Interproximal dental plaque remover

• US 5,123,841 A
• Filed: 04/02/1990
• Issued: 06/23/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Don E.L. Millner
• Original Assignee: Don E. Millner
• Inventors: Millner, Don E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weiss, John G.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lucchesi, Nicholas D.
• Application Number:
  US07/503,054
• Time in Patent Office: 813 Days
• Field of Search: 128/62 A, 433/125, 15/167.1, 15/167.2, 15/167.3, 15/22.1, 132/309, 132/321, 132/329
• US Class Current: 433/125
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 15/00 Devices for cleaning between the teeth

Abstract

A device for removal of dental plaque from the furca, cemento-enamel junction, and gingival pockets in between two adjacent teeth, the device having a dental arm with a detachable dental brush having a malleable spine supported substantially perpendicular from the arm, the arm imparting a tiny mechanical vibratory action from a motor driving an eccentrically mounted cylindrical weight through contact of the brush with the furca, junctions and pockets in between the adjacent teeth. The brush having a conical shape defined by a cross section representing an isoceles triangle having an apex angle of approximately 30° wherein the surface of the brush is contourable and the bristles are splayed by the tiny vibratory action into the furca, junctions, and pockets.

Claims

1. In an apparatus for removal of dental plaque from in between adjacent teeth having a dental hand piece integrally attached to an arm adapted for insertion into a human mouth, a dental brush having a spine supported substantially perpendicular from said arm, said hand piece imparting an interproximal mechanical action through contact of said brush with dental surfaces in between said adjacent teeth, first means in said hand piece for mechanically moving the dental brush, the improvement comprising said dental brush having a conical shape, said conical shape being defined by a cross-section representing a triangle having an apex angle of approximately thirty degrees and wherein said brush has means for contouring its shape and wherein said first means is a vibrating means in said hand piece adapted for mechanically vibrating the dental brush small distances, said brush having a spine adapted for insertion in between adjacent teeth, said brush having bristles attached to said spine, said bristles being sufficiently soft to splay into pockets, junctures and furca in between adjacent teeth, said bristles being further adapted for sweeping a plenum interproximally located between said adjacent teeth.

2. An apparatus for removal of dental plaque as in claim 1, wherein said dental brush comprises a replaceable dental brush detachably mounted onto said arm via said spine and wherein said means for contouring said brush is a malleable spine.

3. An apparatus for removal of dental plaque as in claim 2 wherein said dental brush is comprised of soft plastic bristles spirally attached to said malleable spine whereby said bristles are contourable and vary in length.

4. An apparatus for removal of dental plaque as in claim 1 wherein said vibrating first means comprises a motor adapted to vibrate said dental brush small distances from 0.3 mm to 3.0 mm.

5. An apparatus for removal of dental plaque as in claim 4 where said spine is comprised of soft wire.

6. An apparatus for removal of dental plaque as in claim 5 further comprising second means for said dental brush to sweep an interproximal plenum between said teeth.

7. An apparatus for removal of dental plaque as in claim 6 wherein said second means comprises said spine being made of twisted wire, said twisted wire being sufficiently flexible and bendable to be curled to a contour of a tooth upon insertion and upon mechanical vibration between two teeth whereby plaque is swept away.

8. An apparatus for removal of dental plaque according to claim 4 wherein said brush has an outer contour and further comprises a means for molding said outer contour, said adjacent teeth having an interproximal cavity with a left contour and a right contour, said brush further comprising means for adapting said outer contour to said first and second contours.

9. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein said means for molding said outer contour comprises an elongated member made of at least two strands of thin soft wire twisted about a central axis, said strands having therein between them bristles which comprise said brush.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9 wherein said brush is at least 10 millimeters long.