;
• said cup upper portion including:
• a wall having an outer surface and an inner surface;
• a cavity defined by said inner surface;
• said cavity having a floor;
• said inner surface increasing in diameter from said cavity floor to a top of said inner surface;
• a post extending upwardly from said cavity floor;
• and
• a substantially continuous circumferential flange extending radially inwardly from the top of said wall inner surface, said flange having a bottom surface shaped to prevent centrifugal forces from urging prophy paste out of said cavity while said cup is spinning.