FIELD

[0001] The invention concerns a dental instrument, in particular but not exclusively, a dental instrument for cleaning a user’s interdental areas.

BACKGROUND

[0002] As the build-up of plaque between teeth is the primary cause of dental diseases, for example gingivitis, it is preferable that interdental areas (also referred to as interproximal areas) be cleaned on a regular basis. To achieve this a range of dental floss and interdental brushes are in common use.

[0003] Dental floss comprises a cord of thin filaments which can be used to remove food and dental plaque stuck in the restricted space between the adjoining parts of adjacent teeth. As dental floss is not effective for cleaning the interdental space of a tooth interdental brushes have been developed. Such brushes are relatively small in dimension and are supplied with a fixed angled plastic handle.

[0004] Current drawbacks associated with properly cleaning interdental areas of teeth include the costs associated with buying both floss and interdental brushes. It is also a time-consuming exercise to clean interdental areas by first employing floss and then using interdental brushes. Floss and interdental brushes target different interdental areas. Where floss is effective for cleaning the space between the upper parts of adjacent teeth, interdental brushes are effective for cleaning the interdental space of a tooth. It can also be difficult for a user to reach certain areas within his mouth with a length of dental floss or conventional interdental brushes.

[0005] Drawbacks associated with interdental brushes concern the mode of interdental brush entry. Interdental cleaning with conventional interdental brushes is achieved by inserting the interdental brush into the interdental spaces between adjacent teeth. This mode of entry will cause the interdental brush to contact the user’ s gum resulting in the user’ s gum bleeding. Such bleeding may be excessive for users afflicted with gum diseases. Continuous contact with a user’s gum may result in damage and receding papillae impacting the appearance of a user’s smile. Another drawback associated with existing interdental brushes is that they present some difficulty in reaching the interdental spaces between back teeth. This is due to the limited space available at the back of the mouth and the potential non-alignment of the interdental brush with the space between adjoining teeth.

OBJECT

[0006] It is an object of the present invention to provide a dental instrument which ameliorates at least some of the above drawbacks associated with floss or dental brushes or to provide a useful alternative dental instrument.

SUMMARY

[0007] According to a first aspect of the present invention there is disclosed herein a dental instrument including (i) an instrument handle to be held by a user; and (ii) an instrument head operatively associated with the instrument handle, the instrument head adapted to hold interdental cleaning material, wherein the instrument head is adapted to be adjusted relative to the instrument handle.

[0008] Preferably the interdental cleaning material includes a length of dental floss.

[0009] Preferably the interdental cleaning material includes a plurality of interdental bristles interwoven with a portion of the length of dental floss.

[0010] Preferably the interdental cleaning material includes interdental bristles.

[0011] Preferably the instrument head includes two elongate, laterally spaced apart legs.

[0012] Preferably the instrument head includes a cross-member connecting the spaced apart legs.

[0013] Preferably the length of floss is suspended between the spaced apart legs.

[0014] Preferably the instrument head is substantially U-shaped.

[0015] Preferably the instrument head is coupled to the instrument handle via a connector.

[0016] Preferably the connector is adapted to adjust the orientation of the instrument head relative to the instrument handle.

[0017] Preferably the instrument head includes a head stem outwardly extending from the cross member. [0018] Preferably the connector includes a connector head and a connector stem outwardly extending from the connector head.

[0019] Preferably the connector head includes a transverse slot operatively adapted to hold a portion of the cross-member of the instrument head.

[0020] Preferably the connector head defines a head stem recess operatively adapted to receive and hold the head stem.

[0021] Preferably the connector stem includes an outwardly extending connector stem protrusion.

[0022] Preferably the instrument handle defines a connector stem slot operatively adapted to hold the connector stem.

[0023] Preferably the instrument handle defines a holding recess operatively adapted to hold the connector stem protrusion when the connector stem is located within the connector stem slot.

