Patent Publication Number: US-2022226082-A1

Title: Dissolving Gingival Retraction Cord Apparatus

Description:
(b) CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable 
     (c) STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     (d) THE NAMES OF THE PARTIES TO A JOINT RESEARCH AGREEMENT 
     Not Applicable 
     (e) INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC OR AS A TEXT FILE VIA THE OFFICE ELECTRONIC FILING SYSTEM. 
     Not Applicable 
     (f) STATEMENT REGARDING PRIOR DISCLOSURES BY THE INVENTOR OR JOINT INVENTOR 
     Not Applicable 
     (g) BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     (1) Field of the Invention 
     The disclosure relates to dental crown installation devices and more particularly pertains to a new dental crown installation device for minimizing gum irritation. The present device includes a dissolvable retraction cord. The device may also include a dispenser container that impregnates the dissolvable retraction cord with gel. 
     (2) Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98 
     The prior art relates to dental crown installation devices. Known devices include retractions cords that are not dissolvable and must be dug out after the installation of the crown. This process can cause gingival irritation and bleeding. Other existing devices include dissolvable stents to treat a periodontal defect, yet do not assist in crown installation. 
     (h) BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a container body having a container bottom side, a container sidewall, and an open container top side defining a container inside. A gel solution is coupled within the container body. A lid is coupled to the container body. The lid has a lid sidewall selectively engageable with the open container top side and a lid top side. The lid top side has a dispense aperture extending from an outer face through an inner face thereof. A spool is coupled to the lid. The spool is coupled to the inner face of the lid top side and is submerged within the gel solution when the lid is engaged with the container body. A retraction cord is coupled to the spool. The retraction cord is windingly coupled around the spool and has a cord distal end extending through the dispense aperture of the lid. The retraction cord absorbs, or is coated with, the gel solution. The retraction cord is dissolvable after installation within a person&#39;s gum tissue. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       (i) BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view of a dissolving gingival retraction cord apparatus according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a side elevation view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is an in-use view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a block diagram view of a method of use of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     (j) DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 4  thereof, a new dental crown installation device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 4 , the dissolving gingival retraction cord apparatus  10  generally comprises a container body  12  having a container bottom side  14 , a container sidewall  16 , and an open container top side  18  defining a container inside  20 . The container body  12  may be cylindrical. A gel solution  22  is coupled within the container body  12 . The gel solution  22  may comprise at least  20 % ferric sulfate in order to minimize irritation and bleeding. 
     A lid  24  is coupled to the container body  12 . The lid  24  has a lid sidewall  26  selectively engageable with the open container top side  18  and a lid top side  28 . The lid  24  may be press-fit or threaded to the container body  12 . The lid top side  28  has a dispense aperture  30  extending from an outer face  32  through an inner face  34  thereof. The lid top side  28  may have a recessed perimeter portion  36 . 
     A cap  38  is coupled to the lid  24 . The cap  38  is hingingly coupled to the lid sidewall  26  to selectively cover or expose the lid top side  28 . A rim  40  of the cap may selectively engage the recessed perimeter portion  36  of the lid top side to maintain the cap  38  in a closed position covering the lid top side  28  until pulled open. The cap  38  may have a filleted outer perimeter  42 . 
     A spool  44  is coupled to the lid  24 . The spool  44  is coupled to the inner face  34  of the lid top side and submerges within the gel solution  22  when the lid  24  is engaged with the container body  12 . The spool  44  may include a spool shaft  46  and a spool end cap  48  extending from the spool shaft  46 . 
     A retraction cord  50  is coupled to the spool  44 . The retraction cord  50  is windingly coupled around the spool shaft  46  and held in place with the spool end cap  48 . The retraction cord  50  has cord distal end  52  extending through the dispense aperture  30  of the lid. The retraction cord  50  absorbs, or is coated with, the gel solution  22 . The retraction cord  50  is dissolvable after installation within a person&#39;s gum tissue  54 . A cutter  56  may be coupled to the lid  24 . The cutter  56  is coupled to the lid top side  28  to cut the retraction cord  50 . The cutter  56  may include a base portion  58  and a lip portion  60 . The lip portion  60  may be shaped to allow the retraction cord  50  to be cut without exposing any portion that could cut the user&#39;s finger. 
     In use, the dissolving gingival retraction cord apparatus  10  allows for a method of use  70  comprising a step  72  comprising having the dissolving gingival retraction cord apparatus  10 . A step  74  comprises cutting a segment  76  of the retraction cord  50 . A step  78  comprises inserting the segment  76  around a tooth  80  into the gingival sulcus. A step  82  comprises coupling a crown  84  onto the tooth  80 . A step  86  comprises allowing the segment  76  to dissolve. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.