Dental treatment method and apparatus

Abstract

In a method for removal of dental plaque and caries in dentistry, there is applied to the teeth a high velocity pulsating jet stream of liquid possibly subjected also to ultrasonic vibration. The jet stream is pulsated, preferably with pulsations having a pressure-time wave form which includes, in each cycle, a period of lowered pressure or nil pressure sufficient for relaxation of the attacked material leading to mechanical fatiguing. The liquid may be neutral to the attacked material for a plaque removal, e.g., water, but for carie removal has a chemical action provided by an alkaline solution containing N-chloro and/or N-dichloro compounds resulting from interaction of certain hypohalites and amine compounds capable of removing plaque and caries both. The method is effective without the application of ultra-sonic vibrations, although their utilization with the aforesaid mechanical fatiguing pulsations is most effective. Utilization of ultra-sonic vibrations with harmonic pulsations is also effective. An embodiment of apparatus for application of the pulsating jet stream in dentistry incorporates pump means designed for providing the preferred pulsation wave forms. Preferably, the pump means is driven by a rotary cam co-acting with a cam follower which is adjustable to vary the duration of the pressure stroke during each cycle.