CA1180580A - Method of cleaning teeth particularly adapted for removing plaque - Google Patents

Abstract

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
A fast, efficient, economical method of daily oral hygiene designed for home use to replace the present ineffective methods such as brushing, water flushing, flossing, etc.
The invention is particularly useful for removing plaque. A nontoxic and relatively nonabrasive solid material in pellet form is entrained in a stream of liquid, preferably water, and is discharged as a jet against the teeth and adjacent areas in the mouth. The pellets are of soluble material which preferably is halite and in various sizes generally in the range from .010 inches to .030 inches at the time of striking the teeth. The pellets strike with a point impact thereby having sufficient energy to remove plaque from the teeth. If any pellets should lodge under the gums they would dissolve thereby preventing a possible abscess. Mechanical apparatus of simplified form can be utilized to entrain the solid particles in the liquid stream.

Description

~. 18C15t~11 rl'he invention relates to the treatmerlt of Lh~ teeth and, more particularl.y, cleaniny of the teeth by removing plaque therefrom.
A hasic problem in dental hygiene is the removal of plaque from the crevices between teeth. Plaque is a formation of saliva mixed wi.th food particles -that adheres to the teeth and holds the bacteria that cause tooth decay, creates calculus and in time pèriodontal problem~. It is extremely difficult and time consuminy to remove plaque readi.ly by way o brushing with a -tooth brush or by way of dental floss or o-therwise.
In the past many and various methods for plaque removal such as brushing, vapor blastinc3, water blasting, solutio~ application, and the like have been tried without success because each approach had one major deficiency or another .
As plaque is the p.rimary cause of the tooth pro~lems as described above, a complete solution to this problem has been ~ought for many years wi.thout success.
Therefore, the conclusion is that the solution is not obvious.
Prior art~patents include the followin~3: No~.
1,~64,369; 2,55~,565; 2,661,537; 2,759,266; ~,~14,877;
Z,828,135; 3,137,297; 3,19~,92~; 3,255,759; 3,344,52~;
3,3~6,439; 3,971,136.
In the prior art, it has been known to clischarc3e liquicd cl~aning material into the mouth alld against the teeth using powders or minute ahrasive particles entrained in the liquid.
It is not desirable to blow gas into the mouth because ~3as heats when compressed and free~es as it expands, .3 (J ~

thereby makiny a controlle(l t~m~orature on Lh~ teeth ex-tremely ~ifficult, therefore causing extreme pclin to the nerves of the teeth. Fllrtherrnore, the gas bLows the particles around the mouth instead of flushing them out.
Abrasives, particularly under pressure, can cause objectionable wear to teeth and to the mechanical parts of the equipment used -to deliver the material to the teeth.
All prior methods usiny sufficient pressure to obtain any cleaning effect whatsoever could drive particles up under the gurns of the person which can then yive rise -to abscesses.
In accordance with the invention a nontoxi~ and relatively nonabrasive solid material in pellet form is en-trained in a stream of liquidt preferably water, and is discharged as a jet against the teeth and adjacent areas in the mouth. The pellets are of soluble material which preferably is halite and in various sizes generally in the range from .010 inches to .030 inches ~t the time of striking the teeth. ~he pellets strike with a point impact thereby ~0 having sufficient enerc3y to remove pla~ue from the tee-thr If any pellets should lodge under the gums they would dissolve thereby preventing a possible abscess. Mechanical apparatus of simplified form can be utilizecl to en-train the sol:id particles in the liquid stream.
In the method of the invention, pellets are used of clifferent sizes. When they are injectecl into the mouth along ~ith the water the pellets have a certain kinetic energy in accordance with the law of physics for kinetic energy 1/2 rnv~
and there is a point impact against -the plac~ue on the tooth 3~ which is capable of removing the pla~ue.

