JP2022063101A - Mouthpiece type toothbrush - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a mouthpiece type toothbrush which fits the tooth form and a shape of the gum of an individual user and is capable of removing dental plaque effectively.SOLUTION: A mouthpiece type toothbrush 2 is used by covering at least either a tooth row of the upper jaw or a tooth row of the lower jaw and is customized to an individual user, includes a body part 6 which is encircled by a bottom surface 4A and an inner surface 4B on both sides of the bottom surface 4A, in which a surface facing the bottom surface 4A opens, and is provided with a recess 4 having a curved shape along the tooth row in a planar view seen from an opening side; and a plurality of brush members 10 formed so that they extend inside the recess 4 from inner surfaces 4B on both sides. In the mouthpiece type toothbrush 2, the brush members 10 are arranged with high density in an area where brushing is hard, and interdental parts are included in the area where brushing is hard. The mouthpiece type toothbrush can be provided at low production cost, and mass production is also possible.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a mouthpiece type toothbrush used by covering the user's dentition.

A mouthpiece-type toothbrush that covers the dentition of the user's upper or lower jaw and brushes the teeth manually or by using a driving device has been proposed. Among them, a mouthpiece type toothbrush used by wrapping the entire tooth with a soft sheet to which a brush member is fixed so as to be in close contact with the toothbrush has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2019-12726

In the mouthpiece type toothbrush described in Patent Document 1, since each brush member is pressed against a soft sheet to plant hair, a large amount of brush members must be combined in a single combination such as density, length, and cross-sectional shape. Could not be produced. Therefore, it has been difficult to mass-produce mass-spiece type toothbrushes that fit individual users with different tooth types and gum shapes. If it is handmade, it may be possible to manufacture a mouthpiece type toothbrush that matches the shape of the user's teeth and gums, but in that case, the manufacturing cost will rise significantly and mass production will occur. It is difficult.

An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems, and to provide a mouthpiece type toothbrush that is suitable for the tooth shape and the shape of the gum of an individual user and can effectively remove plaque. Further, this mouthpiece type toothbrush can be provided at a low manufacturing cost, and mass production can be realized.

In order to solve the above problems, the mouthpiece type toothbrush according to the present invention is
A mouthpiece-type toothbrush that is used by covering at least one of the maxillary dentition and the mandibular dentition.
The main body is surrounded by the bottom surface and the inner surfaces on both sides of the bottom surface, the surface facing the bottom surface is open, and the main body portion has a concave portion having a curved shape along the dentition in a plan view from the opening side.
A plurality of brush members formed so as to extend from the inner side surface on both sides to the inside of the recess,
Equipped with
The brush members are arranged at a higher density in areas where brushing is difficult.
The interdental portion is included in the region where brushing is difficult.

As described above, in the present invention, it is possible to provide a mouthpiece type toothbrush that is suitable for the tooth shape and the shape of the gum of each user and can effectively remove plaque. Further, by manufacturing using a 3D printer, this mouthpiece type toothbrush can be provided at a low manufacturing cost, and mass production can be realized.

It is a perspective view which shows the mouthpiece type toothbrush which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view seen from the cross section AA of FIG. It is a top view which shows the brush member when the mouthpiece type toothbrush shown in FIG. 1 is put on the dentition. It is a figure which shows typically the place where the tip of the brush member is located in the interdental portion and the tooth surface portion when the mouthpiece type toothbrush is put on the dentition. It is a figure which shows typically the place where the tip of the brush member is located in the gum part and the tooth surface part when the mouthpiece type toothbrush is put on the dentition. It is a figure which shows typically the place where the tip of the brush member is located in the groove portion and the tooth surface portion when the mouthpiece type toothbrush is put on the dentition. It is a figure which shows typically the case where the brush member has a substantially oval-shaped cross-sectional shape having different aspect ratios. It is a figure which shows typically the case where the mouthpiece type toothbrush is attached to the vibration giving device. It is a figure (photograph) which shows the Example of the mouthpiece type toothbrush of this invention manufactured using the 3D printer.

Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The mouthpiece type toothbrush described below is for embodying the technical idea of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the following unless otherwise specified. In each drawing, members having the same function may be designated by the same reference numeral. The size and positional relationship of the members shown in each drawing may be exaggerated for the sake of clarity.

