Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61C—DENTISTRY; APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR ORAL OR DENTAL HYGIENE
  • A61C15/00—Devices for cleaning between the teeth
  • A61C15/02—Toothpicks

Definitions

• tooth stick which, in its most developed form, has a triangular cross- section adapted to the shape of the gap between the teeth and also brushing members for an effective cleaning of the tooth surfaces during movement backwards and forwards in the gap between the teeth.
• dental thread which has the advantage that it can be taken down into the gap between the teeth from the chewing surfaces and so clean the whole area and which, moreover, reaches the part of the gap between the teeth adjacent to the mouth better than a stick introduced from the outside does.
• dental sticks and threads each have their own specific disadvantages and advantages.
• an angular tool is required which is so constituted that a short, pointed dental stick is secured at right angles to a shank. If this dental stick is made triangular, which is desirable for the sake of effectiveness, the dental stick must be turned in the holder to assume the correct position for the different directions of insertion which must be used.
• a dental hygiene tool which comprises a yoke-shaped portion with a tool member and also a second, outer stick portion for cleaning the teeth.
• a stick portion Preferably disposed in the yoke-shaped portion as a tool member is a stick portion with an inner end which is fixed to the yoke-portion and an outer free end which forms a point.
• the point of the stick portion is directed in towards the gap in the yoke portion and has such a spacing from the yoke portion that this can be taken over two adjacent teeth with the stick portion inside these teeth.
• the object of the present invention is to provide a tooth cleaning tool adapted for cleaning the gap between the teeth and so constitute a complement to the toothbrush, which tool renders possible a convenient and effective cleaning of all the gaps between the teeth while taking advantage of the advantages which the use of dental sticks, dental thread and dental sticks set at an angle each offer individually.
• Another advantage aimed at by the invention has been to provide a dental hygiene tool of said complete kind which can be manufactured at a low cost so that a construction for use once only or a few times is rendered possible.
• Figure 1 shows the first form of embodiment in a side view
• Figure 2 shows the second form of embodiment in a side view
• Figures 3, 4, 5 and 6 show, on a larger scale than Figures 1 and 2, cross-sections on the lines III-III, IV-IV, V-V in Figure 2 and VI-VI in figures 1 and 2
• Figure 7 shows the first form of embodiment in a view from above which also shows that parts of the tool are flexible.
• a dental hygiene tool according to the first form of embodiment of the invention consists of a single body 1 which is preferably made by injection moulding of plastics material.
• the plastics body 1 comprises a yoke portion 2 with the general shape of a semicircular arc, a handle portion 3 and a holder portion 4 situated between these two portions.
• the holder portion 4 is formed from portions of material which surround a hole 5 like a frame, which affords a satisfactory finger grip.
• the actual tool members of the tool are two and consist of a first stick portion 7 originating from the handle portion 3 and a second stick portion 9 originating from the outer end of the yoke portion 2 opposite the holder portion 4.
• the stick portion 9 should be directed in the same direction as the handle portion 3 and its point thus comes to be directed towards the end of the yoke portion 2 connected to the holder portion. It must be seen to that there is adequate space between this part of the yoke portion and the point on the stick portion 9 to be able to guide the point down inside a tooth with the end of the yoke portion outside this. A gap to the yoke portion corresponding to the height of a tooth must be provided inside the stick portion 9. Both gaps should be of the order of magnitude of 8 mm.
• the two stick portions 7 and 9, which are substantially alike, are connected by means of hinge portions 6 and 8 to the handle portion 3 and the yoke portion 2 respectively.
• the cross-section of the stick portions 7 and 9 can be seen from Figure 6.
• the brush members 11 may appropriately be arranged in rows which are set obliquely (See Figures 1 and 2) so that the whole of the distal surfaces worked on surrounding teeth are exposed to satisfactory brush action.
• the binge portions 6 and 8 are narrow portions in the material which, using the flexibility of the material, permit swinging of the stick portions 7 and 9 to both sides so that they can be set in different angular positions, for example at right angles to the common line in which the handle portion 3 and the yoke portion 2 extend, as can be seen from Figure 7.
• the under side 15 of the stick portions is concave for adaptation to the shape of the gum papilla in the gap.
• massage of the papilla is brought about with cleaning of the gap with the respective stick portion.
• a dental hygiene tool also consists of a single body 21 preferably made by injection moulding of plastics material.
• the plastics body 21 comprises a yoke portion 22 with the shape of a semicircular arc, a handle portion 23 with a substantially triangular holder portion 24, a stick portion 27 which is connected to the handle portion 23 by means of a hinge portion 26, and a blade portion 28.
• the blade portion 28 has three cross- sectional shapes merging successively into one another.
• the first cross-sectional shape as shown in Figure 3 is closest to the handle portion 23 and this cross-section ends at both sides on the one hand outwards and on the other hand in towards the interior of the yoke portion 22, in edges 29 and the portion can be said to be double-sided knife shaped.
