Plaque removing tool

• US 5,913,682 A
• Filed: 05/01/1998
• Issued: 06/22/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 05/01/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kris Shirell Strate
• Original Assignee: Kris Shirell Strate
• Inventors: Strate, Kris Shirell
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, Ralph A.
• Application Number:
  US09/070,933
• Time in Patent Office: 417 Days
• Field of Search: 433/141, 433/143, 132/321, 132/329
• US Class Current: 433/143
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 3/00 Dental tools or instruments implanting tools A61C8/00; tools for fastening artificial teeth A61C13/12; visual inspection devices, e.g. dental mirrors, A61B1/24

Abstract

A dental instrument for removing plaque from teeth. The instrument comprises an elongated handle having a straight pick fixed to one end and a curved pick fixed to the other end. The curved pick is useful for cleaning the back teeth and behind the front teeth, while the straight pick is useful for cleaning the front of the front teeth.

Claims

1. A dental instrument for scraping plaque from teeth, said dental instrument comprising:

a handle having a first end and a second end;

a straight pick having a rectangular base defining a width greater than its thickness, said base being attached to said second end of said handle, said pick having a pair of parallel faces tapering from said base to a substantially conical point;

a curved pick having a straight shank defining a longitudinal axis and a curved portion, said shank having a base attached to said first end of said handle and an end distal from said base, said curved portion extending from said end distal from said base and initially bending away from said longitudinal axis, then bending towards said longitudinal axis and terminating at a substantially conical point, said curved portion having a center line and a tangent to said center line at said point, said tangent being substantially perpendicular to said longitudinal axis, said curved pick lying substantially in a single plane perpendicular to said faces of said straight pick.

2. The dental instrument according to claim 1, wherein said dental instrument is of one piece construction.

3. The dental instrument according to claim 1, wherein said dental instrument is made of plastic.

4. The dental instrument according to claim 1, wherein said dental instrument has an overall length from said tangent to said point of said pick, said overall length being approximately 21/2 inches.