INTRA-BUCCAL TONGUE-MANIPULATED TOOTHBRUSH

Abstract: An oral hygiene device comprising a base (1) dimensioned to be held withing a users mouth so as to be manipulated by the tongue, cheeks, lips and teeth of the user, and a plurality of bristles (5) protruding from the base (1) adapted to clean the teeth and gums.

Description: - - INTRA-BUCCALTONGUE-MANIPULATEDTOOTHBRUSH BACKGROUND ART This invention relates to an oral hygiene device. «, It is desirable to provide an oral hygiene device r^ 5 which is simple and cheap to manufacture, which is readily able to be packaged and dispensed and yet which is simple fo the user to effectively manipulate and enable the teeth and gums of the user to be effectively and simply cleaned in order to avoid tooth decay. 10 DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above disadvantages. There is disclosed herein an oral hygiene device comprising a base dimensioned to be held within a users mout 15 so as to be manipulated by the tongue, cheeks, lips and teet of the user, and a plurality of bristles protruding from the base adapted to clean the teeth and gums. There is further disclosed herein a method of manufacturing an oral hygiene device, said method comprising 20 the steps of providing a toroid or disc of cellular foam compressing the toroid or disc to expel air therefrom and allowing said toroid or disc to expand in a solution of gel and medicament. Preferably said support frace is a disc-like frame 25 made from solid or foam plastics or rubber material. Preferably said frame is provided with at least one hole therethrough for the passage of air and saliva. Notwithstanding any other forms that may fall within its scope, one preferred form of the invention and variations 30 thereof will now be described with reference to the ^ accompanying drawings, in which: % BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS f Fig. 1 is a plan view of one form of an oral hygiene device according to the invention; 35 Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the line 2-2 of Fig. Fig. 3 is an underside view of the device shown in Fig. F ig. 4 is a plan view of an alternative form of oral - 2 - hygiene device according to the invention; Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of yet a further form of an oral hygiene device; Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of another form of an oral hygiene device; Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic view of a disc-like oral hygiene device according to the invention; and Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view of a toroidal oral hygiene device according to the invention. BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION In the preferred form of the invention an intra-oral hygiene device for periodontal patients is constructed as follows with reference to Figs. 1 to 3. The oral hygiene device comprises a small support frame in the form of disc 1 which may conventionally be moulded from plastics material and is for example 20mm in diameter. It will be appreciated that other materials such as rubber or other natural materials may be used form forming the disc. The disc is dish-like in configuration having a downwardly turned perimeter 2 and a raised central portion 3. The disc is provided with apertures 4 therethrough which may for example be 5mm long and 2mm wide and spaced 2mm in from the periphery of the disc. The disc may be provided with a peripheral bead 2 A of 1.5mm diameter. A plurality of bristles 5 are provided protruding downwardly from the lower surface of the disc and these bristles may be moulded integrally with the plastic material of the disc or may alternatively be set into the disc during manufacture. A small portion of the bristles only is shown by way of example in Fig. 3. In use the oral hygiene device may be, provided with a small amount of tooth paste such as gelatin or soluble gel paste and placed in the mouth of the user where it is manipulated against the teeth by the tongue of the user manipulating the upper surface 6 of the device. In this manner the device may be moved around the mouth against all surfaces of the teeth so that the bristles 5 may effectively brush into all the openings between the teeth. In an alternative simpler form of the invention as - 3 - shown in Fig. 4, the support frame may take the form of a small toroid or donut 7 having a circular periphery and a central hole 8. The donut is provided with bristles protruding from the surface thereof over the entire surface except for the hole 8 in the middle. It may have not individual bristles but be made from a rough foam material (Fig. 6) . This form of the invention would be simple and cheap to manufacture and simple to use by manipulation of th tongue, lips, teeth and cheeks of the user. A further alternative is shown in Fig. 5 where the support frame is circular in plan view and dished in cross- section to form a concave dish 9. The dish is provided with holes 10 therethrough for air passage and saliva flow and th lower concave surface of the dish is provided with protrudin bristles 11. Once again the oral hygiene device may be manipulated by the tongue, lips, teeth and cheeks of the use to effectively move the bristles 11 over the teeth of the user and effectively brush the teeth. In the form shown in Fig. 6 the device is formed fro a rough foam material to a disc-like shape 12 having a central hole 13. This highly dished version has no bristles but relies on the rough surface texture for cleaning the teeth and gums. All forms of the invention may be used either withou any cleaning compound or with conventional tooth paste or alternatively a gelatine or soluble gel paste may be incorporated into the support frame or bristles of the device. A breath freshener may also be incorporated. This form of the invention is particularly suitable for packaging as a one use "throw-away" form of the invention which may be sold, for example, from dispensing machines. In the preferred embodiment of Figs. 7 and 8, an ora hygiene device is constructed by taking a long tube or rod o closed cell polyethylene foam and cutting the tube or rod into slices. The tube or rod is typically of 30 millimeters diameter and the discs or toroids formed by slicing the rod or tube respectively may be further formed to a round configuration by cutting with a heated wire or by mechanical cutting means. - - The discs or toroids so formed such as the disc show at 14 in Fig. 7 and the toroid shown at 15 in Fig. 8 and having a hole 16 though the centre thereof, are then passed between a pair of rollers where they are compressed to expel the air from the cells of the disc or toroid. The gas being expelled is described as air although it will be appreciated that for some foams, for example the closed cell polyethylen foam described, the gas expelled may be an inert gas such as freon. The discs or toroids are passed through the rollers and immediately into a bath comprising a solution of gel and medicament, e.g. teeth whitener. In the preferred form of the invention, the solution comprises a warmed solution of gelatine and suitable oral hygiene medicament so that the compressed discs or toroids expand in the solution and absor the solution into the cellular cavities of the foam material. The mixture of medicaments and gelatine is, for example heated to a temperature above 60 C. The discs or toroids are then retrieved from the bat an are allowed to cool whereupon they may be packaged and dispensed in a suitable manner. In use of the oral hygiene device the impregnated disc or toroid is inserted in the mouth and manipulated with the tongue over the surface of the teeth and gums. Due to the robust closed cell nature of the device it is possible t chew the device for a considerable period of time, e.g. approximately 5 minutes wherein the closed cells will collapse into a fibrous nature which remains effective to clean the teeth and gums of the user. In this manner an oral hygiene device is provided which is simple and cheap to manufacture and yet which is particularly effective in use to clean the teeth and gums of the user and which is particularly suitable for packaging an dispensing either in multiple-pack packages or through coin- operated dispensing machines.