• its cross-section is angular in rectangular shape with sharp corners 30 and furthest out the blade portion merges into triangular shape with a plurality of relatively short brush members 31 produced during the plastics forming.
• the stick portion 27 has substantially the same construction as the stick portions 7 and 9.
• the stick portion 7 When the teeth are to be cleaned with the tool shown in Figure 1 and this is to be effected from the outside, the stick portion 7 is used.
• the surfaces of the triangular cross-section provided with brush members 11 is allowed to slide against the tooth surfaces 16 (see Figure 5) during the cleaning operation.
• a massage of the gum papilla is effected at the same time by the rubbing of the under side 15 against the papilla.
• the stick portion 7 can be allowed to point straight out as shown in Figure 1.
• the handle portion 3 This is effected by bending in the hinge portion 6.
• the stick portion 5 must be bent away, seen in Figure 1, while it is bent in the opposite direction during cleaning of the upper teeth on the right-hand side and the lower teeth on the left-hand side.
• the sides provided with brush members always come into contact with the tooth surfaces 16.
• the placing of the brush members on concave surfaces substantially adapted to the curvature of the distal surfaces, an evenly distributed brush effect is obtained.
• a satisfactory adaptability of the tool with regard to the curvature of the distal surfaces is obtained in the horizontal plane.
• the stick portion 9 is intended for this purpose and should be introduced into the gaps between the teeth from the inside.
• the yoke portion 2 is guided over the abutting teeth between which cleaning is to take place so that the tip of the stick portion 9 comes close to the gum in the intended space between the teeth.
• the tool is pulled outwards so that the stick portion 9 penetrates in between the teeth.
• cleaning is effected in the manner described with reference to the stick portion 7.
• the tool can be bent in relation to the stick portion so that better accessibility is obtained, for example to the inner teeth inside the corners of the mouth.
• the stick portion 9 renders possible cleaning from the inside even if there is a bridge or close contact between the teeth which does not permit introduction of an element in the direction from the chewing surface and down to the gum.
• the blade portion 28 and the stick portion 27 constitute the cleaning elements of the dental hygiene tool.
• the blade portion 28 is intended to be introduced between the teeth in approximately the same manner as a dental thread.
• the section with the cross-section shown in Figure 3 is guided from the outside in the direction of the chewing surfaces to the slit between two adjacent teeth and by means of the outwardly directed edges 29, the blade portion 28 is guided in between the teeth, past the contact point between them and down to the widening gap close to the gum.
• the thin, pointed shape of the cross-section on the line III-III renders this introduction possible.
• the spacing between the under side of the blade portion 28 and the under side 25 of the yoke portion 22 is adapted to normal tooth height, as a result of which a certain support is obtained during use of the blade portion.
• the blade portion 28 is pulled outwards somewhat so that the cross-section IV-IV is in said gap.
• the cross-section as shown in. Figure 4 is somewhat larger and here the blade portion can be used to scrape the tooth surfaces by means of the edges 30.
• the triangular shape is reached which fits closely against the tooth surfaces and can remove loose particles and collect these by means of the brush members 31.
• the stick portion 27 can alternativel be used for the cleaning as previously described with reference to Figure 1.
• the blade portion 28 cannot be used for cleaning the inner teeth inside the corners of the mouth, but the portion 27 is intended for this.
• the invention is not limited to the examples described above and shown on the drawing but can be modified within the scope of the following patent claims.
• the blade portion can be given a simpler construction in which at least some of the cross-sectional shapes shown are eliminated.
• the brush members 10, 11 can also be eliminated or be constructed and arranged differently. They may, for example, consist of a plurality of brush threads secured in the stick portion or the blade portion respectively.
• the holder portions 4 and 24 are selected only as examples and are not bound to any s ⁇ ecific form of embodiment.

Landscapes

• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Dentistry (AREA)
• Epidemiology (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Animal Behavior & Ethology (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Public Health (AREA)
• Veterinary Medicine (AREA)
• Brushes (AREA)
• Dental Tools And Instruments Or Auxiliary Dental Instruments (AREA)

Priority Applications (3)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=20341899

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (8)

Cited By (7)

Families Citing this family (2)

Citations (8)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 1980
  • 1980-10-06 SE SE8006957A patent/SE440311B/sv not_active IP Right Cessation
• 1981
  • 1981-09-21 GB GB08229369A patent/GB2105593B/en not_active Expired
  • 1981-09-21 CH CH3606/82A patent/CH650918A5/fr not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1981-09-21 DE DE3152404T patent/DE3152404C2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1981-09-21 JP JP56503072A patent/JPS57501464A/ja active Pending
  • 1981-09-21 WO PCT/SE1981/000272 patent/WO1982001126A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 1981-10-06 FR FR8118803A patent/FR2491327A1/fr active Granted
• 1987
  • 1987-06-26 SG SG549/87A patent/SG54987G/en unknown

Patent Citations (8)

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