Dental pick

• US 4,913,176 A
• Filed: 09/12/1988
• Issued: 04/03/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Richard G. Deniro
• Original Assignee: Richard G. Deniro
• Inventors: DeNiro, Richard G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wilson, John J.
• Application Number:
  US07/243,449
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: 132/321, 132/322, 132/329, 433/80, 433/141, 433/143, 128/62 A
• US Class Current: 132/329
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 15/02 Toothpicks

Abstract

A dental pick having an enlarged head for removing plaque between teeth is disclosed. The pick has a handle portion and an operational portion. The handle portion has two gripping portions to provide two different operational lengths for the pick. The operational portion includes a flexible neck portion and an enlarged head portion. Advantageously, the operational portion of the pick is of a substantially continuous, non-tapering thickness which enables the pick to be inserted into the interproximal spaces between adjacent teeth without the risk of becoming impacted. The pick is adapted to slide between adjacent teeth while in a vertical orientation, and is then rotated so that the larger vertical portion of the head assumes a generally horizontal orientation. Once the device is substantially horizontally oriented, the pick is agitated both vertically and horizontally so as to disrupt food, plaque and bacteria residing therein.

Claims

1. A dental instrument for removing food, plaque, and other debris from the interproximal spaces between teeth and subgingivally, said instrument comprising:

a handle portion for gripping and providing structural support to the device, said handle portion being hourglass shaped and including first and second enlarged bulbous gripping portions, for enabling the device to be grasped and used at two different operational lengths; and

an elongated neck portion, having a proximal end and a distal end and integrally connected to said handle portion, said neck portion adapted for insertion between adjacent teeth, said neck portion having a thickness substantially less than the thickness of said handle portion, said thickness of said neck portion also having a substantially constant thickness in at least one longitudinal elevational plane, wherein at least a segment of said neck portion is sufficiently narrow to enable said segment to be positioned entirely subgingivally.

2. A dental instrument as defined by claim 1, wherein said one of said enlarged gripping portions is longer than the other.

3. A dental instrument for removing food, plaque, and other debris from the interproximal spaces between teeth and subgingivally, said instrument comprising:

a handle portion for gripping and providing structural support to the device;

an elongated neck portion, having a proximal end and a distal end and integrally connected to said handle portion, said neck portion adapted for insertion between adjacent teeth, said neck portion having a thickness substantially less than the thickness of said handle portion, said thickness of said neck portion also having a substantially constant thickness in at least one longitudinal elevational plane, wherein at least a segment of said neck portion is sufficiently narrow to enable said segment to be positioned entirely subgingivally; and

means for retaining a medicament for selective placement within the mouth, said means defining a hole through said elongated neck portion and proximate said distal end thereof, said hole having a diameter sufficiently small so that the surface tension of said medicament retains said medicament in said hole.