Background Dental elevators have a handle at one end and an elevating edge at the other end. A rigid connection is provided between the handle and the elevating edge. The elevating edge has a generally blade-like configuration and is designed to be inserted between two adjacent teeth. In use the elevating edge is inserted in the gap between the tooth to be extracted and an adjacent tooth. The elevating edge is shaped so that when the handle is rotated the elevating edge applies a force to the tooth to be extracted, but not to the adjacent tooth. The tooth to be extracted is somewhat elevated by this rotation and thus loosened to facilitate its subsequent extraction. In most designs of dental elevator the rigid connection between the handle and the elevating edge extends substantially in line with the handle along a common axis. In other designs there is a small bend of less than 20° in the connection between the handle and the elevating edge. However in all existing designs of dental elevator the axial line of the handle lies in the same plane as the plane of the elevating edge.

The efficacy and ease of use of elevators can be greatly reduced due to the presence of the patient's cheeks and in use of an elevator a great deal of pressure can be placed on the cheek causing discomfort and even trauma during and after the procedure.

It is an object of the invention to provide a dental elevator in which discomfort and trauma associated with its use is reduced or eliminated.

Summary of the Invention According to the invention in one aspect a dental elevator comprises a handle, an elevating edge and a rigid connection between the handle and the elevating edge wherein the axial line of the handle lies outside the plane of the elevating edge and the said rigid connection is not in-line with the handle and the elevating edge.

The said rigid connection may extend substantially at right angles, or else at some other angle, to the axial line of the handle. Likewise the rigid connection may extend at right angles, or at some other angle, to the elevating edge. The axial line of the handle may extend substantially parallel to the plane of the elevating edge. However it is not essential that the axis of the handle and the plane of the elevating edge are parallel to each other.

A gripping element may be included for assisting the holding of a tooth to be extracted, which element is slidable along the rigid connection and has means for securing the element at a selected position therealong. This element can further be used to assist in elevation by providing additional force to a tooth or its roots during operation of the elevator.

A dental elevator embodying the invention may have more than one handle and more than one elevating edge.

A pair of dental elevators may be combined together in a scissors-like configuration, in which case the elevators of the pair may be mirror images of each other.

According to the invention in another aspect a dental elevator comprises a handle, an elevating edge and a rigid connection between the handle and the elevating edge wherein the said rigid connection has two arms, one arm being secured to the handle

and the other arm being secured to the elevating edge and wherein the said two arms are joined in a generally U-shaped configuration.

The said two arms may, but need not, be of equal length.

Brief Description of the Drawings By way of example one embodiment of this invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings of which Figures 1,2, 3 and 4 show examples of dental elevators embodying the invention.

Detailed Description of Example (s) of the Invention Referring to Fig. 1 there is shown therein a dental elevator comprising a handle 1 and an elevating edge 2. Elevating edge 2 is of generally blade-like construction and is shaped to be inserted between two adjacent teeth. Handle 1 and elevating edge 2 are joined by a rigid connection 3. Connection 3 extends at right angles to the axis of handle 1 and is normal to the plane of elevating edge 2. Handle 1 is of robust design to enable it to be firmly gripped by a dental practitioner and the rigidity of connection 3 ensures that any twisting or leverage applied to handle 1 is imparted directly through connection 3 to elevating edge 2.

The axial line of handle 1 lies outside the plane of elevating edge 2 and as shown in Fig. 1 the axis of handle 1 is parallel to the plane of elevating edge 2, although such parallelism is not essential and the axis of handle can lie at any convenient angle to the plane of edge 2. Likewise while the angle between handle 1 and connection 3 and the angle between connection 3 and edge 2 are both shown as being right-angles these angles can each be of any convenient value whether greater or less than 90°.

In use elevating edge 2 is inserted into the gap between a tooth to be extracted and a adjacent tooth. By suitable manipulation of handle 1 elevating edge 2 applies a force to the tooth to be extracted but not to the adjacent tooth. The tooth to be extracted is somewhat elevated by this force and thus loosened to facilitate its subsequent

extraction. The novel shape of the elevator illustrated in Fig. 1 improves ease of use and reduces or entirely avoids pressure being placed on the cheeks of the patient.

Fig. 2 shows a development of the dental elevator of Fig. 1 in which a pair of elevators 10 and 20 is provided. Elevator 10 has a handle 11 and an elevating edge 12 joined by a rigid connection 13 having three angled bends 14,15 and 16. The last bend 16 is a substantially right-angled bend and is close to elevating edge 12. Elevator 20, which is a mirror image of elevator 10, has a handle 21 and an elevating edge 22 joined by a rigid connection 23 having three angled bends 24,25 and 26. Like bend 16, bend 26 is a substantially right-angled bend and is close to elevating edge 22. The two elevators 10 and 20 are hinged together by a hinge arrangement 17 so that they combine in a scissors-like configuration with the two elevating edges 12 and 22 mutually opposing each other.

A further development of the dental elevator of Fig. 1 is shown in Fig. 3. Here a dental elevator, in which like parts have similar references to the dental elevator shown in Fig. 1, has an additional gripping element 4 that is slidable along connection 3 and has a screw member 5 for enabling gripping element 4 to be firmly secured at any convenient position along connection 3. Element 4 assists in holding a tooth to be extracted and can be used to increase elevating forces, thus helping extraction.

Referring to Fig. 4 there is shown therein a dental elevator which in addition to the handle shown in previous embodiments has an extra handle.

In Fig. 4 a dental elevator has a first handle 41 and an elevating edge 42. Handle 41 and elevating edge 42 are connected by a rigid U-shaped connector 43 integral with both handle 41 and elevating edge 42. U-shaped connector 43 has two substantially parallel limbs 44 and 45 secured to handle 41 and to elevating edge 42 respectively.

Limbs 44 and 45 are themselves secured to each other by a bent joining section 46 having a 180° bend. The axis of handle 41 and the plane of elevating edge 42 are substantially parallel with each other.

A second handle 47 is rigidly secured to limb 45 of U-shaped connector 43 and is in line and integral therewith. The provision of second handle 7 enables greater leverage to be applied when the elevator of Fig. 4 is inserted adjacent a tooth to be extracted.

Either handle 41 or 47 can be manipulated or else both handles can be manipulated together. The provision of a second handle thus improves efficiency and ease of use.

Other modifications and embodiments of the invention, which will be readily apparent to those skilled in this art, are to be deemed within the ambit and scope of the invention, and the particular embodiment (s) hereinbefore described may be varied in construction and detail, e. g. interchanging (where appropriate or desired) different features of each, without departing from the scope of the patent monopoly hereby sought.