4 3 ~3~ t~

~ rt~e pe L:le ts are formed by crushirlcl the hdl:it~ to sieve size, that i5, pcllets are passed -through a sieve which results in all diEferent sizes between -the diameters ~iven a~ove a-t the -time oE impact.
The optimum sizes at the present -time are 10 to 30 thousand-tlls oE an inch in diameter, at the time the pellets confact the teeth. Small pellets are needed to get in-to -the small areas and crevices between the teeth. The larger pellets clue -~o greater mass will give a faster cleaning on the larger surfaces of the teeth. There is some dlssolving action on ~le pellets aEter entrainment and prior -to impingement, and accordingly, there is some reduction in s:ize.
Soluble particles are used for the Eollowing reasons.
Problems having arisen in the dental profession in the past due to nonsoluble particles being driven under the gum line, there~y causiny abscesses. However, solublc particJes will dissolve, thereby eliminating this objectionable pxoblem.
The particles used are non-toxic, so if injected or contacted by an open lesion, or ingested, no harmful eEEects will result. If the particle~ are beneficial toward healing, such as soaium chloride particles, a double beneEit results.
A minimum abrasive material is superior to the conventional abrasives as known in the prior art to minimize ero.sion of tooth enamel ancl dentin. Since all materials are more or less abrasive, the term "minimum abrasive" is wsed herein to mean less than 2.5 on the Mohs scale, approximately 35 Brinell or 44 Knoop under a 50 gram load.
With water it can be adjusted to a desirahl~
temperature and when it goes into the mouth, it is efEective to Elush the particles out.

5~

'L'he out~r s~lrface o~ the teeth ext~rrlal to the~ gums is the enamel Whereas -the surface of the teeth under the gums is called cementum. When people get older, the gums tend to recede exposinc~ the cemen-tum which is a yood deal softer than ~he enamel, so any harsh abrading method woulcl be very bad for the cementum because it would rapidly abrade i-t away.
Accordingly, in the method of the invention solid pellets are used which are softer than the enamel and dentin and approximately the same hardness of the cementum so that -the plaque can be removed without abrading these surfaces of the teeth. If the cementum were abraded away, the den-tln which is also softer than enamel but harder than cementum, would be attacked.
'~he minimum abrasive material does not primarily rely on the abrading action, ~ut the kinetic enercJy released on impact to remove the plaque. This preserves the enamel of the tooth, and move impor-tant, the cemen-tum under the gum line.
Particles instead of powder, slurxy etc. are used for the following reasons.
With particles of a greater mass and o~ a yreater density than one, and which remain intact until impact, the kinetic energy released is appreciably increased w:ithout the need for a highly abrasive matexial.
The combination of parti.cles and water is more effective than water alone. When a globule of wa-ter impacts, -the total force Ls expended over a large area. When a particle impacts, the total Eorce is concentrated in a very smaLI area, -thereby increasing the P.S.I. exponentia11y.
It is an optimum consideration to have a very dense . a, ~

~ 3 ~) tj~3~) ma-terial 50 that small pellet~ w:LIl have subsLant:icll m~S5 SO
that b~ing injected at a certain veloci.-ty they wiLl have proportionate energy as necessary or appropriate to remove -the plague upon impact against i-t.
Lt is often suggested to patien-ts with yum trouble that -they should rise out their mouths with sodium chloride dissolved in water. Wi-th respect to usiny pellets in the hexein method should they get up under the gum line the action of saliva on them will be to dissolve t}le pel.l.et and it will thereby he removed~ plus the medicinal effect of rinsing out the mouth with the above solution.
The velocity of the water and the pellets ls relatively high for effective practice of the method bu-t oE
course not so high that velocity would be suffi.Gient to do any damage to the teeth or the gums.
Using a liauid instead of a gas as a vehicle to carry soluble particles is advan-tageous in the invention.
Gas heats when compressed and freezes as it expand~ there~y rnaking a controlled temperature on the teeth extremely dificult therefore causiny extreme pain to the nerves o the teeth. When usiny a liquid this is not a problem. Gas under suEficient pressure can eject particles of foreiyn matter from between closely adjacent members but then has no resiclual.
flushiny effect~ When using a liquid the pressure do~s not have to be as great because of the hiyher density of liquids over ~ases and liquids offer an exceptionally yood flushing effect.
In the light of the foregoing the objects of the invention may be summariæed as fol:Lows:
The pr.imary object is to realize a simplified but ns~

