TEETH-CLEANSING MEANS

Abstract: The invention relates to a tooth cleaning device in the shape of an elongated element (2), the cross-sectional dimension of which permits its introduction between the teeth and which is constituted by a dental floss (3), which in its longitudinal direction exhibits at least one brush formation (4) having a cross-sectional dimension exceeding that of the dental floss. The brush formation (4) is retained in position on the dental floss (3) by being twined into said floss or by means of heating, at which there is used a melt wire having essentially the same melting point as the brush formation.

Description: Teeth-cleansing means The present invention relates to a dental cleaning device in the shape of an elongated element, the cross- section of which permits its introduction between the teeth. In order to avoid parodontopati and caries it is important regularly to clean the teeth and to give them a prophylactic care at all stages. To achieve this one does today generally use a dental floss and, when the gaps between the teeth are a little wider, use so- called gap brushes. It has, however, proven difficult to achieve a perfect cleaning of the teeth in those cases where the dental floss is too thin and the gap brush is too big. If the gap brush is too big to permit its introduction, it will bend resulting in a deteriorated cleaning effect. If in such a case the dental floss is inserted between the teeth, the cleaning effect will be inferior due to the fact that in those places the dental floss is too thin to perform the desired result. The purpose of the present invention is to eliminate the above-mentioned problem and to establish a combined dental floss and gap brush, the two parts of which cooperate in such a way that a most efficient and complete cleaning of the teeth can take place. The characteristics of the invention are set out in the subsequent claims. Thanks to the present invention there has now been provided a tooth cleaning device, which in an excellent manner fulfils its purposes and at the same time can be manufactured in a simple and cost-saving way. Use of the tooth cleaning device according to the invention makes it possible simultaneously to handle two pro- blems, namely alternately caries and parodontal problems. The device offers a more efficient cleaning than a conventional gap brush, when the brush is inserted with the aid of the dental floss and can be given different angles during the cleaning of the gum. In this way the lingual side of the gum becomes more healthy, which significantly improves the parodontal situation. Also, thanks to the alternate use of the gap brush and the dental floss, the device according to the invention offers a possibility simultaneously to carry out two treatments. Use of the dental floss makes it possible also to reach very narrow spaces between the teeth, which cannot accommodate a conventional gap brush so that efficient cleaning can be carried out. Further, one can conveniently reach the spaces below bridge structures at implants and pending joints. Finally, the dimensions of both the brush and the dental floss can conveniently be made to match individual users and the device can be delivered to the client e.g. wound onto a roll. The application of the brush on the dental floss according to the method characterizing the invention completely eliminates the risk that the brush would come loose from the dental floss. This is essential, since the brush may in use sometimes get stuck between the teeth. A preferred embodiment of the invention will now be described with reference to the drawings, in which Fig. 1 diagrammatically illustrates the manufacturing process for a dental floss according to the invention and Fig. 2 shows a tooth cleaning device according to the invention, which has been pulled out a predetermined length from a storage roll. As appears from Fig. 2, the tooth cleaning device 1 is constituted by an elongated element 2 , the cross-sectional dimension of which permits its introduction between the teeth. The elongated element is constituted by a dental floss 3 , which as seen in its longitudinal direction exhibits a number of brush formations 4 spaced from each other in a predetermined way. The cross-sectional dimension of the brush formations is greater than that of the dental floss 3. In the illustrated embodiment the brush formations 4 comprise a bristle 5 projecting laterally by a distance matching the distance to the teeth to be cleaned. In order to facilitate the insertion of the bristle 5 between the teeth each brush formation 4 is bevelled at least at the one of its ends 11 or 12, respectively. The brush formations are also located at a regular spacing from each other which may vary but, in the illustrated example, amounts to about 30 cms. The length of each individual brush formation can be about 1-5 cms and in the illustrated example the cylinder- shaped portion of each brush formation has a diameter of approximately 2-5 mms. The brush formations 4 are in some suitable way retained in their positions along the dental floss 3. In the example shown the brush formations 4 have been fixed at the dental floss 3 by being twined into it or by means of heating, e.g. pulse heating including use of a melt wire 8. According to the illustrated example the melt wire 8 has substantially the same melting point as that of the bristle 5. In those cases when the melt wire 8 is used the dental floss 3 does in addition to the melt wire 8 just mentioned also comprise a core wire 7, the melting point of which is higher than that of the melt wire. Suitable materials in this context are polymers, which may include up to 100 strands in each wire 7 and 8, respectively, and also in the individual bristle 5. Before the application of the brush formations 4 these may either be parallel to each other or intertwined. As appears more in detail from Fig. 1, it has there diagrammatically been shown how the core wire 7 and the melt wire 8 are supplied to a brush application station 9, the brush formations 4 being simultaneously by means of a carrier wire 14 fed into the station 9, where heating pulses secure the bristle to the dental floss 3. During that operation the melt wire 8 , which has substantially the same melting point as the bristle 5 in the brush formations 4, will by melting secure those to the core wire 7 , whereupon the completed dental floss 3 is supplied to a cutting and packaging station 15. Thanks to the fact that the core wire 7 has a higher melting point than have both the bristle 5 and the melt wire 8 , it can be preserved intact during the pulse heating in the brush application station 9. In the example shown the tooth cleaning device 1 has been wound on a roll 6, which in turn can be enclosed in suitably designed packages 16. Those packages 16 may contain tooth cleaning devices including brushes and dental flosses of different dimensions or sizes to suit a maximum number of users. The mode of operation of the device 1 according to the invention is as follows. A suitable length of the dental floss 3 having brush formations 4 is pulled out from the storage roll 6. The dental floss 3 may or may not then be cut loose from the roll and inserted into the gap between two teeth to be cleaned. With the aid of the floss it is then easy to make the brush for a- tions 4 enter that gap, which could not accommodate a gap brush in a way permitting cleaning. Also, one can conveniently vary the angle of the bristle 5 so that the teeth are cleaned in a most efficient way. When the space in question has been cleaned, the device 1 is pulled back so that the dental floss only remains in the gap, whereupon the device 1 is withdrawn. All tooth gaps are then cleaned in the same manner. In those cases where the gaps between the teeth are very narrow, only the portion of the device 1 comprising the dental floss 3 is made use of.