(Mouthpiece type toothbrush according to one embodiment)
First, the mouthpiece type toothbrush according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4C. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a mouthpiece type toothbrush according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view seen from the cross section taken along the line AA of FIG. FIG. 3 is a plan view showing a brush member when the mouthpiece type toothbrush shown in FIG. 1 is put on the dentition. FIG. 4A is a diagram schematically showing a place where the tip of the brush member is located at the interdental portion and the tooth surface portion when the mouthpiece type toothbrush is put on the dentition. FIG. 4B is a diagram schematically showing a place where the tip of the brush member is located on the gum portion and the tooth surface portion when the mouthpiece type toothbrush is put on the dentition. FIG. 4C is a diagram schematically showing a place where the tip of the brush member is located in the groove portion and the tooth surface portion when the mouthpiece type toothbrush is put on the dentition.

The mouthpiece type toothbrush 2 according to the present embodiment has a main body 6 and a plurality of brush members 10 formed so as to extend from the inner surfaces 4A, 4B, 4C of the recess 4 provided in the main body 6 to the inside of the recess 4. And. The mouthpiece type toothbrush 2 is placed on the dentition TL of the upper or lower jaw of the user, the dentition TL of the user is placed in the recess 4, and the brush member 10 is in contact with the tooth T, for example. Tooth brushing can be performed by attaching to the vibration applying device and vibrating the main body 6.

The recess 4 provided in the main body 6 is surrounded by the bottom surface 4A and the inner side surfaces 4B on both sides of the bottom surface 4A, and the surface facing the bottom surface 4A is open. And, in the plan view seen from the opening side, it has a curved shape along the dentition TL of the user. More specifically, it has a so-called U-shaped or C-shaped planar shape. The end regions on both sides of this curved shape have a bottom surface 4A and an end inner side surface 4C connected to the inner side surfaces 4B on both sides. An attachment portion 8 for attaching to the vibrating body of the vibration applying device is provided on the outer surface of the main body portion 6 corresponding to the central portion of the curved shape. When the user's dentition TL is located in the recess 4, the user's front teeth are arranged in the central region of the curved shape provided with the mounting portion 8, and the end regions (ends) on both sides of the curved shape are arranged. The user's back teeth are arranged on the inner side surface 4C side).

Although the tooth pattern and the shape of the gum differ depending on the user, the mouthpiece type toothbrush 2 according to the present embodiment has a shape customized for each user according to the shape of the tooth pattern and the gum. In order to realize this, in the present embodiment, for example, the shape, dimensions, and arrangement of the main body 6 and the brush member 10 are determined based on the three-dimensional measurement data of the user's tooth pattern and gum. Further, the mouthpiece type toothbrush 2 designed in this way is formed by using a 3D printer. As a result, the mouthpiece type toothbrush 2 customized for each user can be manufactured with a small number of steps and a low manufacturing cost. As a result, mass production can be easily realized.

In the mouthpiece type toothbrush 2 according to the present embodiment, in order to realize the optimum tooth brushing suitable for the tooth pattern and the shape of the gum of each user, the brush member 10 is arranged according to the shape of the tooth pattern and the gum. ing. As a result, the length of the brush member 10 is not constant, and the distribution density is not uniform, resulting in a coarse and dense arrangement.

(Length of brush member)
In the example shown in FIG. 3, among the brush members 10 extending from the inner side surfaces 4B on both sides, at least a part of the brush members 10 extending from the inner side surface 4B facing the interdental portion D of the user's dentition TL is Its tip extends into the interdental portion D (see FIG. 4A). At least a part of the brush member 10 extending from the inner side surface 4B facing the interdental portion S of the user's tooth T has its tip in contact with the interdental portion S of the tooth T (see FIG. 4B). Further, at least a part of the brush member 10 extending from the inner side surface 4B facing the interdental portion S of the user's tooth T has its tip extending into the gum portion P (see FIG. 4B). At least a part of the brush member 10 extending from the inner surface surface 4C of the end portion has its tip in contact with the interdental portion S at the back of the innermost tooth T of the user. Further, at least a part of the brush member 10 extending from the inner side surface 4C of the end portion extends into the gum portion P. Further, at least a part of the brush member 10 extending from the bottom surface 4A has its tip in contact with the groove portion J of the user's tooth T (see FIG. 4C).

In FIGS. 4A to 4C, the length of the brush member 10 whose tip extends into the gum portion P and the interdental portion D is drawn longer than the length of the brush member 10 in contact with the interdental portion S of the tooth T. However, this is just an example and is not limited to this. The brush member 10 can adopt any other length, arrangement, and orientation according to the tooth shape and the shape of the gums of the user.

