Abstract:
A dental floss and a method of using and making the dental floss. The dental floss is configured to mark a dental crown wherein the dental floss comprises a fiber substrate and a coating uniformly disposed around the fiber substrate. The dental floss further comprises a dye impregnated on at least one portion of the coating, wherein the dye adheres to a surface area of the dental crown when the fiber substrate contacts the surface area. The method of marking a dental crown with dental floss comprises placing a dental crown over a prepared tooth and inserting a fiber substrate between the dental crown and an adjacent tooth. Next, the method comprises moving the fiber substrate against a surface area of the dental crown and against the adjacent tooth in order to dispose a dye from the fiber substrate to the surface area of the crown wherein the dye marks the surface area. The method of making a dental floss comprises impregnating a dye on at least one portion of a coating and uniformly applying the coating to a fiber substrate. Next, the method comprises disposing the coating on the fiber substrate wherein the dye is configured to adhere to a dental crown when the fiber substrate contacts the dental crown.

Description:
BACKGROUND  
       [0001]     The present disclosure relates to a method and device for marking a dental crown. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a dental floss and a method of using the dental floss which marks an indicia on a surface area of a dental crown in order to reconstruct any measurement flaw in the dental crown.  
         [0002]     When a tooth is cracked, decayed, or damaged, a dental crown may be needed to cover the tooth wherein the dental crown is a permanent covering that fits over the original tooth. As such, dental crowns comprise dental restorations that cover and encase the tooth. Since dental crowns encase the entire visible aspect of the tooth, the dental crown in effect becomes the tooth&#39;s new outer surface. Dental crowns can be made of porcelain, gold or other metals, resin or an amalgam (a mix) of these materials.  
         [0003]     A dentist might recommend placing a dental crown for a variety of reasons but, in general, most of these reasons will usually fall within the following basic categories: to restore a tooth to its original shape, to strengthen the tooth or to improve the cosmetic appearance with the tooth. In setting the dental crown, the dentist usually performs three steps. First, the dentist will numb the tooth to be crowned and remove the decay or damage in or around the tooth. The tooth is then resculpted via a drill to provide a fit for the dental crown. Next, an impression of the tooth is taken and sent to the dental lab where personnel fabricate custom dental crowns based on the impression taken of the existing tooth by the dentist. Then, upon receiving the dental crown from the dental lab, the dentist fits the permanent crown onto the tooth and cements the crown into place.  
         [0004]     Often times, though, the dental lab fabricates the crown where the interproximal width is too wide with respect to adjacent teeth which prevents the crown from being fully seated over the prepared or prepped tooth. Accordingly, the dental lab produces dental crowns which sometimes do not properly fit the prepped tooth site and the adjacent tooth. The crown however needs to be seated completely to prevent bacteria and/or food from accumulating in the void area between the crown and/or adjacent teeth. This bacteria and/or food can cause decay or nerve damage or other periodontal conditions to both the tooth and the gum. As such, properly seating the crown reduces bacteria in the area to further prevent decay and gum disease while providing a comfortable fit to the user.  
       SUMMARY  
       [0005]     The present disclosure relates to a method and device for marking a dental crown. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a dental floss and a method of using the dental floss which marks an indicia on a surface area of a dental crown in order to reconstruct any measurement flaw in the dental crown.  
         [0006]     In an embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a dental floss which is configured to mark a dental crown wherein the dental floss comprises a fiber substrate and a coating uniformly disposed around the fiber substrate. The dental floss further comprises a dye impregnated on at least one portion of the coating, wherein the dye adheres to a surface area of the dental crown when the fiber substrate contacts the surface area. Additionally, the dye is adapted to leave an indicia on the dental crown.  
         [0007]     In another embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a method of marking the dental crown with the dental floss. The method of marking comprises placing a dental crown over a tooth and inserting a fiber substrate between the dental crown and an adjacent tooth. Next, the user moves the fiber substrate against a surface area of the dental crown which disposes a dye from the fiber substrate to the surface area of the crown. The dye marks the surface area so the user can then reconstruct the surface area based on the dye.  
         [0008]     In another embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a method of making the dental floss. The method of making the dental floss comprises impregnating a dye on at least one portion of a coating and uniformly applying the coating to a fiber substrate. Next, the method comprises disposing the coating on the fiber substrate wherein the dye is configured to adhere to a dental crown when the fiber substrate contacts the dental crown.  
