Patent Publication Number: US-2021177128-A1

Title: Toothbrush

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Applications No. 62/812,968 and No. 62/813,032, both filed on Mar. 2, 2019, and both entitled “TOOTHBRUSH”, the contents of which are hereby incorporated, by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     A very important aspect of oral hygiene—in both humans and animals—namely domesticated animals and pets, is the proper care of the gingival tissues (gums). The gum line and the gingival sulcus—the crevice between the gums and teeth—which begins at the gum line, are critical anatomical structures associated with not only oral health, but also overall health—since, in poor health, they are highly correlated with many serious illnesses, including numerous life-threatening ones, the likes of heart disease, kidney, liver, and lung disease, tumors and Alzheimer&#39;s Disease, amongst others. Domesticated animals and pets routinely suffer from various oral hygiene issues due to genetics, diet, living conditions, or any combination of the three. Cats and dogs are typically treated by a veterinarian for various oral hygiene issues, but owners typically have little tendency to assist with oral hygiene issues. 
     Dental implants have been widely used in the replacement of hopeless and missing natural teeth, for decades, and are becoming increasingly utilized, as they continue to evolve and improve. But just like natural teeth, dental implants must be well-maintained—for good oral health, and their success and longevity. The American Academy of Periodontology recently released the proceedings from the World Workshop on the Classification of Periodontal and Peri-implant Diseases and Conditions—which included, for the first time, formalized classifications of peri-implant maladies. 
     The gingival sulcus—around natural teeth, and the peri-implant crevice—around dental implants—are 360 degree/circumferential “potential spaces” which lie in between natural teeth and their surrounding gingiva and in between dental implants and their surrounding gingiva—much like the relationship between a turtle-neck shirt collar and one&#39;s neck, with the exception that they attach to the tooth/implant—at their bases. Pathogenic bacteria from microbe-laden dental plaque can migrate—from the natural teeth and implant-supported artificial teeth, down into these potential spaces, and result in the development of inflammatory periodontal diseases. Natural teeth are susceptible to developing gingivitis—which can then progress to periodontitis—resulting in the loss of supporting bone and gum tissue/gingiva, which surrounds the teeth and, eventually, loss of the teeth, themselves. Similarly, dental implants are susceptible to peri-implant mucositis and peri-implantitis—which are tantamount to gingivitis and periodontitis—around natural teeth, and which can result in the loss of dental implants. As such, it behooves us to practice thorough and effective daily oral hygiene—to remove these pathogens, daily, and to prevent them from invading the gingival sulci and peri-implant crevices and resulting in these progressive disease processes. 
     Ideal health of the sulci around individual natural teeth and the peri-implant crevices around individual implants are a challenge to maintain—especially on the lingual aspects of maxillary (upper) and mandibular (lower) teeth and implants, since the maxillary and mandibular anterior (front) teeth and the tongue obstruct access to their being cleansed. And, to further complicate oral hygiene considerations, when missing teeth are replaced by multi-tooth fixed prostheses—whether natural tooth-borne or implant-supported, they make toothbrush access to the abutment (anchoring) teeth&#39;s sulci or implants&#39; peri-implant crevices even more difficult and, potentially, impossible. Finally, the fixed prostheses, themselves, accumulate dental plaque and should also be thoroughly cleansed, on a daily basis. These prostheses may simulate the proportions of the crowns of the natural teeth they&#39;ve replaced, or—due to the loss of some of the bone and gingiva which supported and surrounded the previously-existing natural teeth, they may be also be restoring the proportions of some degree of the roots of those teeth, and/or of the lost gingiva—thereby resulting in prostheses which have significantly greater height, and labio-lingual (cheek-to-tongue) width, than just that of the crowns of the natural teeth they&#39;ve replaced. 
     Current toothbrushes are poorly suited as sulcus/peri-implant crevice brushes, by design, including those which are labeled “sulcus brushes” or “implant brushes” and/or marketed for sulcular brushing. They are typically designed for humans brushing the chewing and labial (lip and cheek side) surfaces of their own teeth. Current toothbrushes are also poorly suited to fit under (for mandibular teeth) and above (for maxillary teeth) multi-tooth fixed prostheses—to cleanse between the prostheses and gingiva, as well as between the prostheses and their supporting abutment teeth and/or supporting implants and in-between multiple supporting implants, as well. In the most extensive restorative cases, a full-arch restoration—replacing all teeth in a dental arch—is supported by and affixed to multiple dental implants; these restorations and implants typically present the greatest challenges regarding plaque removal. 