fu:L.ly eEfective method of treating teeth to remove pl.aqlle on a daily basis.
A corollary objective is to reali~e a methocl as i.n the foregoinc~ adapted for domestic use in the home ~y individuals.
A further object i.s to realize a method as :in the ~oregoing that utilizes only simple, inexpensive materials and is adapted for use with a simplified device or ins-trumentali.ty A fu:rther object is to real.ize a method as ir. t:he foregoing wherein solubl.e materials, preferably t~alit~ in pellet form, is entrained in a l.iquid, preferably water, and discharged against the teeth in such a way that the kine-tic energy of the entrained pellets is capable of removing plaque from the tee~h.
The various features of noval-ty which characterize -the invention are pointed out with particulari-ty in khe claim~ annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.
For a better understandiny of the invention, its opera-ting advantages and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the accomp,mying drawings and desc~riptive matter in which there are il:Lustrated and described pxeferrecl embodiments Oe the invention.
Fig. 1 is a schematic view o a simplified exemplary form of ~evice or instrumentality practicing -the invention~
The nature of the invention has been clescribed in the foregoiny. In a preferred embodiment of the invention~
ordinary water is used in the metllcjd and the soluble ma-terial that is entrained in the water is hali.te in pellet forrn. The halite is readily available commercially and the pellets ~0 preferably are formed as previously described by crushi.nc~ to ~ , 3 ~) ti~

sieve size. Pelle~s passlng t~rough khe appropriate sieve result in di.:Eferent sizes ranging in dimension from approximately .0~0 lnches to .040 inches diame-ter. The particles of pellet material, preferably halite, will typically conform to the following specifications and/or characteristics.
The particles are in pellet form, are nontoxic, are soluble in the liquid used, have the characteristic of retarded disintegration, that is, solubili-ty; have a highcr density than water, a hardness not to exceed typically 44 Knoo~ under a 50 gram loa~l, are commercially available; and have optimum size as stated in the range of approximately .010 inches -to .030 inches at the time of impact with the -t.eeth.
The size of -the partlcles or pellets at the outset, that is ~efore entrainment, c.an readily be determined as described in the foregoing. The size of the pellets at -the time of impact on the teeth will depend on various factors in actual utiliæation of the method. To some extent the size will depend upon the temperature and pressure of the water coming out of the tap and the actual density of -the llal.ite, the density of which can vary somewhat in its na-t.ive condition.
Anotler factor would ~e the actual distance of travel o:~ the particles in the water stream after they have been entrained.
~lthough these factors as explained will have a bearing on the size of the particles at impact, their effect is not such as to derogate from the practical effectiveness of the process utilizing the information set forth in the :Eoregoing.
I:xperimentation has demonstrated tha-t the process is effcctive over a substantial ranye of sizes of particles before erltrainl-,ent and a substantial range of sizes at the t.ime of im~act. Wi-th the ranges as given herein, maximum eEfectiveness of the proccss o '~