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0009]     The detailed description particularly refers to the accompanying figures in which:  
         [0010]      FIG. 1  is a partial side elevational view illustrating dental floss having a coating in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure;  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is a side elevational view illustrating a dental crown placed over a tooth situated between other teeth;  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is a side elevational view illustrating the dental floss of  FIG. 1  positioned between the crown and one of the teeth of  FIG. 2 ;  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is a side elevational view of the crown of  FIG. 3  removed from the tooth illustrating a dye indicia in accordance with the present disclosure;  
         [0014]      FIG. 5  is a side elevational view of the crown of  FIG. 4  being processed in accordance with the present disclosure; and  
         [0015]      FIG. 6  is a side elevational view of the crown of  FIG. 5  situated between other teeth; and  
         [0016]      FIG. 7  illustrates a flowchart for manufacturing the dental floss of  FIG. 1  in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0017]      FIG. 1  illustrates in a side elevational view an embodiment of the present disclosure comprising a dental floss generally shown as  10 . The dental floss  10  comprises a fiber substrate  12  and a coating  14  wherein the coating  14  uniformly disposes around the fiber substrate  12 . The dental floss  10  further comprises a dye  16  impregnating at least one portion  18  of the coating  14 , wherein the dye  16  may uniformly cover the at least one portion  18 . In an embodiment, the at least one portion  18  uniformly covers the entire coating  14 .  
         [0018]     The fiber substrate  12  of the present disclosure may be in the form of a monofilament or in the form of a yarn comprising a plurality of such monofilaments known as a multi-filament yarn. The fiber substrate  12  in the form of the monofilament yarn may be circular or rectangular in cross section. A monofilament substrate in rectangular form typically has a width ranging from about 1.5 mm to 3 mm, a thickness ranging from about 0.02 mm to about 0.06 mm, and a denier ranging from about 600 to about 1800. The fiber substrate  12  in the form of a multi-filament yarn is typically generally circular in cross section and typically has a denier ranging from about 400 to about 1400. The denier of the individual fibers typically ranges from about 1 to about 6, although other deniers may be used if desired.  
         [0019]     The fiber substrate  12  may also comprise a pseudo-monofilament yarn. Pseudo-monofilament yarns are made by extruding bi-component fibers typically having a core of one polymer and a sheath of a different polymer, then either partially or totally melting the sheaths of the fibers to bond or fuse the fibers, resulting in a monofilament appearance and feel. Other materials besides nylon can be used for the core of the bicomponent fibers and other polymeric materials besides polyether/amide copolymer may be used as the sheath material.  
         [0020]     When the fiber substrate  12  comprises a monofilament or a multifilament yarn, the yarns may be made of material such as but not limited to nylon 6-6, nylon 6, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester, polytetrafluoroethylene, and other like materials. The fiber substrate  12  may comprise a combination of the materials which are acceptable so long as the combination provides the dental floss  10  with the strength and fray resistance needed during a flossing procedure. The individual monofilaments comprising a multifilament yarn may, if desired, be air entangled. As is known in the art, the finished floss may be twisted. As a general rule, a finished twisted dental floss  10  would have from about 1 to about 6 turns per 2.54 cm.  
         [0021]     In the case of a multifilament fiber substrate  12 , the coating  14  serves to adhere the filaments together to prevent fraying and shredding of the floss  10  during use. The coating  14  may also be pliable at room temperature such that when used, the coating  14  easily displaces the fiber substrate  12  between the teeth. Preferably, an insoluble coating  14  is used on a multifilament floss to hold the filaments together and to avoid dissolution of the coating  14  in the saliva encountered in the oral cavity. Suitable insoluble coatings  14  include, but are not limited to, microcrystalline wax, beeswax, paraffin waxes, and low molecular weight polyethylene. In an embodiment, however, the coating  14  may be soluble.  
         [0022]     Composition for the coating  14  in the present disclosure must reliably adhere the dye  16  to the surface of the floss  10 , whether the fiber substrate  12  is a multifilament, monofilament, or pseudo-monofilament yarn. The coating  14  must have sufficient adherence to keep the dye  16  on the surface of the floss  10  during coating, winding, shipping and unwinding of the floss  10 .  
         [0023]     Composition for the dye  16  for use in the present disclosure must reliably adhere to dye  16  to a dental crown  20  ( FIG. 2 ). As such, the dye  16  is adapted to transpose from the floss  10  to the dental crown  20 . Accordingly, the dye  16  is adapted to adhere to the material comprising the dental crown  20  such as but not limited to the metals, porcelain, and resin used in the fabrication of the dental crown  20 . Additionally, the dye  16  is adapted to adhere to the dental crown  20  while exposed to liquids such as water and saliva that exists during use of the floss  10 . As the dentist uses the floss  10 , the dye  16  adheres to the dental crown  20  to provide an indicia for the dentist as will be discussed.  
