Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A61—MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
  • A61C—DENTISTRY; APPARATUS OR METHODS FOR ORAL OR DENTAL HYGIENE
  • A61C5/00—Filling or capping teeth
  • A61C5/80—Dental aids fixed to teeth during treatment, e.g. tooth clamps
  • A61C5/88—Wedges

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an interdental wedge.
• Interdental wedges are used in the treatment of teeth, in particular for introducing dental filling material in teeth.
• the interdental wedges are in particular used together with matrices or matrix bands, which may be, for example, laid around a tooth.
• matrices or matrix bands which may be, for example, laid around a tooth.
• one or several interdental wedge(s) are introduced into the interdental spaces.
• a matrix for example a ring matrix, which is laid around the tooth which is to be treated, that is the tooth which is to be filled, is also pressed against this tooth by the interdental wedges.
• Such interdental wedges are described for example in DE 269 03 270 U1 .
• an interdental wedge which at least partially consists of plastic material.
• the interdental wedge is characterized in that the interdental wedge has a shaft area and a grip area and in that at least in the shaft area at least one filler material is incorporated into the plastic material.
• an interdental wedge denotes a device for utilization in dentistry or dental care.
• the interdental wedge in particular serves for utilization in the part or filling of teeth.
• the interdental wedge according to the invention may be also used, however, for cleaning the interdental spaces.
• the interdental wedge consists at least partially of plastic material.
• thermoplastic resin is used as plastic material.
• the interdental wedge has a shaft area and a grip area.
• the grip area and the shaft area may be designed as one piece. It is, however, also within the scope of the invention that the grip area and the shaft area are separate parts, which are connected, for example, via a connecting part.
• connection is then preferably a non-detachable connection, such as welding, adhesion or molding.
• the part or section of the interdental wedge, with which it is at least partially inserted into the interdental space is referred to as shaft area.
• the part or section of the interdental wedge, at which the dentist or user can hold the interdental wedge during insertion and retraction from the interdental space is referred to as grip area.
• at least one filler material is incorporated in the plastic material, at least in the shaft area.
• a filler material which is incorporated in the plastic material is understood to be a filler material which is bound to the plastic material physically or chemically.
• the filler material is at least in parts present in the interior of the shaft area. In this respect the incorporated filler material differs from a coating of the shaft area.
• a grip area is present at the interdental wedge and on the other hand at least the shaft area consists of a plastic material which is compounded with filler material
• a number of advantages can be achieved. Firstly, the handling of the interdental wedge is simplified by the grip area, as the dentist or user of the interdental wedge no longer has to directly grab the shaft area. Secondly, breaking of the interdental wedge in the shaft area can be prevented by the material of the shaft area. Furthermore, the risk of injuries for the patient may be lower or eliminated due to the usage of plastic material. Moreover, the plastic material may be elastic and can thus assure the reliable insertion of the interdental wedge into the interdental space.
• the strength of the interdental wedge in the shaft area can be ensured.
• the surface properties of the shaft area can be influenced positively by the filler material. For example, a certain roughness of the surface can be caused by the filler material. Thereby, falling out of the interdental wedge during the treatment of the patient can be prevented. Since the material of the filler material is not present in form of a coating but as a filler material, even upon abrasion of the surface of the shaft area, for example due to the insertion, filler material will still be present at the surface and the positive surface properties can thus be guaranteed even with multiple insertion of the interdental wedge into the interdental space.
• the inventive interdental wedge may also be used for example for cleaning the interdental spaces and may be used thus as a sort of tooth pick. Due to the filler material also the gum may be massaged during this usage of the interdental wedge.
• the filler material is a powder.
• the advantage of such filler material with small particle or grain size is on the one hand the simplified introduction into the plastic material and on the other hand the improved binding to the plastic material.
• the filler material preferably consists of diamond or ceramic. It is particularly preferred that this filler material is present as a powder. In particular when using diamond powder the high strength of the filler material can be used advantageously.
• the plastic material is compounded with the filler material.
• the filler material in particular the diamond powder in the plastic material can be guaranteed.
• the plastic material may be a thermoplastic resin. These plastics are easy to handle and also allow for the manufacture of different shapes in a simple manner.
• thermoplastic elastomers are used as plastic material. By selecting these materials on the one hand a simple manufacturing by plastic forming at higher temperatures can be guaranteed. On the other hand these plastic materials are elastic at room temperature. The shaft area of the interdental wedge can be inserted into the interdental space without risk of injury and can at least partially be compressed.
• Plastic material which is preferably used according to the invention is a thermoplastic elastomer which is traded for example by DuPont under the trademark Hytrel ®. Alternatively, also polyetheretherketone (PEEK) can be used.
• the grip area is a plate.
• a plate is herein understood to be a component which has planar extension.
• the area of the plate herein lies within the direction of the longitudinal axis of the shaft area.
• the size of the grip area is larger than the width of the shaft area.
• the grip area extends laterally beyond the shaft area in the width direction.
