Dental floss

A dental floss having spaced, spherical protruberances along its length that improve the ability to remove unwanted material trapped between teeth, and improve the ability of a user to hold and use the floss.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention relates to dental floss, and particularly to an 
improved dental floss having spaced protruberances that improve the 
ability to remove unwanted material trapped between teeth, and improve the 
ability of a user to hold and use the floss. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Dental floss is a well-known article used to promote oral hygiene by aiding 
in the removal of particles lodged in the interproximal areas of the 
teeth. In normal use a segment of dental floss is passed between two 
adjacent teeth and manipulated to dislodge food and other unwanted 
particles trapped between the teeth. Dental floss is typically manipulated 
under tension against the tooth surface being cleaned in such a way that 
its motion is lateral to longitudinal axis of the floss in an 
occluogingival direction along the surface of the tooth. Such movement 
brings it into direct contact with the surface of the tooth from its crown 
to the gum line. This movement, if successful, is designed to mechanically 
dislodge particles of food and other matter lodged on the surface the 
tooth or trapped between two adjacent teeth. 
Use of dental floss is very important in reducing plaque on interproximal 
surfaces of the teeth that cannot be reached by a toothbrush. Since caries 
typically develop on tooth surfaces where there is an accumulation of 
plaque, using floss to remove plaque on interproximal surfaces of teeth 
reduces the likelihood for the development of caries on the interproximal 
surfaces. 
Conventional dental floss is generally made from relatively small diameter 
filaments woven together into a single elongated strand having uniform 
dimensions. The surface of the floss is smooth and is sometimes waxed. 
This makes it difficult for an individual to hold the floss during use 
because it cannot be tightly grasped and it slips between the user's 
fingers. This can be very frustrating to the user and can make flossing 
ineffective. Such smooth, uniform floss also does not function well to 
clean concave surfaces on a tooth's interproximal surfaces. In addition, 
smooth, uniform or relatively uniform floss does not function well in the 
transport and removal of unwanted material after it is successfully 
dislodged from interproximal regions between the teeth. 
There is a need in the art for an improved dental floss that is better able 
to transport and remove food particles or material that have been 
successfully dislodged from interproximal regions between the teeth. 
There is also a need in the prior art for an improved dental floss that 
does not easily slide between a user's fingers and is thereby easier to 
use flossing teeth. 
It is a further need in the art for an improved dental floss that is better 
able to dislodge and remove food particles and other matter that is 
trapped in concave areas on tooth surfaces where conventional dental floss 
rides over such matter. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The previously described needs in the prior art are satisfied by the 
present invention. The novel dental floss described and claimed herein 
better facilitates the transport and removal of material dislodged from 
interproximal regions between the teeth. In addition, the novel dental 
floss does not easily slide between the fingers of individual using the 
floss. 
Small protruberances are spaced along the dental floss and the surface of 
these protruberances that meet the floss rise at a relatively steep angle 
with respect to the longitudinal axis of the floss. The relatively steep 
angle at which surfaces of the protruberances rise from the longitudinal 
axis of the floss better remove food particles and other unwanted material 
from concave depressions on tooth surfaces, and better snare unwanted 
particles that have been successfully dislodged from interproximal regions 
between teeth for their transport and removal. In addition, these small, 
spaced protruberances permit an individual to hold and use the floss 
without having difficulty in holding the floss due to it sliding between 
the individual's fingers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
In FIG. 1 is shown a segment of the improved dental floss 10 having a 
plurality of protruberances 12 attached along the longitudinal axis of 
standard dental floss 10. After manufacture there are segments 11 of the 
standard dental floss between each of protruberances 12 as shown. The base 
dental floss 11 is of a type well-known in the art and is not described in 
detail herein. 