         [0024]     Turning to  FIG. 2 , a plurality of teeth  22  are shown in a natural position within a gum line  24 . Each tooth  22  includes a root  26 , sides  28 , top  30  (referred to as a crown) and enamel body  32  which includes a width  34  and a height  36 . As shown, the side  28  of one tooth  22  contacts or is substantially adjacent to the side  28  of the adjacent tooth  22  at an interproximal area  40 . The root  26  of each tooth  22  inserts into the gum  20  while the substantially uniform height  36  of each tooth  22  disposes the respective tops  30  of each tooth  22  in a substantially planar or flush position with respect to each other. A deformed tooth  38 , though, does not uniformly match the sides  28  and/or top  30  with the adjacent teeth  22 . Accordingly, the deformed tooth  38  requires the dental crown  20  as will be discussed.  
         [0025]     A deformed tooth  38  may occur as a result of improper growth, decay or a blow resulting in a tooth chip. During dental treatment of the deformed tooth  38 , the dentist will numb the deformed tooth  38  and remove the decay or rework any irregular shaped portion. The dentist then re-sculpts or machines the now prepared deformed tooth  38  to provide a fit for the dental crown  20 . Next, the dentist makes an impression of the prepared tooth  38  and the adjacent teeth  22  and sends the impression to a dental lab. The dental lab personnel then take measurements of the impression to create the appropriate dental crown  20 . Upon receiving the dental crown  20  from the dental lab, the dentist removes any temporarily covering from the deformed tooth  38  and fits the dental crown  20  onto the prepared deformed tooth  38 .  
         [0026]     A shown in  FIG. 2 , however, the dental crown  20  may not properly fit over the prepared tooth  38  since the dental lab may make improper measurements based on the impression. As a result, the width  34  of the dental crown  20  may be too large for the interproximal areas  40  preventing the dental crown  20  from properly seating over the prepared tooth  38 . The improper fit of the dental crown  20  positions the top  42  of the dental crown  20  above the tops  26  of the other teeth  22 . The dental crown  20 , however, needs to be properly seated to prevent bacteria or food accumulating in the void between the dental crown  20  and the prepared tooth  38 . As such, if the interproximal contact of the dental crown  20  is too tight based on an improperly formed dental crown  20 , periodontal conditions and decay or nerve damage can occur.  
         [0027]     As illustrated in  FIG. 2 , the width  35  of dental crown  20  presents a surface area  44  which extends beyond the crown  20  and into the interproximal area  40  to contact the adjacent tooth  22 . By contacting the adjacent tooth  22 , the surface area  44  prevents the dental crown  20  from properly seating on the prepared tooth  38  resulting in the top  42  positioned above the other tops  30  of the adjacent teeth  22 .  
         [0028]     Turning to  FIG. 3 , the dental floss  10  of the present disclosure is adapted to fit between the prepared tooth  38  and the adjacent tooth  22 . During use, the dentist inserts and reciprocates the dental floss  10  between the prepared tooth  38  and the adjacent tooth  22 . Since the width  35  of the dental crown  20  extends beyond the interproximal area  40 , the surface area  44  contacts the adjacent tooth  22 . As such, the surface area  44  prevents the dental floss  10  from passing below the dental crown  20  to contact the gum  20  unless forced by the dentist.  
         [0029]     When the floss  10  contacts the surface area  44 , the dye  16  adheres to the surface area  44  to leave an indicia  46  on the surface area  44  as shown in  FIG. 4 . The indicia  46  serves as a mark to indicate the location of the surface area  44  that requires reconstruction based on the improper measurement of the dental crown  20 . Returning to  FIG. 3 , after adhering the dye  16  to leave the indicia  46 , the dentist removes the floss  10  from the interproximal area  40  and reinserts a new portion of the floss  10  on an opposite surface area  44  to repeat the process of placing another indicia  46  ( FIG. 4 ) on the opposite surface area  44 .  
         [0030]     It should be known that the surface area  44  may comprise more than one non-uniform area that extends away from the dental crown  20  and into the interproximal area  40 . In applying the dye  16  to other surface areas  44  which require marking, the dentist may simply extend another portion of the floss  10  when the dye  16  uniformly covers the coating  14  of the fiber substrate  12 . In this embodiment, the uniform covering of the dye  16  allows the dentist to continue flossing without having to look at the floss  10  during use since any portion of the floss  10  will adhere the dye  16  to the appropriate surface area  44 . In an embodiment, when the dye  16  covers at least one portion  18  of the coating  14 , the dye  16  may be spaced along the coating  14  to allow the dentist to apply the dye  16  to the appropriate surface area  44  while allowing other portions of the floss  10  to contact the dental crown  20  without leaving any indicia  46  since the other portions of the coating  14  may remain free from the dye  16 . Additionally, when the dye  16  covers at least one portion  18  of the coating  14  in a spaced relationship, the portion of the coating  14  free from dye  16  may contact the dentist or contact the dentist&#39;s clothes without leaving any dye  16  on the dentist or the clothes.  
