WO2002034145A1

WO2002034145A1 - Method and apparatus for eliminating bad breath

Info

Publication number: WO2002034145A1
Application number: PCT/SE2000/002088
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gunnar Wahab
Original assignee: The Breath Clinic Ab
Priority date: 2000-10-26
Filing date: 2000-10-26
Publication date: 2002-05-02
Also published as: AU2001215630A1

Abstract

A method and an apparatus of eliminating bad breath, 'Halitosis', of a person, which bad breath depends on proteins, plaque and other material that has been clogged in the cavities between papillae of the tongue (1) thereby giving rise to a decomposition of said material with a resulting development of sulphurous gases, and in which said clogged material is broken up using an ultrasonic scraper blade (9) which drawn forwards-downwards over the tongue (1), starting at the rearmost part of the tongue, whereupon said broken up material (7) is removed by means of water and/or a combination of water and air. The method can be completed by a preparatory step including covering the surface of the tongue with a gel comprising a component (hypochlorite, HClO) which at least partly resolves such clogged material.

Description

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR ELIMINATING BAD BREATH Bad breath, known as "Halitosis", is generally caused by anaerobic bacteria producing sulphur gases which are developed between the papillae of the tongue and on the tonsils. It is known that bad breath is not a symptom of bad oral hygiene, and also not of bad stomach, the sinuses or the lungs . In most cases bad breath does not come from the stomach etc. but from the mouth cavity. The bacteria generally exist at the bottom of the cavities, mainly in the cavities between the .papillae. When proteins, debris, meat rests, plaque etc. which components generally exist at and around the tongue become clogged in the cavities of the tongue said bacteria decompose the protein components etc. thereby producing a sulphur gas, which is perceived as a bad breath gas.

Sulphur gases can be detected by any types of Halimeters, by which the content of sulphur gases is given as a VSC value (Volatile Sulphur Compound) .

It is also possible to detect the existence of sulphur gases in the mouth by means of cotton tops which are drawn over the tongue and which are thereafter dipped into a sulphur sensitive liquid which changes colour following the content of sulphur gases .

Material which are sensitive to decomposition by the sulphur producing bacteria often become clogged in the cavities between the papillae of the tongue, and the anaerobic bacteria thereby intensify the decomposition of the material and thereby the production of sulphur gases which give rise to bad breath. For different reasons which are not quite investigated, the decomposition of material, especially of proteins which have been clogged between the papillae of some persons become accelerated by time thereby increasing the development of sulphur gases giving rise to bad breath, that is to "halitosis" .

Attempts have been made to get rid of debris, plaque, proteins etc. which have been decomposed by the sulphur producing bacteria using a tongue scraper which is drawn in the direction forwards-downwards over the tongue. Such tongue scrapers, however, can not reach as far down between the papilla as to get rid of the clogged material, and it has therefore been considered difficult to cure bad breath, named Halitosis. Attempts also have been made to eliminate Halitosis by spreading a powder of chlorine dioxide, C10₂ over the tongue. The chlorine dioxide, however, does not seem capable of stop the decomposition of debris, proteins etc. on the tongue .

Therefore, the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for eliminating Halitosis. This is accomplished by breaking up or resolving material which has been decomposed and has been clogged in the cavities of the tongue and removing such decomposed material. Surprisingly it has been found that it is possible to break up clogged material by means of ultrasonic activity and to remove material that produces sulphur gases after the clogged material has been broken up .

It also has been found that the effect of the ultrasonic sound can be highly improved by at least partly resolving the clogged material using a cleansing gel, like a gel containing a resolving compound such as hypochlorite HCIO or chlorine dioxide C10₂.

A method of eliminating halitosis may comprise the following method steps :

1. Performing a anamnes declaration for considering the eating habits of the patient, dry mouth etc., thereby for the future eliminating part of the ground for the halitosis;

2. Measuring the sulphur content of the expiration air of the mouth in order to judge what activity should be used of the ultrasonic instrument;

3. Covering the tongue with a cleansing gel, like a gel comprising a chlorine compound, allowing said gel to act for 30-60 seconds to resolve and decompose debris, protein, plaque and other material which has been clogged in the cavities between the papilla of the tongue;

4. Moving an ultrasonic instrument forwards-downwards over the tongue, that is from the back of the tongue towards the front end thereof; removing the material which follows the ultrasonic instrument; repeating step 4 several times;

5. Spraying the tongue with water, sucking up rinsed out material, allowing the patient to water rinse the mouth or otherwise rinse out the resolved material;