• the grip area can directly be formed at one end of the shaft area or can be attached thereto. Alternatively, an intermediate element can be used which can also be referred to as connecting element. Since at one end of the shaft area, in particular at the end at which the shaft area has the largest cross section, a grip area is provided, the interdental wedge can be easily handled by the dentist or user. In addition, the grip area due to its larger dimensions prevents the shaft area from slipping through the interdental space.
• the grip area in particular at a plate, which forms the grip area, preferably at least one finger depression and preferably two opposite finger depressions are provided.
• the finger depressions can be indentations which are provided across the entire surface of the grip area or are formed therein. The size of the indentations is chosen such that the finger tip of the user can at least partially be put into the indentations.
• the interdental wedge can easily be grabbed.
• the pushing force or pulling force onto the interdental wedge and in particular on the shaft area can be applied reliably and the shaft area can thereby be pushed into the interdental space or pulled therefrom in a simple manner.
• the grip area is preferably a circular or oval plate. Due to this shape of the grip area it is firstly possible to introduce finger depressions and secondly the risk of injury for the patient or user is low, as no corners are present in this area, which upon insertion of the interdental wedge is facing the cheek or lip.
• At least the grip area and optionally also the shaft area consist of dyed material.
• the areas can be dyed after the manufacturing of the interdental wedge.
• the areas can be manufactures from different material and can thus have different colors.
• the advantage which follows from the use of a colored grip area and/or colored shaft area is that different sizes or shapes of the interdental wedge can have different colors and can thus easily be distinguished by the dentist or user.
• a passage opening for a safety thread is provided into the interdental wedge.
• the passage opening for the safety thread can be within the grip area. Thereby, the insertion of the shaft area into the interdental space is not hindered by the safety thread.
• the passage opening may be provided for example into a connecting part between grip area and shaft area. Thereby, the gripping of the interdental wedge is not hindered by a safety thread which is introduced into the passage opening.
• the shaft area of the interdental wedge is preferably tapered towards a tip in longitudinal direction, that means is wedge-shaped.
• the shaft area may therein be straight over the length or may have a slight curvature.
• the cross-section of the shaft area is preferably a triangle.
• Figures 2a and 2b schematic front and side views of a second embodiment of an interdental wedge according to the invention.
• Figure 3 a schematic sectional view through the shaft area of the second embodiment.
• FIGS 1 a and 1 b a first embodiment of the interdental wedge 1 according to the invention is shown in different views.
• the interdental wedge 1 in this embodiment consists of a shaft area 10, a grip area 1 1 and a connecting part 14.
• the grip area 1 1 is attached to the shaft area 10 via the connecting part 14.
• the shaft area 10 is an elongated element, which in the depicted embodiment has a straight longitudinal axis.
• the shaft area 10 runs from one longitudinal end to the other one in a wedge shape.
• the cross sectional area of the shaft area 10 is triangular.
• a connecting part 14 is attached.
• the grip area 1 1 is inserted into the connecting part 14 and is connected with it.
• a passage opening 13 is introduced in the grip area 1 1 .
• This opening extends through the thickness of the grip area 1 1 which is designed as a plate and through the two elements of the connecting part 14, between which the grip area 1 1 is held.
• a safety thread (not shown) can be passed through.
• the finger depressions 1 10, which are introduced into the grip area 1 1 are visible.
• the finger depressions 1 10 each are an indentation in the two opposite surfaces of the grip area 1 1 which is designed as a plate.
• a second embodiment of the inventive interdental wedge 1 is shown. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment shown in figures 1 a and 1 b merely by the connection of the grip area 1 1 to the shaft area 10.
• the further components and features are identical to the ones which are shown and described in the first embodiment and will therefore not be explained again.
• the grip area 1 1 is designed as one-piece with the shaft area 10. Between the grip area 1 1 and the shaft area 10 a transitional area 12 is formed. This transitional area 12 has a tapering. In the transitional area 12 in the depicted embodiment the passage opening 13 for receiving a safety thread is inserted.
• FIG 3 a schematic sectional view of the shaft area 10 along the line A-A in Figure 2a is shown.
• the interdental wedge consists of a plastic material which is compounded with filler material. It is specifically preferable that the plastic material is compounded with diamond powder as filler material.
• an interdental wedge which can be used for utilization during the treatment and reconstruction but also for the dental care, in particular interdental massage and interdental cleaning.
• the shaft area is compounded with diamond powder.
• the interdental wedge is made of plastic material, in particular thermoplastic elastomer with diamond powder.
• the interdental wedge in comparison to wedges or tooth picks is dirt- repellent.
• With the interdental wedge for example with a triangular cross section a planar cleaning of the tooth surface which faces the interdental space can be carried out.
• the interdental wedge according to the invention can furthermore also be used for cleaning of implants.
• the interdental wedge is non-breakable and due to the grip area, which can also be referred to as finger head, is extremely easy to handle.

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=56410257

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Citations (6)

• 2016
  • 2016-06-08 DE DE202016103050.1U patent/DE202016103050U1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 2017
  • 2017-06-07 WO PCT/EP2017/063779 patent/WO2017211865A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (6)

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