In any case, the tip of the brush member 10 is the interdental portion D, the gum portion P, the groove portion J of the tooth T, and the tooth of the tooth T, respectively, in a state where the user does not bite into the main body portion 6 when the brush member 10 is attached. It is important to form it so that it has a length such that it is located in the interstitial portion S. At this time, it is preferable to set the length so that each brush member 10 is slightly bent so that elastic deformation accompanied by a predetermined elastic force occurs. This makes it possible to realize a mouthpiece type toothbrush 2 having excellent tooth brushing performance that is optimally customized for each user.

(Distribution density of brush members)
In the mouthpiece type toothbrush 2 according to the present embodiment, the distribution density of the brush member 10 in each region is different based on the importance, effect, and the like of removing plaque by brushing teeth. That is, the importance of the tip removing plaque and the distribution density of the brush member 10 located in the region where the effect is high are high.
More specifically, the distribution density of the brush member is the highest in the distribution density of the brush member 10 whose tip is located in the interdental portion D when the user's dentition TL is located in the recess 4. , The distribution density of the brush member 10 whose tip is located in the tooth stem P is high, then the distribution density of the brush member 10 whose tip is located in the groove J of the tooth T is high, and the tip is located in the interdental portion S of the tooth T. The distribution density of the brush member 10 is the lowest. The distribution density can be expressed by, for example, the number of brush members 10 per unit area extending from the inner surfaces 4A, 4B, and 4C of the main body 6.

This makes it possible to remove plaque most effectively for individual users, and thus prevent alveolar pyorrhea and tooth decay. In particular, by manufacturing such a mouthpiece type toothbrush 2 customized for each user using a 3D printer, it can be provided at a relatively low manufacturing cost, and mass production is also possible.

(Cross-sectional shape of brush member)
As described above, it is preferable that each brush member 10 is formed to have a length such that each brush member 10 is slightly bent so that elastic deformation accompanied by a predetermined elastic force occurs at the time of mounting. At this time, the cross-sectional shape of each brush member 10 may have a cross-sectional shape such that elastic deformation accompanied by a predetermined elastic force occurs when the main body 6 is moved by being attached to a vibration applying device or the like at the time of mounting. preferable. More specifically, the elastic force is exerted so as to have sufficient rigidity for brushing teeth, and the deformation of the brush bristles designed to the required length when the main body 6 is moved is within the elastic region. It is preferable to have an elastic secondary moment. The predetermined elastic force can be exemplified, but is not limited to, about 30 to 100 N / cm ² in the 7 mm hair waist strength of the tooth of the toothbrush.
By having such a cross-sectional shape, it has effective tooth brushing performance, and when it returns to a state where no load is applied after brushing the teeth, it returns to the original shape, so that the sagging of the brush member 10 can be suppressed. A mouthpiece type toothbrush 2 that can be used for a long period of time can be realized.

As the cross-sectional shape of the brush member 10, a circular or square cross-sectional shape having the same aspect ratio can be used, but there may be a case where the brush member 10 has a cross-sectional shape having a different aspect ratio as shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing a case where the brush member has a substantially oval-shaped cross-sectional shape having different aspect ratios.
The oval shape includes an elliptical shape, an oval shape, an oval shape, an oval shape, and the like. By changing the aspect ratio of the cross-sectional shape, it is possible to control the direction in which the brush member 10 is elastically deformed.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the user's dentition is located in the recess 4, the width of the tooth T is in the lateral direction (see “a”) of the cross section of the brush member 10 located in the interdental portion D. The longitudinal direction (see "b") of the cross section of the brush member 10 arranged along the direction (Y direction) and located in the region where the tooth T exists is arranged along the width direction (Y direction) of the tooth T. There is. By having a cross-sectional shape (b> a) having a different aspect ratio, a sufficiently large geometrical moment of inertia can be obtained while obtaining a small lateral dimension corresponding to a narrow region such as an interdental portion D or a gingival portion P. Can have a moment.

The following can be used as the material of the main body 6 and the brush member 10 that exhibit the above performance.
As the material of the main body 6 of the recess 4, any resin material such as PP (polypropylene), saturated polyester resin, EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer), polyolefin, polyurethane, and silicon resin can be used. As the material of the brush member 10, any resin material such as nylon, PBT (polybutylene terephthalate), PP (polypropylene), saturated polyester resin, EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer), polyolefin, polyurethane, and silicon resin can be used. Can be used.
In this embodiment, the main body 6 and the brush member 10 are made of the same material. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the main body portion 6 and the brush member 10 may be formed of different materials, or the materials may be different depending on the region of the main body portion 6 or the brush member 10.

