Dental hygiene package

• US 4,019,522 A
• Filed: 05/05/1976
• Issued: 04/26/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Charles H. Elbreder
• Original Assignee: Charles H. Elbreder
• Inventors: Elbreder, Charles H.
• Primary Examiner(s): McNeill, G.E.
• Application Number:
  US05/683,268
• Time in Patent Office: 356 Days
• Field of Search: 132/92, 132/89, 132/90, 132/91, 424/128, 424/151-152, 128/335.5
• US Class Current: 132/322
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 15/043 Containers, dispensers, or the like, e.g. with cutting means A61C15/046 takes precedence

Abstract

A dental hygiene package comprising a container for a body of viscous material including a dental medicament, such as a topical fluoride gel or a gel including a tooth-desensitizing composition. A supply of dental floss is immersed in the body of material thereby to impregnate the floss and adhere to the strands thereof. The container has an orifice through which the medicament-carrying dental floss may be withdrawn. This orifice has a size and shape relative to that of the floss whereby a predetermined and controlled amount of medicament is supplied per length of medicament-carrying floss drawn through the orifice from the container. A cutter is secured to the container for severing the medicament-carrying floss into desired lengths.

Claims

1. A dental hygiene package comprising:

a container;

a body of viscous material including a dental medicament in said container, said material hving a viscosity in the order of between 2,500 and 78,000 centipoises;

a supply of dental floss immersed in said body of material thereby to impregnate the floss and adhere to the strands thereof;

an orifice in said container through which the medicament-carrying dental floss may be withdrawn from said container, said orifice being of a size substantially larger than the cross-section of the floss and having a size and shape relative to that of the floss whereby a predetermined and controlled amount of medicament is supplied per length of medicament-carrying floss drawn through the orifice from said container; and

means secured to said container for severing the medicament-carrying floss into desired lengths.

2. A package as set forth in claim 1 in which the severing means comprises a cutter blade with means for temporarily retaining the unsevered portion of the withdrawn medicament-carrying floss.

3. A package as set forth in claim 1 in which the body of viscous material is a gel.

4. A package as set forth in claim 3 in which the viscous material is a gel having a viscosity in the order of between about 25,000 and 45,000 centipoises.

5. A package as set forth in claim 3 in which the medicament is one that is soluble in the gel.

6. A package as set forth in claim 1 in which the medicament comprises a fluoride compound soluble in water to provide a source of fluoride ions under acid conditions.

7. A package as set forth in claim 6 in which the concentration of the fluoride compound and the amount of material carried by the floss is such that the concentration of the fluoride ions supplied by the medicament carrying floss is between about 0.01 mg. and 0.2 mg. of fluoride ions per centimeter length dispensed.

8. A package as set forth in claim 7 in which the viscous material is a gel and in which the concentration of the fluoride compound in the gel is such that the gel will have a fluoride ion cencentration of between about 0.1 and 2%.

9. A package as set forth in claim 1 wherein the medicament is a tooth-desensitizing composition.

10. A package as set forth in claim 9 wherein the tooth-desensitizing composition comprises strontium chloride.

11. A package as set forth in claim 10 in which the concentration of the strontium chloride and the amount of material carried by the floss is such that the strontium chloride carried by the floss is between about 0.6 mg. and 5.5 mg. per centimeter length dispensed.

12. A package as set forth in claim 11 in which the viscous material is a gel and in which the concentration of strontium chloride is between about 10 and 80% by weight.