Claims: - 5 - CLAIMS 1. An oral hygiene device comprising a base dimensioned to be held within a users mouth so as to be manipulated by the tongue, cheeks, lips and teeth of the user, and a plurality of bristles protruding from the base adapted to clean the teeth and gums. 2. The device of claim 1 wherein said base is of a generally circular planar configuration with said bristles extending generally normal from the major surfaces of the base. 3. The device of claim 2 wherein said base is of a dish configuration. 4. The device of claim 3 wherein said base is provided with a plurality of apertures. 5. A method of manufacturing an oral hygiene device said method comprising the steps of providing a toroid or disc of cellular foam compressing the toroid or disc to expe air therefrom and allowing said toroid or disc to expand in solution of gel and medicament. 6. The device of claim 5 wherein the cellular foam is a closed cell polyethylene foam. 7. The method of claim 5 or 6 wherein the step of providing a toroid or disc of cellular foam comprises cuttin slices of said tube or rod of said foam of approximately 30m in diameter. 8. The method of claim 7 wherein said step of providing a toroid or disc includes cutting said tube or rod with a heated wire or mechanical cutting device. 9. The device of claim 5 wherein the step of compressing the toroid or disc comprises passing the toroid or disc between a pair of rollers and into a bath containing said solution of gel and medication. 10. The method of claim 9 wherein said bath comprises a warm solution of gelatine and medication arranged to cool in a semi-solid state. 11. An oral hygiene device substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Inventors: REES FRANK THOMAS
Applicants: REES FRANK THOMAS
Application year: 1981
Main classification: A46B1
IPC codes: A46B1, A46B5, A46B9, A46B11, A61C15, A61H13