A toothbrush includes a main body that includes a head portion with a bristle raising surface on which bristles are provided in a standing manner, a grip portion, and a neck portion. A light emission portion that emits light through a specific region of the bristle raising surface toward a tooth surface and a light reception portion that receives radiated light from the tooth surface resulting from the light, through the specific region, are provided inside of the main body. It is determined whether or not there is dental plaque on the tooth surface based on the output of the light reception portion. A light reception and condensing portion that condenses the radiated light from the tooth surface toward the light reception surface of the light reception portion is arranged in the housing portion forming the specific region.

An oral irrigator handle has a handle housing with a swivel assembly for connection to a hose further connected to a fluid source. A tip for directing a focused stream of fluid is releasably connected to a first end of the handle. The swivel assembly is received within the housing and fluidly coupled to tip. The hose is connected to the swivel assembly and fluidly coupled to the tip via the swivel assembly. The swivel assembly prevents translation of rotational movement of the handle or the hose to the other.

An individual-patient one-day oral care kit comprises a housing and a plurality of sealed trays disposed within the housing. Each of the sealed trays contains oral hygiene components. By one approach at least one of the sealed trays contains an oral hygiene component comprising a toothbrush that is unique to that particular tray. By one approach all of the sealed trays contain at least one same oral hygiene component. By one approach each of the sealed trays is configured to serve a patient's oral hygiene compliance requirements in accordance with an event driven schedule during a single day.

A disposable prophy angle with an accessible and replaceable internal collapsible prophylaxis cartridge and a push button and plunger/paddle combination to force a metered amount of prophylaxis medium into the prophy angle while providing audible and/or tactile feedback.

A method for estimating a pose of an oral hygiene device including a pattern and a plurality of groups of visual markers relative to a location includes (i) receiving image data reproducible as an image of at least a portion of the oral hygiene device; (ii) analyzing the image data to identify a region of interest within the image; (iii) identifying, using at least one of the one or more processors, all candidate visual markers within the region of interest; (iv) obtaining a first proposed three-dimensional pose of the oral hygiene device; (v) validating the first proposed three-dimensional pose of the oral hygiene device; and (vi) obtaining a second proposed three-dimensional pose of the oral hygiene device based on the validated first proposed three-dimensional pose.

A method for estimating a pose of an oral hygiene device including a pattern and a plurality of groups of visual markers relative to a location includes (i) receiving image data reproducible as an image of at least a portion of the oral hygiene device; (ii) analyzing the image data to identify a region of interest within the image; (iii) identifying, using at least one of the one or more processors, all candidate visual markers within the region of interest; (iv) obtaining a first proposed three-dimensional pose of the oral hygiene device; (v) validating the first proposed three-dimensional pose of the oral hygiene device; and (vi) obtaining a second proposed three-dimensional pose of the oral hygiene device based on the validated first proposed three-dimensional pose.

A portion of a treatment device for treating bacteria may be coupled with the bacteria through direct or indirect contact. Mechanical stress energy and electromagnetic energy are generated with the treatment device, and are transmitted from the treatment device to the bacteria during the coupling. The bacteria are treated with both the mechanical stress energy and the electromagnetic energy to produce a killing effect on the bacteria. A treatment device may include a mechanical stress energy emitting portion, an electromagnetic energy emitting portion, and a contacting portion for coupling into direct or indirect contact with the bacteria and transmitting mechanical stress energy to the bacteria during the coupling. The mechanical stress energy emitting portion and the electromagnetic energy emitting portion are operable to treat the bacteria with a combination of mechanical stress energy and electromagnetic energy to produce a killing effect on the bacteria.

A portion of a treatment device for treating bacteria may be coupled with the bacteria through direct or indirect contact. Mechanical stress energy and electromagnetic energy are generated with the treatment device, and are transmitted from the treatment device to the bacteria during the coupling. The bacteria are treated with both the mechanical stress energy and the electromagnetic energy to produce a killing effect on the bacteria. A treatment device may include a mechanical stress energy emitting portion, an electromagnetic energy emitting portion, and a contacting portion for coupling into direct or indirect contact with the bacteria and transmitting mechanical stress energy to the bacteria during the coupling. The mechanical stress energy emitting portion and the electromagnetic energy emitting portion are operable to treat the bacteria with a combination of mechanical stress energy and electromagnetic energy to produce a killing effect on the bacteria.

A flexible support for a dental tool includes a distal holder configured to securely hold the dental tool which may be quickly released, the flexible support includes an anchoring member configured to fit within a tool recess of a tool cradle, the anchoring member includes a diameter that may decrease or increase depending on movement of a central member within the anchoring member that actuates displaceable members such that the anchoring member quickly conforms to grip sides of the tool cradle and quickly releases therefrom.

An oral care implement having a multi-component handle. The oral care implement may include a head and a handle. The handle may have a front surface, a rear surface, and opposing first and second lateral surfaces. The handle may include an elongated handle body, a grip cover, and a transparent component. The elongated handle body and the grip cover may be opaque. The elongated handle body may form a portion of the front surface of the handle and the grip cover may form a portion of the rear surface of the handle. The transparent component may form a portion of each of the first and second lateral surfaces of the handle. Thus, the transparent component may form a window through the lateral surfaces of the handle.