Colgate Palmolive Company

Ian Nicholson

Douglas J Hohlbein

Thomas J Boyd

Joe Vazquez

An oral care implement or toothbrushincludes a head, a tooth cleaning element regionand a tissue cleaning element region. The tissue cleaning element regionincludes a plurality of flexible, angled projections. The projectionsare configured to flex from an at-rest position to a substantially flat position when the tissue cleaning element regionis in contact with the tongue and is pushed into the mouth. The projectionsare also configured to flex to a substantially upright position when the tissue cleaning element regionis in contact with the tongue and is pulled out of the mouth. This arrangement aids in preventing debris from being pushed into the mouth and in removing debris from the mouth and tongue. The flexible projectionsmay be used in conjunction with rigid projectionshaving a generally vertical configuration to aid in removing debris from the mouth and in engaging the cheek to improve saliva production during brushing.

Oral care implement having tissue cleaning elements with directional cleaning

An oral care implement includes a head, a tooth cleaning element region and a tissue cleaning element region. The tissue cleaning element region includes a plurality of flexible, angled projections. The projections are configured to (1) flex from an at-rest position to a substantially flat position when the tissue cleaning element region is in contact with the tongue and is pushed into the mouth, and (2) flex to a substantially upright position when the tissue cleaning element region is in contact with the tongue and is pulled out of the mouth. This arrangement aids in preventing debris from being pushed into the mouth and in removing debris from the mouth and tongue. The flexible projections may be used in conjunction with rigid projections having a generally vertical configuration to aid in removing debris from the mouth and in engaging the cheek to improve saliva production during brushing.

Growing community of inventors

New York, NY, United States of America

Ian Nicholson