Toothbrush head for improved plaque removal

Abstract

The invention is directed to an improved toothbrush head designed to efficiently remove biofilm from dental surfaces. Advantageously, the improved toothbrush head is designed to be effective against the development of both caries and periodontal disease. The improved toothbrush head is designed so that at least one side bristle on each lateral side of the toothbrush head (for preventing caries) and at least one center bristle from the toothbrush head (for preventing periodontal disease) are removed or reduced in length relative to the other bristles of the toothbrush head.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]The present patent application claims the benefits of priority of U.S. Patent Application No. 62 / 955,013, entitled “TOOTHBRUSH HEAD FOR IMPROVED PLAQUE REMOVAL” and filed at the United States Patent and Trademark Office on Dec. 30, 2019, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0002]The present invention generally relates to the field of toothbrushes. Specifically, the invention is directed to an improved toothbrush head designed to efficiently remove plaque from teeth.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Tooth brushing remains the most popular means of oral cleansing in the world [1] with the intention of removing dental plaque and thereby preventing caries and periodontal disease [2].[0004]Although there have been several modern toothbrush designs [3], studies show that high levels of residual dental plaque still persist after tooth brushing [4]. For example, Ebel et al. shows persistent plaque at 69% ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention is an improved toothbrush head that can better clean difficult areas in the mouth to prevent dental disease like caries and periodontitis. The toothpaste is applied in a special cavity near the end of the brush, and the bristles are designed to prevent slipping when pressed against the teeth. The toothbrush is then used for at least 30 seconds to effectively brush the teeth.

Problems solved by technology

Although there have been several modern toothbrush designs [3], studies show that high levels of residual dental plaque still persist after tooth brushing [4].

From a commercial standpoint, a lot of time and energy has been spent by toothbrush manufacturers developing manual toothbrushes.

However, other key sites necessitating cleaning may not be reached.

It has been found that some designs are not optimally shaped for proximal access since anatomically, the proximal space between adjacent teeth is a triangle shape and central bristle arrangements are a circle (or “ball”).

Physically, the ball of a bristle is typically too large to fit within the proximal space and will be blocked by the adjacent proximal labial surfaces.

In other words, the central part of the bristle is simply too large thereby limiting the ability of certain bristles to properly clean free surfaces.

Referring now to FIG. 11, the darker bristles of the illustrated prior art brush create an overlap effect which does not effectively clean surfaces.

The reduction in the number of bristles from this type of toothbrush head is extreme and does not clean teeth in an optimal way.

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