         [0031]     Turning to  FIG. 5 , the dentist then removes the dental crown  20  ( FIG. 3 ) having the indicia  46  from the prepared deformed tooth  38  ( FIG. 3 ) for further processing. In an embodiment, the dentist may re-sculpt or reconstruct the dental crown  20  by machining the surface area  44  as denoted by the indicia  46 . Since the dye  16  displays the indicia  46  on the surface area  44 , the dentist can re-sculpt the dental crown  20  to properly fit in the interproximal area  40  by processing the surface area  44  marked by the indicia  46 .  
         [0032]     Turning to  FIG. 6 , after re-sculpting the dental crown  20 , the dentist seats the dental crown  20  over the prepared tooth  38 . Since the surface area  44  was re-sculpted, the processed surface area  44  fits within the interproximal area  40 . With the dental crown  20  properly seated over the prepared tooth  38 , the interproximal area  40 , in an embodiment, may space the processed surface area  44  from the adjacent tooth  22 . In an embodiment, the processed surface area  44  may abut against the adjacent tooth  22 . Regardless of the position of the processed surface area  44  within the interproximal area  40 , the height  36  of the properly seated dental crown  20  positions the top  42  of the dental crown  20  substantially planar or flush with the tops  30  of the other teeth  22  for a comfortable and properly seated fit.  
         [0033]     Turning to  FIG. 7 , a flowchart illustrates steps for making the dental floss  10  of the present disclosure. The compositions for the coating  14  and dye  16  are separated into containers wherein the composition comprising the coating  14  is liquefied if necessary, as by heating, and added to a mix tank. The dye  16  is added slowly to the liquefied ingredients of the coating  14  positioned in the mix tank while being stirred with a mixer to uniformly disperse into the coating  14 .  
         [0034]     Once the dye  16  has been uniformly mixed into the coating  14 , the coating  14  is kept uniformly mixed by a slower moving mixer. This speed is sufficient to keep dye  16  in suspension, but not so fast as to stir air into the mixture. The mixture of the coating  14  and dye  16  flows into a positive displacement pump which, when driven at a given speed, delivers a constant amount of coating  14  impregnated with the dye  16  uniformly dispersed over the fiber substance  12 . No matter what type of pump is used, it is necessary to keep the dye  16  in the coating  14  from settling out. This can be accomplished by keeping the flow velocities of the coating  14  sufficiently high to keep the materials in suspension or by providing agitation of the mixture through stirring or vibration.  
         [0035]     The fiber substrate  12  is pulled off the end of a supply spool, and passes over a wheel, which drives a pulse counter. The fiber substrate  12  is pulled through the process by rewinding performed by a take-up spool. A controller such as a computer, programmable logic controller or similar device communicates with the pulse counter and modulates the speed of the take-up spool to maintain constant velocity of the fiber substrate  12 . The controller also controls the speed of positive displacement pump. Thus, the speed of the fiber substrate  12  is maintained while a constant amount of coating  14  is applied onto the fiber substance  12 .  
         [0036]     The system may contain at least two rollers, wherein the rollers assist in applying the coating  14  to the fiber substrate  12  as well as work the coating  14  in between fibers (where multi-filament yarns are being utilized). Downstream of the rollers there is a slot die region where the coating  14  is smoothed onto the surface of the floss substrate  12 .  
         [0037]     The coating  14  applied to the fibrous substrate is then solidified. Solidification can be accomplished by having an open area where the coating  14  cools under ambient conditions or by use of a chamber where refrigerated or room air is blown over the floss to increase the rate of cooling. Once the coating  14  is cooled sufficiently to prevent any disruption of the outer surface, it is rewound on a standard rewind mechanism. This mechanism holds a core on a chuck, which is rotated as an eyelet is traversed back and forth along its length.  
         [0038]     In an embodiment, the dye  16  may not be uniformly mixed with the coating  14 . In this embodiment, the dye  16  remains in a separate container wherein the container applies the dye  16  on at least one portion  18  of the coating  14  prior to when the coating  14  is applied to the floss substrate  12  by the rollers. Accordingly, in this embodiment, the dye  16  may not uniformly cover the coating  14 , but instead cover the at least one portion  18  of the coating. After the dye  16  is applied to the at least one portion  18  of the coating  14 , the coating  14  is applied to the fiber substrate  12  and solidified as previously discussed. Still further, in an embodiment, the dye  16  may be applied to the at least one portion  18  of the coating  14  after the coating  14  has been applied and solidified on the fiber substrate  12 . In this embodiment the dye  16  may uniformly cover the at least one portion  18 .  
         [0039]     Additionally, while the concepts of the present disclosure have been illustrated and described in detail in the drawings and foregoing description, such an illustration and description is to be considered as exemplary and not restrictive in character, it being understood that only the illustrative embodiments have been shown and described and that all changes and modifications that come within the spirit of the disclosure are desired to be protected by the following claims.