Claims: Claims 1. A dental cleaning device in the shape of an elongated element (2) having a cross-section permitting its introduction between the teeth and being constituted by a dental floss (3) , which in its longitudinal direction exhibits at least one brush formation (4) , the cross-sectional dimension of which exceeds that of said dental floss (3) , characterized in that the brush formation (4) is retained in its position on the dental floss (3) by being twined therein or by having undergone a heating treatment comprising use of a heating wire. 2. A dental cleaning device according to claim 1, characterized in that the melt wire has substantially the same melting point as the brush formation. 3. A dental cleaning device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the dental floss (3) comprises at least a core wire (7) and a melt wire (8) , the latter having a melting point lower than that of the core wire and is adapted to retain the brush formation (4) fixed in its position. 4. A dental cleaning device as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the brush formation (4) has substantially the same melting point as the melt wire (8) forming part of the dental floss (3) . 5. A dental cleaning device as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that the core wire (7), the melt wire (8) and the brush formation (4) are brought in fixed positions relatively each other in a brush appli- cation station (9) by means of pulse heating. 6. A dental cleaning device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the core wire (7) , the melt wire (8) and the brush formation (4) are constituted by a polymer, the individual brush wires in the brush formation (4) each comprising at least one strand. 7. A dental cleaning device as claimed in claim 1 or 5, characterized in that a plurality of brush forma- tions (4) are located along the dental floss (3) at regular interspacing. 8. A dental cleaning device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that each brush formation (4) is, at least in one of its ends (11; 12) , tapered to facilitate its insertion between the teeth. 9. A dental cleaning device as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the brush formations (4) comprise a bristle (5) projecting from the dental floss (3) by a predetermined distance and have a transverse brush extension matching the distance between the teeth to be cleaned. 10. A method for manufacturing a tooth cleaning device in the shape of an elongated element (2) , which has a cross-sectional dimension permitting its introduction between the teeth and is constituted by a dental floss (3) , which in its longitudinal direction exhibits at least one brush formation (4) , the cross- sectional dimension of which exceeds that of said dental floss (3) , characterized in that the dental floss (3) is formed using at least one core wire (7) and one melt wire (8) , which latter in a brush applica- tion station (9) with the aid of heat and a carrier wire (13) secures to the core wire (7) the brush formations (4) comprising the bristle (5) applied to the dental floss (3) , whereupon the completed dental floss (3) is cut and packaged in a subsequent station (14) .

Inventors: DU REES ANNE, DU REES, ANNE
Applicants: REES ANNE DU, DU REES, ANNE
Application year: 1998
Main classification: A61C15
IPC codes: A61C15