Patent ID: 6895977

Claim:
An apparatus for dispensing dental floss comprising: a handle body having an exterior and defining: an interior cavity; a longitudinal groove; and a lead riser; a spool of dental floss within said cavity, said spool rotatable around a longitudinal axis, and comprising a substantially circular front baffle; and a pushing handle disposed in said groove and slidable longitudinally along said groove, said pushing handle having a retainer portion disposed within said interior cavity, said retainer portion defining therein a longitudinal hole for the passage of floss there-through; wherein a free end of said floss is dispensable from said rotatable spool, through said hole, and out of said lead riser to the exterior of said body, and wherein further said pushing handle is controllably slidable, longitudinally substantially parallel to said axis, between a locked position wherein said retainer frictionally engages said front baffle to prevent rotation of said spool, and an unlocked position wherein said retainer is disengaged from said front baffle thereby permitting said spool to rotate to permit dispensing of floss.