Interchangeable tooth brush and associated method for promoting oral health

Abstract

An improved antimicrobial electric toothbrush and method includes a handle, a tip, and a plurality of bristle tufts and a drive mechanism. The bristle tufts may include four tufts of 10.5 mm length and another four tufts of 5.5 mm length. The tips of the bristle tufts may additionally be spaced apart and includes a cone shaped tip. The size and diameters of the bristle tufts may be combined with the reciprocating movement of the bristle tufts such that the bristle tips can reach into the crevices and tight spaces between the teeth and between the teeth and gums where no conventional toothbrush can reach. A second component of the apparatus may include an improved brush design with two counter rotating arrays of bristle tufts for use in polishing the teeth.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 258,430, filed Nov. 5, 2009, the entire disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT[0002]Not Applicable.REFERENCE TO A MICROFICHE APPENDIX[0003]Not Applicable.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0004]1. Technical Field[0005]This invention relates to dental healthcare and, more particularly, to an easy to use and highly effective system and method of personal oral hygiene. It includes an antimicrobial electric oral hygiene brush with an improved bristle tuft design and configuration. This brush not only cleans the easily accessed surfaces of the teeth similar to conventional toothbrushes; the bristle tips are capable of reaching into subgingival and interproximal areas where conventional toothbrushes and dental floss cannot reach. It is used with antimicrobial agents and NOT conventional toothpast...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0022]An important advantage of this system is that the bristle design and action of the bristles, delivers antimicrobial agents (preferably in a convenient “liquigel” form) into these difficult-to-access areas at the same time the bristle action disrupts the oral plaque biofilm. The bristle action disrupts the slime layer of the oral plaque biofilm that normally protects the microbes living within the biofilm, from being killed by mouth rinses, antibiotics and the like. The sticky nature of the slime also prevents mouth rinses from removing the biofilm bacteria from tooth surfaces during rinsing. This combination mechanical and antimicrobial action reduces the dental plaque biofilm remaining in the mouth after cleaning to a small fraction of what remains after conventional brushing, flossing and rinsing. This results in a much lower survival of viable bacteria to begin recolonizing the oral cavity and a much healthier mouth.

[0023]An important advantage of using this system and method of oral hygiene is that it is simple and efficient to use. Virtually all of the tooth surfaces, the interproximal and subgingival areas and the dorsal surface of the tongue can be cleaned and treated with an antimicrobial agent in 2 to 2½ minutes.

[0024]Patients who have previously had significant tooth decay and gum diseases throughout their lives have had their mouths remain disease-free while they have tested and used this system regularly and thoroughly. This system and method introduces a new paradigm for personal oral hygiene that is much easier to perform and much more effective than the current standard of care that consists of brushing, flossing and rinsing.

Problems solved by technology

Dental Diseases are a Universal Problem: Few humans throughout the world escape the consequences of dental caries, gingivitis or periodontal diseases.

Using fluoride toothpaste regularly, having fluoridated water, and daily flossing help to a degree, but do not guarantee periodontal health or eliminate tooth decay for most people.

A major reason for the relative failure of conventional mouth care is that these measures fail to remove disease-causing bacteria from between the teeth and from below the edge of the gum where the gum contacts the surface of the tooth.

Conventional oral hygiene does not get rid of most of these bacteria even though all the usual procedures of brushing correctly and flossing daily or even more often are carried out.

Neither conventional toothbrushes nor dental floss are capable of reaching bacteria deeper than a millimeter or two below the edge of the gum.

Current Devices Inadequate: However, there are real life limitations to the effectiveness of mechanical and antimicrobial methods of oral bacterial biofilm control with the devices available in the market place at this time.

Most people are unable to remove the oral bacterial biofilm from the difficult to reach areas well enough to achieve the level of oral health maintained in the studies referenced above.

These studies and many others illustrate the difficulty of accomplishing adequate oral biofilm control with the devices available today.

Why Current Devices Fail: There are several reasons that conventional toothbrushes, dental floss and mouth rinses fail to enable most people to maintain a completely healthy mouth.

For example, the toothbrushes available today are incapable of reaching into all of the areas of the mouth that are occupied by oral bacterial biofilm.

Many people do not brush thoroughly enough to remove the oral biofilm from the areas in which the biofilm bacteria reside.

Dental floss is difficult for most people to use.

It is impossible for some people to use effectively due to limited manual dexterity or conditions in their mouths.

Many of the people who do use floss are ineffective with it because it is technically difficult to use correctly.

Dental floss takes time to use properly.

Many people are not willing to take the extra time required to use it.

However, the slime that is produced by the oral bacteria forms a barrier that mouth rinses do not penetrate.

Therefore, the antimicrobial effect of the mouth rinse is limited.

Therefore, there is little or no beneficial effect in these areas.

Its antimicrobial effect is mostly limited to supragingival bacteria and bacteria that reside on the mucosal surfaces that are not protected by the slime surrounding the biofilm community.

Images