Dental wedge with tooth guard and method of restoring a tooth using the same
AssigneeDENTSPLY International Inc.
InventorSimon P. McDonald
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention relates to dental devices utilized during the restoration of teeth and more particularly a dental wedge, for use in the inter-proximal space between adjacent teeth, the dental wedge comprising: a wedge body; and a guard releasably engaged to the wedge body, wherein the guard is transformable between a first position adjoined the wedge body and a second position disengaged from the wedge body.
Claims24
A dental wedge, for use in the inter-proximal space between adjacent teeth, each of the adjacent teeth having a gingival margin and an occlusal surface, the dental wedge comprising:
- a wedge body;
- a planar dental bur guard releasably engaged to the wedge body, the dental bur guard including a bottom boundary, a top edge opposite the bottom boundary, and a front edge and back edge extending between the top edge and bottom boundary and extending away from the wedge body towards the occlusal surfaces of the adjacent teeth and away from the gingival margins of the adjacent teeth;
- a plurality of extensions disposed along the bottom boundary of the dental bur guard, the plurality of extensions in mating engagement with a spine of the wedge body and adapted to releasably anchor the dental bur guard to the wedge body,
- wherein the dental bur guard is transformable between a first position adjoined to the wedge body and inserted in the inter-proximal space between the adjacent teeth and a second position disengaged from the wedge body and removed from the inter-proximal space between the adjacent teeth.
A method of restoring a tooth comprising:
- a. an insertion step wherein a dental wedge consisting of the wedge body and a planar dental bur guard removably attached to the wedge body is inserted into a restoration area with the wedge body advancing between a first and a second adjacent tooth at the gingival margin of the teeth and the dental bur guard advancing between the first and second adjacent tooth in the inter-proximal space;
- b. a preparation step wherein the first tooth is prepared for restoration by removing a first section of the first tooth and the second tooth is partitioned from the first tooth by the tooth dental bur guard;
- and
- c. a removal step wherein the dental bur guard is disengaged from the wedge body and removed from the restoration area and the wedge body remains between the first and second adjacent tooth at the gingival margin of the teeth.
A dental wedge, for use in the inter-proximal space between adjacent teeth, each of the adjacent teeth having a gingival margin and an occlusal surface, the dental wedge comprising:
- a wedge body;
- a planar dental bur guard releasably engaged to the wedge body, the dental bur guard including a bottom boundary, a top edge opposite the bottom boundary, and a front edge and back edge extending between the top edge and bottom boundary and extending away from the wedge body towards the occlusal surfaces of the adjacent teeth and away from the gingival margins of the adjacent teeth;
- a first extension disposed along the bottom boundary of the dental bur guard, the first extension in mating engagement with a spine of the wedge body and adapted to releasably anchor the dental bur guard to the wedge body,
- wherein the dental bur guard is transformable between a first position adjoined to the wedge body and inserted in the inter-proximal space between the adjacent teeth and a second position disengaged from the wedge body and removed from the inter-proximal space between the adjacent teeth.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.