The specification discloses a dental curing light including 1) a light engine, 2) a coaxially aligned, camera-based viewing system, and 3) a control system providing a variety of safety features and simplified, operator-friendly operation. The camera’s field of view (FOV) is coaxial with the centerline of the curing beam of the light engine. The curing light includes a multi-planar dichroic mirror (MDM) providing viewing and light beam direction aligned with the target. The MDM provide multiple images to the camera from different angles. The camera provides real-time measurement of light intensity reflected back from the targeted surface. Using the multiple image portions reflected by the multi-planar dichroic mirror, the control system computes the distance between the curing light and the target. The reflected intensity and the calculated distance enable the control system to compute a light engine irradiance to achieve a desired irradiance at the targeted surface.

The specification discloses a dental curing light including 1) a light engine, 2) a coaxially aligned, camera-based viewing system, and 3) a control system providing a variety of safety features and simplified, operator-friendly operation. The camera’s field of view (FOV) is coaxial with the centerline of the curing beam of the light engine. The curing light includes a multi-planar dichroic mirror (MDM) providing viewing and light beam direction aligned with the target. The MDM provide multiple images to the camera from different angles. The camera provides real-time measurement of light intensity reflected back from the targeted surface. Using the multiple image portions reflected by the multi-planar dichroic mirror, the control system computes the distance between the curing light and the target. The reflected intensity and the calculated distance enable the control system to compute a light engine irradiance to achieve a desired irradiance at the targeted surface.

A handheld dental instrument includes a casing provided with a holding portion to be held by a user, a reception unit provided on the casing to receive an operation from the user, and a control unit that controls a control target to perform a predetermined action in response to the operation received by the reception unit. The control unit performs a first control when the operation received by the reception unit from the user is a first operation, and performs a second control different from the first control when the operation received by the reception unit from the user is a second operation different from the first operation.

A handheld dental instrument includes a casing provided with a holding portion to be held by a user, a reception unit provided on the casing to receive an operation from the user, and a control unit that controls a control target to perform a predetermined action in response to the operation received by the reception unit. The control unit performs a first control when the operation received by the reception unit from the user is a first operation, and performs a second control different from the first control when the operation received by the reception unit from the user is a second operation different from the first operation.

A lip/cheek retainer particularly suitable for use with an intraoral scanner is provided, having a film made from an elastomer, a lip ring and a vestibular ring, with the film extending between the lip ring and the vestibular ring, being held taut by these and forming a tubular section between them. It is provided that the film (20) is prefabricated on the inner side (32) of its tubular section with a sliding element (36), in particular altering the surface of the film (20) there, produced by a surface treatment and firmly bonded to the film (20), with a sliding friction coefficient μG of less than 1.5, preferably less than 1.

A lip/cheek retainer particularly suitable for use with an intraoral scanner is provided, having a film made from an elastomer, a lip ring and a vestibular ring, with the film extending between the lip ring and the vestibular ring, being held taut by these and forming a tubular section between them. It is provided that the film (20) is prefabricated on the inner side (32) of its tubular section with a sliding element (36), in particular altering the surface of the film (20) there, produced by a surface treatment and firmly bonded to the film (20), with a sliding friction coefficient μG of less than 1.5, preferably less than 1.

A medical device with a valve for autoclavability is disclosed. The medical device may include a cavity. A channel connects the cavity to an autoclave environment. The channel has a distal end and proximal end. The distal end of the channel may open to the autoclave environment and the proximal end may open to the cavity. A valve may be positioned in or near the channel. The valve may permit gas to flow from the cavity when a pressure inside the cavity is greater than a pressure in the autoclave environment outside the cavity. The valve may also prevent gas from flowing into the cavity when the pressure in the autoclave environment outside the cavity is greater than the pressure inside the cavity.

A kit of dental instruments for intraoral scanning includes first instrument and second instruments for a patient’s left and right side lower arches, respectively, at least a third instrument for the upper arch. The first instrument includes a first handle with rectangular profile and rounded edges and two arms, the latter being a first left lateral arm on whose body a scanner slides, and a second front arm, the arms being extractible and interchangeable. The first lateral arm inserts in the handle through holes, the second instrument being the mirrored copy of the first instrument and including a second handle analogous to the first handle and with rounded edges and two arms, the latter being a first right lateral arm and a second front arm analogous to the second front arm for the left side, the kit further including at least a third instrument for the upper mouth arch.

Embodiments for estimating a surface texture of a tooth are described herein. One method embodiment includes collecting a sequence of images utilizing multiple light conditions using an intra-oral imaging device and estimating the surface texture of the tooth based on the sequence of images.

Embodiments for estimating a surface texture of a tooth are described herein. One method embodiment includes collecting a sequence of images utilizing multiple light conditions using an intra-oral imaging device and estimating the surface texture of the tooth based on the sequence of images.