     Despite numerous toothbrush designs having been proposed to improve periodontal/sulcular brushing, no prior art toothbrush is presently known, which combines a single row of bristles—for unimpeded sulcular penetration—and a vertically-offset head—to overcome the geometric impedance of the teeth, themselves, in accessing the sulci—from the proper angle, determined by Charles C. Bass, M.D., in 1954, to be 45 degrees—on the lingual/palatal aspects of the teeth—for both humans and pets; or to reach under fixed prostheses—from both labial and lingual approaches, and to cleanse the prostheses, themselves, as well as in-between and around their supporting natural teeth and/or dental implants; or to access the regions of teeth with lingual orthodontic braces, which lie between the braces and gingival margin (gum line). Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a toothbrush to predictably enable the cleansing of gingival margins and sulci, peri-implant crevices, and fixed prostheses, which can overcome the limitations of presently-available toothbrushes. Humans and domesticated pets, alike, benefit from this toothbrush design; therefore, it is an objective of this invention to provide a toothbrush and a method to enable, facilitate, and simplify the brushing of the aforementioned structures—for the daily maintenance of good gingival, periodontal, oral, and systemic health. 
     SUMMARY 
     According to an exemplary embodiment, a toothbrush having one or two heads for use in a variety of humans and animals may be shown and described. The toothbrush can have offset heads and bristle areas, include multiple curves of one or more neck portion(s), to provide improved access and cleaning ability, and may be separable or combined with other toothbrush elements or components. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       Advantages of embodiments of the present invention will be apparent from the following detailed description of the exemplary embodiments. The following detailed description should be considered in conjunction with the accompanying figures in which: 
         FIG. 1  is a front perspective view of a double-headed toothbrush 
         FIG. 2  is a front elevation view, thereof 
         FIG. 3  is a front elevation view, thereof 
         FIG. 4  is a left-side elevation view, thereof 
         FIG. 5  is a right-side elevation view, thereof 
         FIG. 6  is a top plan view, thereof 
         FIG. 7  is an exemplary image of a toothbrush in use 
         FIG. 8  is a front perspective view of another double-headed toothbrush 
         FIG. 9  is a top plan view, thereof 
         FIG. 10  is a top plan view of a toothbrush 
         FIG. 11  is an exemplary image of a toothbrush in use 
         FIG. 12  is an exemplary image of a toothbrush neck and head in use 
         FIG. 13  is a front perspective view of a single-headed toothbrush 
         FIG. 14  is a top plan view, thereof 
         FIG. 15  is an exemplary image of a toothbrush in use 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Aspects of the invention are disclosed in the following description and related drawings, directed to specific embodiments of the invention. Alternate embodiments may be devised without departing from the spirit or the scope of the invention. Additionally, well-known elements of exemplary embodiments of the invention will not be described in detail or will be omitted so as not to obscure the relevant details of the invention. Further, to facilitate an understanding of the description, discussion of several terms used herein follows. 
     As used herein, the word “exemplary” means “serving as an example, instance or illustration.” The embodiments described herein are not limiting, but rather are exemplary only. It should be understood that the described embodiments are not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. Moreover, the terms “embodiments of the invention”, “embodiments” or “invention” do not require that all embodiments of the invention include the discussed feature, advantage or mode of operation. 