[0024] According to a second aspect of the present invention there is disclosed herein a dental instrument including (i) an instrument handle to be held by a user, and (ii) an instrument head adapted to support both a length of dental floss and a plurality of interdental bristles, wherein the interdental bristles are interwoven with a portion of the length of dental floss.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Preferred embodiments of the invention will be described hereinafter, by way of examples only, with reference to the accompany drawings, wherein:

[0026] Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment dental instrument;

[0027] Figure 2 is a further schematic perspective view of the dental instrument of Figure 1;

[0028] Figure 3 is a schematic side view of the dental instrument of Figure 1;

[0029] Figure 4 is a schematic top view of the dental instrument of Figure 1 ;

[0030] Figure 5 is a schematic bottom view of the dental instrument of Figure 1;

[0031] Figure 6 is a schematic front view of the dental instrument of Figure 1 ;

[0032] Figure 7 is a schematic front view of an instrument head of the dental instrument of Figure 1; [0033] Figure 8 is a schematic side view of the instrument head of Figure 7;

[0034] Figure 9 is a schematic top view of the instrument head of Figure 7;

[0035] Figure 10 is a schematic bottom view of the instrument head of Figure 7;

[0036] Figure 11 is a schematic top view of a connector of the dental instrument of Figure 1;

[0037] Figure 12 is a schematic bottom view of the connector of Figure 11;

[0038] Figure 13 is a schematic front view of the connector of Figure 11;

[0039] Figure 14 is a schematic side view of the connector of Figure 11;

[0040] Figure 15 is a schematic top view of an instrument handle of the dental instrument of Figure 1;

[0041] Figure 16 is a schematic side view of the instrument handle of Figure 15;

[0042] Figure 17 is a schematic bottom view of the instrument handle of Figure 15;

[0043] Figure 18 is a schematic front view of the instrument handle of Figure 15;

[0044] Figure 19 is a schematic front view of the instrument head of Figure 7 connected to the connector of Figure 11 ;

[0045] Figure 20 is a schematic front view of a length of floss interwoven with interdental bristles;

[0046] Figure 21 is schematic representation of a length of floss being interwoven with an interdental bristle and a length of wire;

[0047] Figure 22 is a schematic front view of a further embodiment instrument head for a dental instrument;

[0048] Figure 23 is a schematic front view of the instrument head of Figure 22;

[0049] Figure 24 is a schematic side view of the instrument head of Figure 22;

[0050] Figure 25 is a schematic perspective view of a further embodiment dental instrument;

[0051] Figure 26 is a schematic perspective view of an instrument head of the dental instrument of Figure 24; [0052] Figure 27 is a schematic perspective view a further embodiment dental instrument; and

[0053] Figure 28 is a schematic perspective view of an instrument head of the dental instrument of Figure 27.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0054] Figures 1 to 6 show an embodiment dental instrument, generally indicated with the reference numeral 10. The dental instrument 10 includes an elongate, longitudinally extending instrument handle 12, to be held by a user, and an instrument head 14. The instrument head 14 is adapted to support interdental cleaning material 11, here provided in the form of a length of dental floss 16 and a plurality of transverse interdental bristles 18. The interdental bristles 18 are interwoven with a portion of the length of dental floss 16 as is described below. By providing an embodiment dental instrument 10 having an instrument head 14 which supports both dental floss 16 and interdental bristles 18, a user is able to clean interdental areas with a single instrument and during a single action. This addresses the time and costly exercise of purchasing dental floss and interdental brushes separately and then using those instruments sequentially.

[0055] Also, by providing that the dental floss 12 of the dental instrument 10 is employed to lead the interdental bristles 18 into an interdental space, unwanted contact between a user’s gum and the interdental bristles 18 is avoided. It will further be noted that the instrument head 14 does not have any sharp edges which are to be inserted into a user’s interdental areas. This is contrary to conventional interdental brushes which have pointed ends and often cause injury to a user’s gum when inserted into an interdental area.

[0056] Referring also to Figures 7 to 10, the instrument head 14 includes two elongate, laterally spaced apart legs 20 and a cross-member 22 connecting the spaced apart legs 18. The length of dental floss 16 and interdental bristles 18 are suspended between the spaced apart legs 20.

[0057] The embodiment instrument head 14 is substantially U-shaped and includes a head stem 24 outwardly extending from the cross-member 22.

[0058] Referring also to Figures 11 to 14, the instrument head 14 is coupled to the instrument handle 12 via a connector 26. The connector 26 is adapted to adjust the orientation of the instrument head 14 relative to the instrument handle 12 to facilitate ease of location of the dental floss 16 and interdental bristles 18 between interdental cavities. [0059] The connector 26 includes a connector head 28 and a connector stem 30 outwardly extending from the connector head 28. The connector head 28 includes a transverse slot 32 operatively adapted to hold a portion of the cross-member 22 of the instrument head 14. The connector head 28 further defines a head stem recess 34 operatively adapted to receive and hold the head stem 24.