As described above, it is important to determine the material, length, and cross-sectional shape of the brush member 10 so that when the tip of the brush member 10 is brought to a predetermined relative position during tooth brushing, the brush member 10 is appropriately elastically deformed. be.
As an example of the dimensions of such a brush member 10, a length of about 1 to 20 mm and an average diameter of about 0.2 to 1.2 mm when regarded as a circular cross section can be exemplified. The brush member 10 may have a constant cross-sectional shape, or the cross-sectional shape may become smaller toward the tip. The tip may also have a convex shape or a flat shape. However, these shapes and dimensions are merely examples, and any other value can be taken depending on the shape of the user's tooth pattern and gums. Further, the shape and dimensions of the main body 6 and the recess 4 are determined according to the shape of the user's dentition TL, the length of the brush member 10, and the like.

(Design and manufacture of mouthpiece type toothbrush)
In the mouthpiece type toothbrush 2 customized according to the tooth shape and the shape of the gum of each user as described above, the brush member 10 follows the shape of the individual tooth shape and the gum and does not interfere with the teeth. It is important to determine the shape, dimensions, and arrangement of the main body 6 and the brush member 10 so that the tooth can be elastically deformed when brushing teeth. In order to realize this, it is effective to determine the shape, dimensions, and arrangement of the main body portion 6 and the brush member 10 based on the measurement data of the dentition and gums of each user.
For example, the shape, dimensions, and arrangement of the main body 6 and the brush member 10 can be determined by using the three-dimensional images of the dentition and the gums obtained by CT scan or the like. At this time, it is preferable to perform a design accompanied by elastic deformation analysis by the finite element method that feeds back the test results of the actually produced prototype. By manufacturing the mouthpiece type toothbrush 2 designed in this way using a 3D printer, it is possible to provide a mouthpiece type toothbrush that fits the tooth shape and gum shape of each user at a low manufacturing cost. It can be mass-produced.

As described above, in the mouthpiece type toothbrush 2 according to the present embodiment,
A mouthpiece-type toothbrush 2 customized for each user, which is used by covering at least one of the maxillary dentition and the mandibular dentition.
The main body is surrounded by the bottom surface 4A and the inner side surfaces 4B on both sides of the bottom surface 4A, the surface facing the bottom surface 4A is open, and the main body portion has a recess 4 having a curved shape along the dentition TL in a plan view from the opening side. 6 and
A plurality of brush members 10 formed so as to extend from the inner side surfaces 4B on both sides to the inside of the recess 4, and
Equipped with
Brush members 10 are arranged at a higher density in areas where brushing is difficult,
The interdental portion D is included in the region where brushing is difficult.
In particular, in the order from high to low, the distribution density of the brush member 10 is such that the brush member 10 whose tip is located in the interdental portion D and the tip is the gum when the user's dentition TL is located in the recess 4. It is preferable that the order is the brush member 10 located in the portion P, the brush member 10 whose tip is located in the groove J of the tooth T, and the brush member 10 whose tip is located in the interdental portion S of the tooth T.

The mouthpiece type toothbrush 2 according to the present embodiment fits the tooth pattern and the shape of the gums of each user, and the distribution density of the brush member based on the importance and effect of removing plaque by the brush member 10 can be determined. Having so, individual users can effectively remove plaque and prevent periodontal disease and tooth decay. In particular, by manufacturing such a mouthpiece type toothbrush 2 using a 3D printer, it can be provided at a relatively low manufacturing cost, and mass production is also possible.

In providing a customized mouthpiece type toothbrush 2 to an individual user, the shape, dimensions, and arrangement of the main body 6 and the brush member 10 are determined based on the measurement data of the dentition and gums of each user. Is preferable. Thereby, it is possible to provide a mouthpiece type toothbrush 2 that fits the tooth shape and the shape of the gum of each user and can realize the optimum plaque removal for each user.

The tips of the brush member 10 are located at the interdental portion D, the gum portion P, the groove portion J of the tooth T, and the interdental portion S of the tooth T, respectively, in a state where the user does not bite into the main body portion 6 at the time of mounting. It is preferable to have such a length. This makes it possible to realize a mouthpiece type toothbrush 2 having excellent tooth brushing performance that is optimally customized for each user.