is realized in the minirnum tirne. The -techno]ogy here:in represents the bes-t mode Gf practicing -the invention as presently known.
The single figure of the drawillg (~:ig. 1) show3 a siinplified exemplary form of the device in which the invcn-tion can be practiced al-though it will be understood that the invention can be practiced in other types of equipment wilich may be different, or more elaborate. In the figure, numeral 10 de~ignates a body having a boss 12 at one end having a ~ore 10 14 in which is received -the end o~ a tube i6 whicll can be any type of Elexible tube ~Irough which ordinary wa-ter, such as tap wa-ter may ~e admitted to the device uncer pre~ure.
rhc body 10 has an internal venturi nozzle 20 -that extends forwardly from the bore 14 to the venturi nozzle, having a bore 22 which is within a venturi chamber 23, in the body 10 as shown. The body 10 has an ou-tlet paxt 28 which has a bore 30 which receives a nozzle fittinq 34. I'he nozzle has an :inner end portion 36 that is received in the bore 30 and i9 sealed by an O-ring 40O The nozzle fi-t-ting 34 has a circular member or part 42 for rotating said nozzle which fi-ts up ayainst tho end part 28 of the body 10. Mozzle fi ttiny 34 has a bore 46 leading to its discharge end 50. The body 10 has an openirlg 52 :in it as showrl in a position so that th:is opening can be closed by the user's thumb when the device is held in the hand while treating the teeth. Removiny the thum~
breaks the vacuum created by passay~ of water Erom nozz]e 20 and entrainrnent o~ particles is discontinued.
At the lower part of the body 10, -there is an extending boss 56 which is externally threaded and which has a bore 57 and counterbore 58. Mumexal 62 designates a container for the r~

pellet material. Thc upper end oE the corltairler 6~ h~ls arl opening which is internall,y threaded as des:i~nated a-t 64 and this end of the container :i~ threaded onto -the boss 56 as shown. Fitting in the counterbore 58 in the boss 5~ is a tube 66 which extends down into the container 62 which holds -the pellet material. The upper end oE bore 57 has a chaml)er 70 forming a va:Lve sea-t for a check valve which includes rubber ball check 72. Numeral 74 designates a wire mesh retainlr Eor hall 72.
Th~ m0thod o the invention is prac-ticed as Eol:Lows.
Thc tube 16 in the figure connects -to any suitable supply of water under pressure ~uch as tap water or a separate pump system. The pellets of hali~e are placed in con~ainer 62.
The supply volume and pressure of water may, of course, be controlled by a Eaucet or other valve. The wa-ter passing into and -through the nozzle 20 and exitiny through nozz]e 34 has a venturi effect producing a partial vacuum, or reducecl pressure in the chamber 23 within the body 10, when the user holcls a thumb -over the aperture 52. The lower pressure causes the solid particles within the container 62 to be picked up through tub~
66 and entrained within the stream of water which is discharg~d through the nozzle fitting 34.
At first the user directs the stream of water over and between the teeth to flush out foreign matter without covering aperturc 52. After foreign matter has been flushed Erom mouth by the plain water jet the thun~ is applied to vacuum chamber orfice 5~. This creates a vacuum which siphons halite pellets into the chamber 23, entraining the pellets with the water stream and projecting them against t:he tooth areas.

_ g _ o As explained ln the foreyoing, the veloci-ty oE the strecltrl of wa-ter with the entrained pellets is sufficient that the pellets have enough kinetic energy when -they strike the teeth's surfaces or other areas with point impact to remove -the plaque on the teeth. After performing their function in this manner, the particles and material will then be flushed ou-t of the mouth with the water as it is removed therefrorn.
From the foregoing, those skilled in the art will readily recognize the manner in which all the characteris-tics as described in the foregoing are present and how the objectives of the invention are realized.
rrhe invention is able -to achieve its basic purpose in the manner as explained in the foregoing, the inven-tion not being subject to any of the drawbacks or deficiencies of the prior art. Although the invention is simple, i-t is ex-tremely effective for its purpose.
flaving described the best method by which -the invention may be performed it will be unders-tood -tha-t the invention may be par-ticularly defined as follows:
In a sys-tem for cleaning the teeth and removing plaque from -teeth, in combination, means for providiny a s-tream of liquid and nozzle means whereby a ~et oE -the liquid can be directed against teeth, a supply of pel:Lets, and means for entraining the pellets in the liquld stream and for discharging them against the tee-th with the liquid, -the pellets being formed of ma-terial which has sufficient mass when in pellet form to have enough kinetic energy when striking the teeth to rernove plaque, the liqu:id being wa-ter and the pellets being particles formed Erom halide, the pellets being in sizes ranging from 0.010 inches -to 0.030 inches.