     Generally referring to the figures, a method, system and apparatus for a toothbrush may be shown and described. The toothbrush can be formed in a variety of designs and utilize various combinations of handles, heads, necks, and bristles to provide desired oral hygiene capabilities. Also, all heads could be releasably attached and be configured with couplings for mating to a motorized toothbrush. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 1-5 , a double-headed toothbrush  10  may be shown. The toothbrush may be formed out of any of a variety of materials, including, but not limited to, plastics, composites, or any other desired material. The toothbrush can have a handle  12  formed as a body and a gripping portion  14 , neck portions  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26 , and head portions  28 ,  30 . A central body or handle  12  of the double-headed toothbrush  10  may be substantially flat, square, rectangular, cylindrical, or any combination thereof. Further, the heads  28 ,  30  and necks  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26  may be formed in any shape. For example, the heads  28 ,  30  and necks  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26  may have cylindrical, circular, or rounded shapes, so as to provide for comfort in use in a mouth. The neck  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26  and/or head  28 ,  30  portions may be substantially curved, as desired, and as shown in exemplary  FIGS. 1, 2, and 3 . Further, the heads  28 ,  30  may include a plurality of bristle tufts  32 . The bristle tufts  32  may be utilized in any number, for example three bristle tufts, and may be spaced apart substantially equidistantly. It may further be appreciated that the number of bristles tufts may be from one to ten tufts, as desired and depending, for example, on which species and oral region the toothbrush is being used. The spacing may be about 0.5 mm to about 4 mm, for example. The bristles  32  may have any length, for example about 5 mm to about 10 mm or more, as desired. Total lengths of the heads  28 ,  30  of the toothbrush may be about 6 mm to about 30 mm or more, as desired. Further, the two heads  28 ,  30  of the double-headed toothbrush may be releasably coupled to each other or a handle  12 , permanently affixed to each other or a handle  12 , or otherwise coupled. For example, a first head on a double-headed toothbrush may be swapped out for a different head having a different neck angle or combination of neck angles. Such applications may be beneficial for use or treatment with different types of jaw structures or animals, replacing brush heads due to wear, or providing varied treatment to an intended user or animal. Additionally, one or both sets of necks and heads could be releasably attached and be configured with couplings for mating one, both, or any other brush head to a manual or motorized toothbrush handle. 
     Still referring to exemplary  FIGS. 1-5 , on both ends of the toothbrush  10  handle  12  and gripping portion  14 , there are necks  20 ,  22 ,  24 ,  26 , which respectively connect to the brush heads  28 ,  30 . The proximal necks  20 ,  22  both extend away from each other—in opposite directions, along the longitudinal axis  46  of the handle  12 , and then curve—in the same direction as one another and away from the longitudinal axis  46  at an angle Angle X, into the distal necks  24 ,  26  and thus vertically offset the brush heads  28 ,  30  from the gripping portion  14 . Each brush head  28 ,  30  may have a proximal neck  20 ,  22  that extends the distal neck  24 ,  26  and, in turn, the heads  28 ,  30  away from the handle  12 , laterally, so they may reach the posterior teeth, without the handle  12  contacting the anterior teeth, and inhibiting access to the posterior teeth. The proximal necks  20 ,  22  then allow for a departure angle from the handle  12  and still in a plane of the handle, of about 75 degrees to about 105 degrees, for example about 90 degrees Angle X, curving into the distal necks  24 ,  26 . The brush heads  28 ,  30  may then intersect with the distal necks  24 ,  26  at an angle Angle Y of about 75 degrees to about 105 degrees, for example about 90 degrees, to provide for enhanced utility in navigating the mouth of an intended user or animal. In some exemplary embodiments, the curvature may be adjusted or may otherwise be made during the formation of the toothbrush so that it remains at a fixed angle. It may be appreciated, however, that the curvature of the necks—Angle X, and angle of intersection with the heads—Angle Y, may vary between toothbrushes, for example, depending on an application or depending on a user or a species or breed of animal with which the toothbrush may be used, each of which may be best facilitated by a slightly different angle of curvature of the necks and/or intersection of the necks with the heads. 
