Gillette Canada Inc

Adrian Hart

John A Kaminski

Jeffrey S Meessmann

Larry J Oliphant

Patrick J Hanley

Sean G Gilligan

Dermot T Freeman

Mingchih M Tseng

Christopher Loew

Christopher H Suhonen

Mark Haggett-King

Robert G Pitts

A dental floss brush made from a reverse twisted, high tenacity nylon yarn comprising at least two thread sections having diameters, in their relaxed state, of at least 2.5 min. The thread sections are separated by a floss brush section integral therewith having a diameter of from up to 4 mm in its relaxed state and a diameter of from 1.7 to 3.0 mm under a tension of 0.05N. The brush floss has a breaking strength of at least 5N. The floss brush section can be coated with a low melting wax composition, optimally a polyethylene glycol ester of beeswax alone or in combination with a flavoring oil, silicone oil lubricant or mixtures thereof. This product is made by coating a reverse twisted, high tenacity nylon yarn with a solution of polymer in a volatile solvent, the polymer being selected from the group consisting of nylon, polyurethane and mixtures thereof. Then the solvent is selectively vaporized from thread portions of the yarn while preventing significant vaporization of solvent from brush portions of the yarn, while the yarn is maintained under a tension of from 0.15 to 1N. The brush portions of the yarn are steam treated while the yarn is under a tension of approximately zero until the brush portions of the yarn have regained at least 100 percent of the diameter of the uncoated, relaxed yarn. Residual solvent is then removed from the brush portions of the yarn while the yarn is under a tension of approximately zero.

Thin floss brush

The present invention relates generally to a flosser-type tooth cleaning device comprised of a handle, a holder affixed to an end of the handle comprised of two protruding arm members positioned at least parallel to each other, and a strand of dental floss which is drawn between the arms and anchored at the distal end of each arm, wherein of these several tooth cleaning device may be non-permanently held together forming an inter-locking stack. The flossers of the present invention may be held non-permanently in a stacked configuration by way of a friction fit or a snap-lock mechanism.

Stackable flosser

Flosser

An interdental foam brush with an elongate non-conductive, galvanic shock free stem having a boss, the stem having a brush support portion extending from the boss in the distal direction to a preferably rounded distal tip and a flexible handle engaging portion extending from the boss in the proximal direction. The brush support portion including its distal tip and the boss being enclosed in resilient, open-cell polymeric foam. The outer surface of the brush is tapered and converging in the distal direction. The boss is a stop means for limiting movement of the brush portion between interdental surfaces, and the brush support portion has a length approximating the width of a rear molar. The brush support portion has a diameter providing a brush support surface for effective cleaning while permitting passage of the brush between interdental surfaces. The foam has a hardness and pore density providing effective cleaning between interdental surfaces is achieved. Another aspect is a combination of the interdental foam brush described above and a handle. The interdental foam brush can be impregnated with a pharmaceutically effective amount of at least one agent for treating the gums or teeth in the form of a coating, solution, paste or gel.

Interdental foam brush and treatment gel combination therewith

A dental floss brush made from a reverse twisted, high tenacity nylon yarn comprising at least two thread sections having diameters, in their relaxed state, of at least 2.5 mm. The thread sections are separated by a floss brush section integral therewith having a diameter of from up to 4 mm in its relaxed state and a diameter of from 1.7 to 3.0 mm under a tension of 0.05 N. The brush floss has a breaking strength of at least 5 N. The floss brush section can be coated with a low melting wax composition, optimally a polyethylene glycol ester of beeswax alone or in combination with a flavoring oil, silicone oil lubricant or mixtures thereof. This product is made by coating a reverse twisted, high tenacity nylon yarn with a solution of polymer in a volatile solvent, the polymer being selected from the group consisting of nylon, polyurethane and mixtures thereof. Then the solvent is selectively vaporized from thread portions of the yarn while preventing significant vaporization of solvent from brush portions of the yarn, while the yarn is maintained under a tension of from 0.15 to 1 N. The brush portions of the yarn are steam treated while the yarn is under a tension of approximately zero until the brush portions of the yarn have regained at least 100 percent of the diameter of the uncoated, relaxed yarn. Residual solvent is then removed from the brush portions of the yarn while the yarn is under a tension of approximately zero.

Method of producing a thin brush dental floss

A gel tray for holding a medicament to be applied to the teeth and gums of a patient includes a handle and an opposing buckle. In one embodiment, the buckle includes a tongue portion and a retainer strip surrounding the tongue portion so as to define a narrow space between the tongue portion and the retainer strip, the narrow strip having a width less than the thickness of the handle. The handle has a tongue reception groove extending transverse to its length at a position such that the tongue reception groove is engaged by the tongue when the tray is folded. In another embodiment, slotted tabs are interfitted when the tray is folded. The tray may therefore be securely maintained in the folded state. The tray can be combined with or preloaded with a treatment agent such as a gel comprising a pharmaceutically effective amount of at least one agent for treating teeth or gums dispersed in a gel medium consisting essentially of water and an amount of a water dispersible gelling agent sufficient to form a gel. Preferably, the treatment gel comprises an agent such as from 0.05 to 5 wt. % of a soluble fluoride, either in an acidic gel or a neutral. Acidic gels can contain pharmaceutically acceptable, treatment effective amounts of phosphoric acid and hydrofluoric acid, for example. Neutral gels can have pH modifying agents such as sodium hydroxide.

Growing community of inventors

Menlo Park, CA, United States of America

Adrian Hart