Dental instrument

The invention relates to a dental instrument containing a plunger (3) which is preferably guided so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction and the free end (4) of which projects from the front face of the instrument housing (5). For unproblematical sterilisation of the parts coming into contact with the patient, the plunger (3) is transversely divided. The plunger part (3a) formed by the transverse division and containing the free end (4) is releasably mounted together with at least the housing section (5a) surrounding it on the instrument body (2), and for this purpose the mutually corresponding ends of the plunger parts (3a, 3b) have centring and holding means (6-9) which automatically engage with each other on putting-on the housing section (5a) and come out of engagement when the housing section is removed. The plunger part (3a) containing the free end comprises stop means (11) which secure the plunger part (3a) in the detached state from sliding axially out of the housing section (5a) at least in one direction.