     Referring further to  FIGS. 1-5 , there is shown an exemplary embodiment of a double-ended toothbrush.  FIGS. 1-5  show a toothbrush  10  having a handle  12  and brush heads  28 ,  30  attached to both ends of the handle  12 . More specifically, the handle  12  includes a gripping portion  14  that is substantially linear and defined by a longitudinal axis  46 . In a preferred embodiment, the handle  12  and gripping portion  14  have a planar shape with a circular cross section. The circular cross section of the handle  12  provides an ergonomic design for gripping and maneuvering the toothbrush  10  during a brushing session. In addition, the circular cross section provides a means for an individual with a fixed prosthesis to grip the toothbrush so that bristles  32  may be freely oriented, relative to fitting under a prosthesis, (see  FIG. 7 ), as well as also being able to fit under the gum line, and into the gingival sulcus and/or peri-implant crevice—at an entirely different angle, (see  FIG. 12 ), in order to yield optimal cleaning and efficiency. Although it is preferred that the handle  12  and gripping portion  14  have a circular cross section—to permit all angulations for access to the intended anatomical and prosthetic targets, other cross-sectional shapes can be used. For example, the handle  12  and gripping portion  14  may have a planar shape with a rectangular cross section. In another embodiment, the handle  12  and gripping portion  14  may comprise a planar shape with a square cross section. Each cross-sectional design—circular, rectangular, or square—of the handle  12  contributes to how the toothbrush is held, and has its own advantages in facilitating optimal cleaning of the teeth, implants, gingival sulci, peri-implant crevices, and prostheses. Moreover, each design provides a left or right-handed individual means to comfortably grip and control the toothbrush  10 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 6 , the direction of departure of the bristles  32  from the head  30  is perpendicular to the plane  50  of the handle  12 , neck  26  and head  30 . Referring to  FIG. 7 , showing a toothbrush  10  in use, this configuration is to permit the bristles  32  to fit underneath a prosthesis  62 . As demonstrated in these figures, the head  30 , neck  20 ,  24 , and handle  12  orientations allow for the cleaning of gingiva, teeth, implants  61 , and prostheses  62  in varying dental scenarios, that could not have previously been cleaned without significant irritation or general ineffectiveness. As shown in these exemplary figures, such head and neck designs can allow for the cleaning of gingiva, teeth, implants, and/or prostheses that were previously considered inaccessible to known toothbrushes. 
     In a further exemplary embodiment, and referring now to exemplary  FIGS. 8 and 9 , it may be appreciated that the toothbrush  70  may have different head lengths  88 ,  90  and neck  80 ,  82 ,  84 ,  86  lengths, as compared to toothbrush  20  (see  FIGS. 1-7 )—for varying degrees of horizontal and vertical offset of the heads  88 ,  90 , to conform to varying oral hygiene applications. These can be varied, as desired, according to the exemplary embodiments described herein, including regarding the numbers and lengths of bristle tufts  92 , which may vary—in quantity, from one to ten. 
     In still another exemplary embodiment, and referring to exemplary  FIG. 10 , it may be appreciated that the bristles  128  may be oriented at an oblique angle Angle A, to the plane of the handle  122 , neck  124 , and head  126 . 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 11 and 12 , they are exemplary images of toothbrush  120 , in use, including in different species and different oral regions, and designed to permit the single row of bristles  128 , to penetrate into the gingival sulcus  134 . This variation changes the user&#39;s handle position necessary to getting the bristles maximally into the gingival sulci and peri-implant crevices, at the 45 degree angle recommended by Dr. Bass. 
     Referring now to  FIGS. 13, 14, and 15 , they are an exemplary embodiment of a single-headed toothbrush  140 , with a square handle  142 —in cross-section, a neck/head combination  148 ,  150 ,  152 , with two curves, and its bristles  154  at an oblique angle Angle B, to the planar surfaces of the handle, to facilitate them being oriented at a 45 degree angle, to the gingival sulci and peri-implant crevices. Although it is preferred that the handle  142  and gripping portions  144  have a square cross-section, other cross-sectional shapes can be used. For example, the handle  142  and gripping portions  144  may have a planar shape with a rectangular cross section. In another embodiment, the handle  142  and gripping portion  144  may comprise a cylindrical shape, with a circular cross-section. Each cross-sectional design—circular, rectangular, or square—of the handle  142  contributes to how the toothbrush is held, and has its own advantages in facilitating optimal cleaning of the teeth, implants, gingival sulci, peri-implant crevices, and prostheses. Moreover, each design provides a left or right-handed individual means to comfortably grip and control the toothbrush  140 . Additionally, the necks and head could be releasably attached and be configured with couplings for mating to a manual or motorized toothbrush handle. 
     The foregoing description and accompanying figures illustrate the principles, preferred embodiments, and modes of operation of the invention. However, the invention should not be construed as being limited to the particular embodiments discussed above. Additional variations of the embodiments discussed above will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. 
     Therefore, the above-described embodiments should be regarded as illustrative rather than restrictive. Accordingly, it should be appreciated that variations to those embodiments can be made by those skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of the invention, as defined by the following claims.