6. Instructing the patient of how to treat the tongue at home in the future .

An apparatus for executing the method comprises a tongue scraper which is connected to an ultrasonic vibration producing apparatus and suited for deep tongue cleaning. The ultrasonic instrument may be in the form of a tongue scraper which is connected to said ultrasonic producing apparatus, like to a scalar part of a dental treatment unit . Said dental treatment unit can make use of both ultrasonic vibrations and the water rising and the air spraying part thereof. It is, of course, also possible to use separate apparatus for the ultrasonic vibration, the water system and the air producing system. The ultrasonic instrument may be in the form of a curved scraper having a size and a shape adapted to different sizes and shapes of tongues. It is important that the ultrasonic instrument is of a materiall which can be autoclaved, for instance of stainless steel or another suitable metal compound, or of a plastic materiall. The tongue scraper can be formed as a blade having a suitable width, for instance a width of 5-8 mm and formed with a threaded connection means suited to the output of the ultrasonic producing apparatus, or of a separate dentist unit or of the sealer part of the dental treatment unit .

The ultrasonic tongue scraper can be formed with means for spraying water on the tongue while the ultrasonic treatment is performed, like a bore through which water is sprayed onto the scraper blade, or it may be formed with a tube arranged along the upper part of the scraper blade and having a large number of through bores, or it may be formed as a double walled scraper blade having water spray bores at suitable places thereof.

The tongue scraper can be formed for being connected to a sealer part of the dental treatment unit, as shown in figures 2 and 3, or it may be formed for being connected to a handle, as shown in figure 4, or it may be formed as an integral instrument, as shown in figure 5.

Now the invention is to be describe more in detail with reference to the attached drawings in which - figure 1 is a cross section of a part of a tongue with papillae and cavities between said papillae, figure 2 is a perspective view of an ultrasonic tongue scraper according to the invention, figure 3 is an explanatory perspective view of the ultrasonic scraper in action for removing clogged material in the cavities between the tongue papilla, figure 4 is a perspective view of a tongue scraper and a separate ultrasonic instrument handle, figure 5 is a similar perspective view of an integral ultrasonic scraper instrument, and figures 6A, 6B and 6C are cross section view along line VI-VI of figure 5 showing three different cross section shapes of the ultrasonic scraper.

In figure 1 is shown a part cross section through a tongue 1 having papillae 2 and cavities 3 therebetween. At the bottom of each cavity 3 there is shown a number of anaerobic bacteria 4 and above said bacteria, and a certain distance up towards the top surface 5 of the tongue proteins, plaque, debris etc. 6, which may, or may not have been clogged in their cavities. It should be emphasised that the anaerobic bacteria 4 generally have a good effect, but give, for certain persons rise of uncontrolled development of sulphur gases and thereby development of bad breath, that is "halitosis" .

Part A of figure 1 shows a non treated tongue. Part B by shows a preparatory treatment of the clogged material in the tongue cavities. Such preparatory treatment is made by covering the tongue surface with a material that resolves the clogged protein and other material of the tongue cavities, for instance a gel containing about 0.5 % hypochlorite. Said gel is allowed to stay on the tongue for a period of 30-60 seconds . The hypochlorite of said gel leads to a certain resolution of the clogged material, as shown by reference numeral 7 in figure 1, thereby supporting the following treatment or the tongue by means of the ultrasonic scraper as shown in figures 2 and 3.

The treatment is made in that a cleansing gel 8 is spread over the tongue top 5 and down into the cavities 3 between the papillae 2 and into contact with the material 6 which is present therein, part B of figure 1. The cleansing gel contains a substance which provides a certain resolution of the clogged material 6, as mentioned above a chlorine compound like hypochlorite. The gel is allowed to work for about 30 to 60 seconds. Thereafter an ultrasonic scraper 9 is drawn in the direction forwards-downwards over the tongue with the gel, that is from the bottom of the tongue and to the outer end thereof, part C as shown in figure 3. The ultrasonic scraper 9 provides an ultrasonic action having a frequency of more than 20 kHz, preferably 24-28 kHz over the entire length thereof, and the ultrasound thereof breaks up the clogged material 7 so that said material can be flushed off by means of water or another liquid. Preferably the frequency of the tongue scraper can be increased manually using a control switch. The ultrasonic instrument preferably is of a type having automatic tuning. In some cases is it preferred to increase the frequency in order to have a good ultrasonic effect over the entire length of the tongue scraper.