It is preferable that the brush member 10 has a cross-sectional shape such that elastic deformation accompanied by a predetermined elastic force occurs when the main body portion 6 is moved at the time of mounting. As a result, it is possible to realize a mouthpiece type toothbrush 2 that has a brush strength that realizes effective tooth brushing and that can be used for a long period of time by returning to the original shape when returning to a state where no load is applied after brushing the teeth.

(Electric mouthpiece type toothbrush)
Next, with reference to FIG. 6, as an example of using the mouthpiece type toothbrush 2 according to the above embodiment, a case where the mouthpiece type toothbrush is attached to the vibration applying device will be described. FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing a case where a mouthpiece type toothbrush is attached to a vibration applying device.
In the vibration applying device 50, the vibrating body 52 attached to the drive source vibrates at a predetermined frequency. The mouthpiece type toothbrush 2 according to the above embodiment is attached to the vibrating body 52 by the attachment portion 8. By reciprocating the mouthpiece type toothbrush 2 with the vibration applying device 50 while the mouthpiece type toothbrush 2 is placed on the dentition, it is possible to easily and surely brush the teeth.

(Other embodiments)
In the above embodiment, the mouthpiece type toothbrush 2 used by covering one of the maxillary dentition and the lower jaw dentition is shown, but the two mouthpieces are arranged so that the openings of the recesses 4 face each other. It is also possible to provide a mouthpiece type toothbrush for maxillary and lower jaw dentition in which the type toothbrush 2 is connected on the inner side surface 4C side of the end by a connecting portion.

(Example)
Next, an example of a mouthpiece type toothbrush actually manufactured using a 3D printer will be described with reference to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a diagram (photograph) showing an example of the mouthpiece type toothbrush of the present invention manufactured by using a 3D printer.
As is clear from FIG. 7, by using a 3D printer, it fits the tooth shape and gum shape of each user, and most effectively removes plaque for each user, and alveolar pyorrhea and tooth decay. It was demonstrated that the mouthpiece type toothbrush 2 that can prevent the above can be manufactured at a low manufacturing cost.

Although the embodiments and embodiments of the present invention have been described, the disclosed contents may be changed in the details of the configuration, and the present invention is requested to change the combinations and orders of the elements in the embodiments and embodiments. It can be realized without departing from the scope and idea of.

2 Mouthpiece type toothbrush 4 Recess 4A Bottom surface 4B Inner side surface 4C End part Inner side surface 6 Main body part 10 Brush member 50 Vibration applying device 52 Vibrating body D Interdental part P Gingival part J Groove part S Tooth surface part T Tooth TL Tooth row

Claims (7)

A mouthpiece-type toothbrush customized for each individual user that is used over at least one of the maxillary dentition and the mandibular dentition.
The main body is surrounded by the bottom surface and the inner surfaces on both sides of the bottom surface, the surface facing the bottom surface is open, and the main body portion has a concave portion having a curved shape along the dentition in a plan view from the opening side.
A plurality of brush members formed so as to extend from the inner side surfaces on both sides to the inside of the recess,
Equipped with
The brush members are arranged at a higher density in areas where brushing is difficult.
A mouthpiece-type toothbrush in which the interdental portion is included in the area where brushing is difficult.
The distribution density of the brush member is in order from high to low, and when the user's dentition is located in the recess, the brush member whose tip is located in the interdental portion and the tip are located in the gum portion. The mouthpiece type toothbrush according to claim 1, wherein the brush member, the brush member whose tip is located in the groove portion, and the brush member whose tip is located in the tooth surface portion are in this order.
The mouthpiece type toothbrush according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the shape, dimensions, and arrangement of the main body and the brush member are determined based on measurement data of the dentition and gums of individual users.
The brush member has a length such that the tip of the brush member is located at the interdental portion, the gum portion, the groove portion, and the tooth surface portion, respectively, in a state where the user does not bite into the main body portion at the time of mounting. , The mouthpiece type toothbrush according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
The mouthpiece type according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the brush member has a cross-sectional shape such that elastic deformation accompanied by a predetermined elastic force occurs when the main body portion is moved at the time of mounting. toothbrush.
A vibration applying device that vibrates the vibrating body and
The mouthpiece type toothbrush according to any one of claims 1 to 5 attached to the vibrating body, and the mouthpiece type toothbrush.
Equipped with an electric mouthpiece type toothbrush.
A method for manufacturing a mouthpiece-type toothbrush customized for each user to form the mouthpiece-type toothbrush according to any one of claims 1 to 5 using a 3D printer.

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