In the preferred embodiment of the invention described herein 
protruberances 12 are small spherical elements attached to base floss 11 
in the order of every one and one-quarter inches to form new floss 10. The 
diameter of protruberances 12 is preferably in the order of twice the 
diameter of base floss 11 but may be larger or smaller. As shown in FIG. 1 
protruberances 12 are spherical but they may be of different shapes. As 
seen in FIG. 1, where the outer surface of each of protruberances 12 meets 
base floss 11 it forms an angle with the longitudinal axis of floss 11 in 
the order of forty-five degrees, but may be more or less depending upon 
the ratio of the diameter of protruberances 12 to the diameter of base 
floss 11. This relatively steep angle is better to snare food particles 
and other unwanted material that have been successfully dislodged from 
concave surfaces on teeth and interproximal regions between teeth for its 
transport and removal without new floss 10 getting stuck between the users 
teeth as will most likely happen if protruberances 12 meet base floss 11 
at an angle of 90 degrees or another very steep angle close to ninety 
degrees. 
Floss 11 may be made from nylon or expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). 
PTFE flosses have a number of advantages over nylon floss including 
resistance to shredding (i.e. the breaking off of individual strands of 
the fiber between teeth of a user) and high lubricity. However, due to the 
high lubricious nature of PTFE floss, it is more difficult for an 
individual to hold the floss during use because it slides between their 
fingers. This difficulty is negated by the spaced protruberances 12 along 
floss 10 in accordance with the teaching of the present invention. 
Protruberances 12 limit the ability of floss 10 to slide between the 
fingers of the user. The protruberances 12 also contribute to more cost 
effective floss use because the user does not have to wrap a number of 
turns of floss around their fingers to effectively hold the floss, such as 
must be done in the prior art. 
Protruberances 12 may be made from nylon or other material that bonds to 
the nylon, PTFE or other material from which base floss 11 is made as 
described with reference to FIG. 2. In addition, protruberances 12 may be 
created and fastened to base floss 11 in other ways known to those skilled 
in the art, such as by a wrap, loop, knot, or chemical bonding. 
In FIG. 2 is shown an exemplary apparatus for attaching protruberances 12 
to base floss 11 to create the novel floss 10 in accordance with the 
teaching of the present invention. Shown are two identical rollers 15a and 
15b, each of which is respectively attached to a shaft 16a and 16b. The 
two shafts 16a and 16b are rotated at the same speed (rpm). The two 
rollers 15a and 15b each have a groove 17 around their periphery. Rollers 
15a and 15b actually touch each other, but are shown slightly spaced in 
FIG. 2 for ease of presentation. Each groove 17 has a cross sectional 
shape of a half circle that is slightly smaller than half the 
cross-section of base floss 11. This permits floss 11, shown in a 
cross-sectional end view in FIG. 2, to be pinched between rollers 15a and 
15b, and as rollers 15a and 15b turn, base floss 11 is drawn between them. 
Spaced along groove 17 around the periphery of each of rollers 15a and 15b 
are hemispherical depressions 14. There are the same number of depressions 
14 around the periphery of each of rollers 15a and 15b, and as these 
rollers turn a depression 14 on roller 15a is always in registration with 
a depression 14 on roller 15b at the point the two rollers contact each 
other. 
Rollers 15a and 15b are heated and a small drop of molten material, such as 
molten nylon, is injected into each depression 14 on each of rollers 15a 
and 15b as the depressions pass under the injection mechanism (not shown). 
Grooves 17 and hemispherical depressions 14 are coated with a material 
that inhibits the molten material from bonding to rollers 15a and 15b. The 
molten material is carried further around the periphery of heated rollers 
15a and 15b until it contacts base floss 11 being drawn between the two 
rollers. At this point the molten material in opposing depressions 14 on 
rollers 15a and 15b contact each other and floss 11. The molten material 
fuses to form a spherical protruberance 12 that is fused to base floss 11. 
As the two rollers turn spherical protruberances 12 are created every one 
and one-quarter inches along floss 11 to create new floss 10. As desired, 
protruberances 12 may be spaced at any desired distance along base floss 
11 to create new floss 10. 
While what has been described hereinabove is the preferred embodiment of 
the invention, it will be understood that those skilled in the art may 
make numerous changes without departing from the spirit and scope of the 
invention.