The Procter Gamble Company

The Yoshida Dental Mfg. Co., Ltd.

Biophotonics Information Laboratories, Ltd.

Nakanishi Dental Manufacturing Co., Ltd.

Hiroshi Horiuchi

Sosaku Kawata

Humio Inaba

Kazuaki Hara

Hiroshi Ishihata

Shigeru Shoji

Hisashi Shinoda

Balasigamani Devaraj

Masashi Usa

Motohiro Takeda

Masaki Kobayashi

An image measuring apparatus for measuring an image of a tooth or gum applies the radiation of a laser beam to permit extremely quick, reliable, safe detection of dental caries and other dental pathological conditions. The low incident power of the laser radiation would not cause damage or pain to the tissue, such as the tooth or gum. The image measuring apparatus is equipped with a light source which emits light having at least a wavelength in a range of 500 nm or more to less than 600 nm; it uses the light emitted from the light source to obtain 2-dimensional images or computed tomographic images of a tooth or gum from the light, which has been transmitted through the tooth or gum, by using an optical heterodyne detection method.

Image measuring apparatus

The present invention relates to methods of inhibiting alveolar bone resorption or the undesirable movement of teeth of a human or other animal comprising:

Iontophoretic delivery of bisphosphonates to the alveolar bone

A laser cutting apparatus is disclosed which includes a laser emitter capable of outputting a laser beam in pulses, a laser beam irradiation member, and a dental-crown polishing and washing member. The dental-crown polishing and washing member has an injection member through which air, water and polishing material are output toward a laser-beam-irradiated surface. A control member is provided which is capable of controlling the operation of laser emitter and dental-crown polishing and washing member. The laser beam irradiation member and injection member are combined with each other by means of an adapter disposed therebetween, thereby enabling both of laser beam irradiation member and injection member to be held and operated by a single hand. By employing this laser cutting apparatus, a high-energy laser beam can be used in the medical and dental fields for removing soft dentin to form a cavity. This apparatus does not have problems due to irradiation of a high-energy laser beam, such as the production and residue of a carbonized layer in the dentin, formation of a fused layer in the dentin, occurrence of a cavity margin having an irregular configuration, and cracking and damaging of the dental pulp attributed to a temperature rise.

Laser cutting apparatus

A dental handpiece having a turbine rotatable in reverse contains a main handpiece body, a turbine head mounted at a distal end of the main handpiece body, a plurality of turbine vanes for rotatably driving a dental tool romovably mounted within the turbine head, a first air supply passage for ejecting compressed air to one surface of each of the turbine vanes for rotating the turbine vanes in one direction, a second air supply passage for ejecting compressed air to the other surface of each of the turbine vanes for rotating the turbine vanes in the other direction, and an air discharge passage for discharging the compressed air.

Dental handpiece having turbine rotatable in reverse direction

Growing community of inventors

Sendai, Japan

Hiroshi Horiuchi