Shown in figures 1 and 2 the ultrasonic scraper 9 can be formed with one or more bores 10 through which water is sprayed onto the bow formed scraper tool 9 and from there splashes onto the tongue at the same time as performing its ultrasonic action. It is, however, emphasised that flushing of water onto the tongue may as well be made as a separate action after the scraper has been drawn over the tongue. It is as well possible to remove the resolved and released material in that the patient rinses his/her mouth with water.

The ultrasonic action by the scraper, eventually including the pre-treatment with the gel 8 can be repeated several times until it is determined that all sulphur gas producing material of the tongue has been removed. In figure 2 is shown that the ultrasonic scraper 9 is a bow formed scraper blade having, at one end thereof, a threaded screw 11 which can be connected to a sealer part 12 of the dental treatment unit (not shown) or to a separate ultrasound producing unit. As mentioned above the tongue scraper 9 can be formed with one or more bores 10 through which water 13 can be flushed onto the inner surface of the scraper and from there onto the surface of the tongue. It is to be recommended that the water which is sprayed onto the tongue has a water pressure of for instance 0.2 - 1.0 MPa-.

As shown by the cross section view of figure 6 the tongue scraper can be formed as a single bow formed scraper blade, figure 6A, or as a scraper blade having, along one longitudinal edge thereof, a water distribution tube 14 with several distribution bores, figure 6B, or as a double walled scraper blade formed with an inner, closed water distribution chamber 15 from which water can be sprayed onto the tongue through several bores .

Figure 4 shows the tongue scraper connected to a handle 16 which is, in turn, connected to an ultrasonic producing unit and eventually also to a means for giving out water or water/air onto the tongue.

Figure 7 shows the tongue scraper 9 as being an integral part of an ultrasonic scraper apparatus 17 of known type.

It is important that the scraper 9 or 9, 17 is of a material that can be autoclaved. The material can be stainless steel or another suitable metal, or it may be a plastic material.

Reference Numerals 1 tongue

2 papillae cavity bacteria top of tongue clogged material resolved material apparatus cleansing gel ultrasonic scraper bore screw sealer part water conduit inner chamber handle ultrasonic scraper

Claims

1. A method of eliminating bad breath, "Halitosis", of a person, which bad breath depends on proteins, plaque and other material (6) which has been clogged in the cavities (3) between papillae (2) of the tongue (1) thereby giving rise to a decomposition of said material with a resulting development of sulphurous gases, characterised in that said clogged material (7) is broken up using an ultrasonic scraper (9) which drawn forwards-downwards over the tongue, starting at the rearmost part of the tongue, whereupon said broken up material (7) is removed by means of water and/or a combination of water and air.

2. A method according to claim 1, characterised in that the ultrasonic scraping method is completed by a preparatory treatment of the tongue with a tongue cleansing material including a substance capable of at least partly resolving said material (6) which has been clogged in the tongue cavities (3) .

3. A method according to claim 2, characterised in that the resolving substance of said cleansing material includes a hypochlorite (HCIO) in a gel (8) .

4. A method according to claim 3, characterised in that said hypochlorite (HCIO) is present in an amount of about 0.5% and is allowed to act on the tongue for a period of 30 to 60 seconds before the tongue is treated by means of the ultrasonic scraper.

5. A method according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that water and/or a combination of water and air (13) is flushed onto the tongue concurrently with moving the ultrasonic scraper (9) over the tongue.

6. An apparatus for executing the method according to any of the preceding claims, characterised in that the apparatus comprises a scraper blade (9) which can be connected to an ultrasonic producing apparatus (12; 16; 17) .

7. An apparatus according to claim 6 , characterised in that the ultrasonic scraper blade (9) is formed to provide ultrasonic vibrations over the entire length of said scraper blade (9) .

8. An apparatus according to claim 6 or 7 , characterised in that the scraper blade (9) has a shape and size in conformity with the cross section shape and size of the tongue to be treated.

9. An apparatus according to any of claims 6-8, characterised in that the scraper blade (9) is formed with means (10; 14; 15) for flushing water and/or a combination of water and air onto the tongue concurrently with moving the ultrasonic scraper blade (9) over the tongue.

10. An apparatus according to any of claims 6-8, characterised in that the scraper blade (9) is made of a material that can be autoclaved and is a separate unit (9) that can be connected (11, 12; 16) to an ultrasonic producing apparatus, or is an integral part of an ultrasonic producing apparatus (17) .