[0060] The connector stem 30 includes an outwardly extending connector stem protrusion 36. In this embodiment the connector stem 30 is substantially right-cylindrical in shape and the connector stem protrusion 36 extends radially outwardly from the connector stem 30. The connector stem protrusion 36 is operatively associated with a complemental holding recess 38, shown in Figure 22, of the instrument handle 12. In this embodiment the connector 26 is pivotally adjustable relative to the instrument handle 12 to enable a user to access interdental areas in various different locations with relative ease.

[0061] Referring also to Figures 15 to 18, the instrument handle 12 includes a connector portion 40 which defines a connector stem slot 42 operatively adapted to hold the connector stem 30. The holding recess 38 is adapted to hold the connector stem protrusion 36 when the connector stem 30 is located within the connector stem slot 42.

[0062] The instrument handle 12 includes a gripping portion 44 to be gripped by a user during use of the dental instrument 10. The instrument handle 12 further includes a neck portion 46 which connects the connector portion 40 with the gripping portion 44. The neck portion 46 is shaped to facilitate ease of location of the dental floss 16 and interdental bristles 18 between interdental spaces of a user’s mouth when the gripping portion 44 is manipulated by the user.

[0063] Turning to Figures 19 and 20 it is shown that (i) a portion 46 of the length of dental floss 16, (ii) the interdental bristles 18 and (iii) a length of wire 48 are interwoven. By having the portion of floss 46 interwoven with the interdental bristles 18 and a length of wire 48, as illustrated in Figure 21, there is no single connecting point between the length of floss 16 and the wire 48. Such a single connecting point could, during use of the dental instrument, create an undesirable stress point leading to weakness and failure at the connecting point. As shown in Figure 19, one end of the length of dental floss 20 is held in one connector leg 26 and an end portion 48 of the interwoven portion 46 in the other connector leg 26.

[0064] Figures 23 and 24 show a further embodiment instrument head, generally indicated with the reference numeral 60. The instrument head 60 includes two elongate, laterally spaced apart legs 62 and a cross-member 64 connecting the spaced apart legs 62. A length of dental floss 66 is suspended between the spaced apart legs 62. The length of dental floss 66 supports two transverse interdental bristle sections 68 respectively located adjacent the spaced apart legs 62. The interdental bristle sections 68 include interdental bristles which are interwoven with the dental floss 66 in the manner discussed above and secured to the legs 62 as discussed above. The instrument head 60 is substantially U-shaped and includes a hollow head stem 70 outwardly extending from the cross-member 64 to facilitate attachment to a non-illustrated instrument stem.

[0065] Figures 25 and 26 show another embodiment dental instrument, generally indicated with the reference numeral 80. The dental instrument 80 includes an instrument handle 82 and an instrument head 84. The instrument head 84 includes two elongate, laterally spaced apart legs 86 and a cross-member 88 connecting the spaced apart legs 86. Interdental cleaning material 90, here a length of dental floss, is suspended between the spaced apart legs 86. The instrument head 84 is substantially U-shaped and includes a substantially spherical or ball-shaped connector 92 which is adapted to be received within a complemental socket 94 defined within the instrument handle 82. Such ball-and-socket assembly enables the orientation or positioning of the instrument head 84 relative to the instrument handle 82 to be adjusted as required by a user in order to reach a particular interdental area.

[0066] Figures 27 and 28 show a further embodiment dental instrument, generally indicated with the reference numeral 100. The dental instrument 100 includes an instrument handle 102 and an instrument head 104. The instrument head 104 supports interdental cleaning material 106, here provided in the form of interdental bristles. The instrument head 104 includes a substantially spherical or ball-shaped connector 108 which is adapted to be received within a complemental socket 110 defined within the instrument handle 102. That ball-and-socket assembly enables the orientation of the instrument head 104 relative to the instrument handle 102 to be adjusted as required by a user in order to reach a particular interdental area.

[0067] Although the invention has been described with reference to specific examples, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the invention may be embodied in many other forms.