DENTAL WRENCH AND METHOD OF USE THEREOF

摘要

Dentists have to speed screw protheses fasteners with a speed wrench and to then switch to a ratchet wrench for the final torquing of the fastener. A dental instrument for installing and removing dental protheses which includes both a speed wrench (46) and a ratchet wrench (38), each being independently geared to a row of teeth (14), (16), respectively, on a screwdriver (12) mounted in the dental instrument (10), is provided to overcome this problem. The dental instrument includes a housing (22) having a first (24) and a second chamber (30). The screwdriver is partially mounted within the first chamber (24) and the speed and ratchet wrenches extend into the second chamber (30). The speed and ratchet wrenches are coaxially mounted within a handle (28) that extends outwardly away from the housing (22). The speed wrench is rotatable about the longitudinal axis of the handle (28). The ratchet wrench (38) is slidable along the longitudinal bore (47) and is rotatable about the handle's longitudinal axis through 180 degrees. The direction of rotation of the ratchet is changed by pulling outwards on a spring loaded control knob (44), rotating the knob 180 degrees and releasing it.