GB2197202A

GB2197202A - Oral hygiene aid

Info

Publication number: GB2197202A
Application number: GB08626072A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Antonio Sigona
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1986-10-31
Filing date: 1986-10-31
Publication date: 1988-05-18
Also published as: GB8626072D0

Abstract

The aid e.g. a toothpick has a pointed stick-like portion at one end and a hooked portion at the other. The hooked portion is flattened with edges of the hook being blade-like to form a comparatively sharp edge.

Description

SPECIFICATION Oral hygiene aid This invention relates to an oral hygiene aid.

Toothpicks have been widely used for a considerable length of time for removing or dislodging food particles from the teeth. While toothpicks are satisfactory for reach particles trapped between readily visible and accessible teeth, such as the upper and lower front teeth, they are far from ideal for reaching the backs of the teeth. Further, because of the sharp pointed ends, they are not entirely suitable for use with artificial dental appliances where they may get trapped and possibly cause damage and/or break off.

Modern emphasis on oral hygiene has led to the introduction of other devices for helping to keep the teeth clear of food debris, such as specially designed brushes with angled heads and also dental floss. Such devices are suitable only for use in the bathroom as part of the user's everyday toilet. It would clearly be impractical to carry a whole range of such devices around away from home for use at times of need during the day.

According to the present invention I provide an oral hygiene aid comprising a one piece body having a pointed stick like portion and, spaced therefrom, a hooked portion of flattened cross section.

Preferably at least the hook of the hooked portion has a blade-like edge. Preferably the stick like portion and hooked portion are separated by an intermediate portion of flattened cross section having an edge facing away from the hook offset from the stick like portion and connected thereto by a curved portion. Preferably the edge facing away from the hook and associated curved portion are bladelike.

The oral hygiene aid preferably terminates at an end opposite the stick-like portion in a substantially linear blade-like edge portion.

This linear edge portion is preferably separated from the said edge facing away from the hook by an indented edge portion.

The oral hygiene aid may conveniently be constructed of plastics material (such as "moplem" plastics which has the desirable properties of softness and resilience), but may of course be of any other suitable material which can be shaped such as wood, or metal (e.g.

silver), the type of material being dependent on the quality, and cost, of the desired product. Clearly a device of silver would be intended for long term use, while a plastics device would be disposable.

One form of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:- Figure 1 is a side view of an oral hygiene aid according to the invention; Figures 2, 3 and 4 are enlarged sections, not to scale, on the lines Il-Il, Ill-Ill, and IV-IV respectively.

As shown in the drawings, the oral hygiene aid is of one piece moulded plastics construction. One end is formed as a pointed stick 2 similar to a toothpick and intended to serve the same purpose. The stick 2 is separated by an intermediate portion 4 from a hooked portion 6 having a hook 7. As can be seen from Figs. 3 and 4, that edge 8 of intermediate portion 4 facing away from hook 7 and also the edge 9 adjacent the hook 7, and the hook 7 itself, are all of blade-like form, i.e. the plastics material decreases in thickness to form a comparatively sharp edge.

Edge 8 of intermediate portion 4 is offset in relation to stick 2 and joined thereto by a curved portion 10 which, at least adjacent edge 8, also has a blade-like conformation.

That edge 12 of the aid opposite the stick 2 is substantially linear and blade-like and separated from the edge 8 by an indented portion 13.

The oral hygiene aid is capable of many uses. The stick 2 can be used as a normal toothpick. The hook 7 can be used to remove debris from the inside of the teeth by holding the aid at the stick end and placing the hooked end 6 in the mouth so that the hook 7 contacts the back of the lower or upper teeth, dependent on which way up the aid is oriented. These areas are normally very difficult to clean. The blade-like edge 8 and associated curved portion 10 can be used to clean between teeth somewhat in the manner of cotton or dental floss. The linear edge 12 with the associated intended portion 13 is very useful for people using dentures, as the edge 12 can be inserted without damage to the dental appliance. The intended portion 13 is useful to facilitate removal from behind of food trapped in between narrow teeth.

It will be appreciated that the versatility of the aid and its small size make it convenient to carry and use at any time. Furthermore it can be produced comparatively cheaply so that the aids may be thrown away after a single use, thus avoiding the danger of harbouring infection by re-use.

1. An oral hygiene aid comprising a onepiece body having a pointed stick-like portion separated from a hooked portion of flattened cross-section by an intermediate portion.

2. An oral hygiene aid as claimed in claim 1, in which the intermediate portion which joins the flattened hook portion to the pointed stick-like portion has a cross-section which is mainly flattened.

3. An oral hygiene aid as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in which the intermediate portion is offset from the stick-like portion and the hook of the hooked portion.