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The invention further comprises in a sys-tern for removing foreig~ ma-tter includiny pla~ue from -tee~h comprising means for providing a stream of liquid, nozzle means for directing the stream of liquid con-taining particulate solids against the teeth, and container means for said particulate solids, the combination comprising a container of particulate solids in the form of pellets of particle sizes ranging from about 0.010 inches -to about 0.030 inches, and means Eor injecting said pelle-ts from said container into said liquid stream and entraining -the pellets in the stream of liquid for discharging them agai.nst the teeth with the liquid, the pellets being formed of a material which has sufficient mass when in pellet form in the above size ranges to have enough kinetic energy when moving at the velocity of said -fluid and s-triking the teeth to remove such foreigll matter, said pellets bei~g soluble in the liquid.
The foregoing disclosure is representative oE a preferred form of the inven-tion and is to be interpreted in a illustrative rather than in a limi-ting sense, the invention to be accorded -the full scope of the claims appended hereto.

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Claims (10)

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimes are defined as follows:

1. In a system for cleaning the teeth and removing plaque from teeth, in combination, means for providing a stream of liquid and nozzle means whereby a jet of the liquid can be directed against teeth, a supply of pellets, and means for entraining the pellets in the liquid stream and for discharging them against the teeth with the liquid, the pellets being formed of material which has sufficient mass when in pellet form to have enough kinetic energy when striking the teeth to remove plaque, the liquid being water and the pellets being particles formed from halide, the pellets being in sizes ranging from 0.010 inches to 0.030 inches.

2. In a system for cleaning the teeth and removing plaque from teeth, in combination, means for providing a stream of liquid and nozzle means whereby a jet of the liquid can be directed against teeth, a supply of pellets, and means for entraining the pellets in the liquid stream and for discharging them against the teeth with the liquid, the pellets being formed of a material which has sufficient mass when in pallet form to have enough kinetic energy when striking the teeth to remove plaque, the material being soluble in the liquid so as to be dissolved in the event the pellets become lodged under the gum line.

3. A system as in Claim 2 wherein the liquid is water and the pellets are particles formed from halite.

4. A system as Claim 3 wherein the pellets are provided in sizes ranging from 0.010 inches to 0.030 inches.

5. In a system for removing foreign matter including plaque from teeth comprising means for providing a stream of liquid, nozzle means for directing the stream of liquid containing particulate solids against the teeth, and container means for said particulate solids, the combination comprising;
a container of particulate solids in the form of pellets of particle sizes ranging from about 0.010 inches to about 0.030 inches;
means for injecting said pellets from said container into said liquid stream and entraining the pellets in the stream of liquid for discharging them against the teeth with the liquid, and, the pellets being formed of a material which has sufficient mass when in pellet form in the above size ranges to have enough kinetic energy when moving at the velocity of said fluid and striking the teeth to remove such foreign matter, said pellets being soluble in the liquid.

6. System as in Claim 5, said means for injecting the pellets from said container into said liquid stream and entraining the pellets in the liquid stream comprising venturi means in said nozzle means, the venturi effect of the liquid passing through said nozzle means injecting said pellets from said container into said liquid and controllably entraining the pellets in the liquid stream.

7. System as in Claim 5, wherein said container is separated from and prevents initial contact between said liquid stream and said pellets.

8. System as in Claim 5, said means for injecting said pellets into said liquid stream comprising valve means for selectively permitting discharge of said pellets from said container into the stream of liquid.

9. System as in Claim 5, wherein said pellets have a density greater than one,

10. System as in Claim 5, wherein said liquid is water and the pellets are particles formed from halite.