TOOTHBRUSH WITH DENTAL TAPE DISPENSER

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The need for targeted hygiene is continuously evolving, and the general state of the art of the sector (i.e., prevention) is currently good.

With the toothbrushes that are available on the market today it is believed that the optimal pressure to be exerted when a person is brushing his teeth should not exceed 300-400 g. A large number of people, however, exert more pressure than this, and said habit derives from the spontaneous* conviction that the harder you press, the larger the amount of bacterial plaque you remove. The pressure is very likely to be the cause of the greater number of lesions and can bring about anomalies of the surface of the tooth.

To overcome the above problem, various manufacturers have proposed appliances designed to improve the use and effectiveness of the toothbrush, amongst which:

1) the head of the toothbrush, which can be rectangular, square, oval, or circular in shape and be fixed to the handle or be articulated thereto by means of an articulated joint having the function of cushioning the force applied;

2) the bristles, which present various

arrangements , namely:

A) a towered profile, where the tufts of filaments have different heights and inclinations, enabling a more effective penetration of the tips of the bristles also in the sites where the toothbrush is not generally effective, and presenting a circular arrangement so as to favour removal of dental plaque from the enamel-cement junction and facilitate execution of the various brushing techniques adopted;

B) a staircase profile, where the bristles decrease progressively in height towards the end, improving the ergonomics of the toothbrush; 3) the handle, which is ergonomic and antislip, is studied to provide greater comfort and control, and has a rubber coating.

The top third of the grip or handle can present a knurled rubber surface to increase manoeuvrability of the toothbrush, prevent slipping of the fingers, and prevent useless pressure during brushing.

Notwithstanding these innovations, the toothbrushes so far known db not guarantee an effective and complete oral hygiene. The main purpose of the present invention is, therefore, to overcome said drawbacks by means of a device that facilitates the normal operations of oral

hygiene .

The above purpose is obtained, according to the invention,- by providing a toothbrush equipped with its own means for supplying the user with dental tape. A better understanding of the invention will be obtained from the ensuing detailed description and with reference to the attached plate of drawings, which illustrates, purely by way of non-limiting example, a preferred embodiment of the invention. In the plate of drawings:

Figures 1 to 4 show, respectively, a front view, a left lateral view, a rear view, and a right lateral view of the toothbrush according to the invention;

Figures 5 and 6 are enlargements of a detail, illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, respectively;

Figure 7 is a left lateral view of a portion of the grip or handle of the invention; i

Figure 8 is a left lateral view of the bottom end portion of the grip or handle of the invention; and Figures 9 and 10 are, respectively, a lateral view and a front view of the reel of dental tape, from which a stretch of the latter has been unwound.

With reference to the figures listed above, the toothbrush according to the invention substantially comprises a main body with a grip or handle 2 fixed to an end 1 provided with bristles S, in which the grip 2 further comprises an internal dispenser 3 for a dental

tape N.

In particular, in the preferred embodiment that is described herein, the top third of the handle or grip 2 has a circular conformation so as to contain the tape N wound on a reel B (Figures 1-6) .

According to a peculiar characteristic of the invention, the dental tape N presents a "flat" cross section, which, albeit having effective cleaning functions like those of dental threads, is to be preferred in use. In fact, thanks to its larger surface, it can advantageously prove less harmful during its manipulation, and, is easier for the user to hold in his hands. In addition, it has markings every 20 cm with preferably red references or lines L, which function as indicator so as to supply the user with the amount of tape necessary for each application (Figure 9) .

The total length of the dental tape N is preferably 24 m: said length is not accidental in so far as, using the dental tape correctly twice a day, the duration corresponds to two months, the time within which it is necessary to change the toothbrush. In this connection, it should be noted that brushing produces a v progressive deterioration of the bristles S. The bristle is gradually thinned out, and its terminal part, initially having a hemispherical shape, tends to become conical. In this way the surface that acts on

the dental plaque is progressively reduced, and the effectiveness of the toothbrush decreases; this phenomenon is evident under a microscope.

As a result, advantageously, the complete consumption of the dental tape N signals also the need to replace the toothbrush or at least its bristles S.

The dental tape N slides within the handle 2, which has, in the terminal part opposite to the bristles S, a cap 4, preferably a pressure cap, inside which there is a hook 5 for cutting the dental thread or tape N (Figures 2 and 8) . At the same time maximum hygiene is guaranteed.

Laterally, the handle or grip 2 has an opening or window 5, which traverses the handle longitudinally from the top third to the bottom third so that, through it, it will be possible to see the tape N that runs within its handle 2 (Figure 7) .

The combination of i^hese appliances for oral hygiene in the home have the aim of enabling a total prevention, also overcoming the problem of use of the dental tape N, in so far as frequently people forget to use the dental tape, after they have acquired a consolidated habit, such as brushing their teeth. In the absence of specific hygiene, in fact, it is not possible to remove the dental plaque from sites, such as the interproximal surfaces, especially of molars and premolars .

Hygiene thus represents a need that cannot be neglected in any plan of oral prevention.

Furthermore, the toothbrush according to the present invention in question could be combined with current innovations, improving its performance and enabling all the necessary features to be within easy reach.

A variant of the invention (not illustrated) envisages that both the bristles S and the reel B of dental thread or tape N can be replaced.

The present invention has been described and illustrated in one of its preferred embodiments, but it is evident to a person skilled in the branch that functionally and/or technically equivalent modifications and/or replacements may be made, without thereby departing from the sphere of protection of the present industrial patent right.