4. An oral hygiene aid as claimed in claim

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. SPECIFICATION Oral hygiene aid This invention relates to an oral hygiene aid. Toothpicks have been widely used for a considerable length of time for removing or dislodging food particles from the teeth. While toothpicks are satisfactory for reach particles trapped between readily visible and accessible teeth, such as the upper and lower front teeth, they are far from ideal for reaching the backs of the teeth. Further, because of the sharp pointed ends, they are not entirely suitable for use with artificial dental appliances where they may get trapped and possibly cause damage and/or break off. Modern emphasis on oral hygiene has led to the introduction of other devices for helping to keep the teeth clear of food debris, such as specially designed brushes with angled heads and also dental floss. Such devices are suitable only for use in the bathroom as part of the user's everyday toilet. It would clearly be impractical to carry a whole range of such devices around away from home for use at times of need during the day. According to the present invention I provide an oral hygiene aid comprising a one piece body having a pointed stick like portion and, spaced therefrom, a hooked portion of flattened cross section. Preferably at least the hook of the hooked portion has a blade-like edge. Preferably the stick like portion and hooked portion are separated by an intermediate portion of flattened cross section having an edge facing away from the hook offset from the stick like portion and connected thereto by a curved portion. Preferably the edge facing away from the hook and associated curved portion are bladelike. The oral hygiene aid preferably terminates at an end opposite the stick-like portion in a substantially linear blade-like edge portion. This linear edge portion is preferably separated from the said edge facing away from the hook by an indented edge portion. The oral hygiene aid may conveniently be constructed of plastics material (such as "moplem" plastics which has the desirable properties of softness and resilience), but may of course be of any other suitable material which can be shaped such as wood, or metal (e.g. silver), the type of material being dependent on the quality, and cost, of the desired product. Clearly a device of silver would be intended for long term use, while a plastics device would be disposable. One form of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:- Figure 1 is a side view of an oral hygiene aid according to the invention; Figures 2, 3 and 4 are enlarged sections, not to scale, on the lines Il-Il, Ill-Ill, and IV-IV respectively. As shown in the drawings, the oral hygiene aid is of one piece moulded plastics construction. One end is formed as a pointed stick 2 similar to a toothpick and intended to serve the same purpose. The stick 2 is separated by an intermediate portion 4 from a hooked portion 6 having a hook 7. As can be seen from Figs. 3 and 4, that edge 8 of intermediate portion 4 facing away from hook 7 and also the edge 9 adjacent the hook 7, and the hook 7 itself, are all of blade-like form, i.e. the plastics material decreases in thickness to form a comparatively sharp edge. Edge 8 of intermediate portion 4 is offset in relation to stick 2 and joined thereto by a curved portion 10 which, at least adjacent edge 8, also has a blade-like conformation. That edge 12 of the aid opposite the stick 2 is substantially linear and blade-like and separated from the edge 8 by an indented portion 13. The oral hygiene aid is capable of many uses. The stick 2 can be used as a normal toothpick. The hook 7 can be used to remove debris from the inside of the teeth by holding the aid at the stick end and placing the hooked end 6 in the mouth so that the hook 7 contacts the back of the lower or upper teeth, dependent on which way up the aid is oriented. These areas are normally very difficult to clean. The blade-like edge 8 and associated curved portion 10 can be used to clean between teeth somewhat in the manner of cotton or dental floss. The linear edge 12 with the associated intended portion 13 is very useful for people using dentures, as the edge 12 can be inserted without damage to the dental appliance. The intended portion 13 is useful to facilitate removal from behind of food trapped in between narrow teeth. It will be appreciated that the versatility of the aid and its small size make it convenient to carry and use at any time. Furthermore it can be produced comparatively cheaply so that the aids may be thrown away after a single use, thus avoiding the danger of harbouring infection by re-use. CLAIMS

4. An oral hygiene aid as claimed in claim 1, 2 or 3, in which the hook of the hooked portion extends towards the stick-like portion.

5. An oral hygiene aid as claimed in claim 3, in which the hook of the hooked portion has a biade-like edge.

6. An oral hygiene aid as claimed in claim 3, in which the edge of the intermediate portion which faces away from the hook is connected to the stick-like portion by a curved edge portion, and said edge and the curved edge portion are blade-like.

7. An oral hygiene aid as claimed in claim 6, in which the edge of the intermediate portion which faces away from the hook is separated from a substantially linear blade-like edge of the hooked portion by an indented edge portion.

8. An oral hygiene aid as claimed in any preceding claim, in which it is formed of plastics material.

9. An oral hygiene aid as claimed in any of the claims 1 to 7, in which it is formed of silver.

10. An oral hygiene aid substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the drawing.