Gillette Canada Inc

John A Kaminski

Adrian Hart

Christopher H Suhonen

Jeffrey S Meessmann

Larry J Oliphant

Patrick J Hanley

Sean G Gilligan

Dermot T Freeman

Mingchih M Tseng

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

A process for making a shaped, highly flavored floss and the floss product of that process. The process comprises coating a multi-filament thread with a first liquid or semi-solid wax composition having a high melting temperature and cooling the coating to a temperature at which the first wax composition has become a solid to form a shaped thread. The thread is optionally reshaped. The shaped thread, carrying the primary coating, is coated with a lower melting liquid or semi-solid wax composition having a temperature less then the melting point of the first coating without disrupting the first wax composition of the shaped configuration of the thread. The lower melting wax composition contains volatile flavoring oil. Preferably, the inner wax composition is a microcrystalline wax and the outer wax composition comprises waxy a major portion of a polyethylene glycol having an average molecular weight at least 7000 daltons and an amount of a lower weight material such as an a liquid polyethylene glycol or an emulsifying wax to provide a coating which is liquid at a temperature of from 50.degree. to 65.degree. C. and which is solid at temperatures below about 50.degree. C.

Flavored dental floss and process

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 process for making a flattened, highly flavored floss and the floss product of that process. The process comprises coating a multi-filament thread with a first liquid or semi-solid wax composition having a high melting temperature and cooling the coating to a temperature at which the first wax composition has become a soft solid. The thread is flattened and coated with a lower melting liquid or semi-solid wax composition having a temperature less then the melting point of the first coating without disrupting the first wax composition of the flattened configuration of the thread. The lower melting wax composition contains volatile flavoring oil. Preferably, the inner wax composition is a microcrystalline wax and the outer wax composition comprises waxy a major portion of a polyethylene glycol having an average molecular weight at least 7000 daltons and an amount of a lower weight material such as an a liquid polyethylene glycol or an emulsifying wax to provide a coating which is liquid at a temperature of from 50.degree. to 65.degree. C. and which is solid at temperatures below about 50.degree. C. Flavored coating compositions comprising flavoring oil and xylitol are also disclosed.

Flavored dental floss and method

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.

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Newark, CA, United States of America

John A Kaminski