An apparatus for providing a pressurized water stream for cleaning gums and teeth. The embodiment includes a base unit defining a cavity. The cavity contains a pump, which may move pressurized water from a reservoir to a tip in fluid communication with the pump. The pump may be secured within the cavity by at least one vibration reduction mount. Fluid may flow from the reservoir and ultimately into the tip to provide oral irrigation and/or cleaning of the teeth, gums, and tongue. The base may include a plurality of footings that elevate the base unit above a surface supporting the base unit. Also, the base may include a basin for receiving a reservoir. The basin may include a reservoir valve initially biased to a closed position and operationally attached to the reservoir, and a tube projection connected to the base unit and opening the valve when the reservoir is received within the basin. The basin and the reservoir are configured to guide the reservoir valve adjacent to the tube projection.

A periodontal cleaning device, including a cleaning head having a fluid outlet for releasing a cleaning fluid and a suction member for suction of a waste fluid, a cleaning fluid source, connected to the fluid outlet, a controllable suction device connected to the suction member, fluid feeding device for controlling a flow of the cleaning fluid from the cleaning fluid source to the fluid outlet. The periodontal cleaning device further has a control unit, the control unit being arranged for controlling the controllable suction device in generating a vacuum pulse in the suction member, controlling controllable fluid feeding device in generating a fluid flow pulse in the fluid outlet in response to the vacuum pulse, and controlling the controllable suction means in generating a subsequent vacuum pulse in the suction member, and the control unit being arranged for introducing a time period between the cleaning fluid flow pulse and the subsequent vacuum pulse in the suction member.

An apparatus for oral hygiene is disclosed herein. The apparatus includes a base unit containing a reservoir, an oral irrigation handle, a sonic toothbrush, and an accessory container. The apparatus may include a pump, which may move pressurized water from a reservoir to a tip in fluid communication with the pump. The apparatus contains a drive mechanism in a gear housing that is continually drained by one or more apertures in the base. The base may include a plurality of footings that elevate the base unit above a surface supporting the base unit. The oral irrigation handle includes a pause switch that translates longitude motion into rotational motion to close a valve.

A dental instrument comprising a handle removably attached to an instrument head. The handle has at least two fluid lines in fluid communication with at least one aperture in the instrument head, and may be used for aspiration and irrigation. Details of fluid line and aperture arrangements are discussed, as well as instrument heads and attachment mechanisms.

An oral care device (10) with a pump assembly (12) comprising: a plunger assembly (52) comprising a rack assembly (74); a compressible spring (64) configured to exert a forward force on the plunger assembly; and a rack and pinion assembly (72) configured to exert a force on the plunger assembly opposite the forward force, wherein the rack assembly comprises a plurality of rack teeth (74a . . . 74g) and the pinion assembly (76) comprises a plurality of teeth (78) arranged around a portion of the pinion; wherein the plurality of rack teeth comprise an angled front surface (86) and an angled rear surface (87), the front surface of at least some of the plurality of rack teeth comprising a different angle than the rear surface, and further wherein at least some of the plurality of rack teeth comprise a pointed or rounded tip (82).

A pump assembly for a dental cleaning appliance includes a fluid chamber, a piston, and a drive. The drive rotates a coupling member having two angularly opposed pins. An arm pivotably connected to the piston has a seat for receiving one of the pins to couple the piston to the drive. Through continued rotation of the coupling member, the piston moves within the fluid chamber to draw fluid into the fluid chamber until the second detent contacts the arm to push it away from the first detent to decouple the drive from the piston. This allows a compressed spring to actuate the piston to urge a burst of fluid from the fluid chamber.

A pump assembly for a dental cleaning appliance includes a fluid chamber, a piston, and a drive. Magnets, connected respectively to the piston and the drive, enable the drive to couple to the piston and move it within the fluid chamber to draw fluid into the fluid chamber. A stop prevents the piston from being pulled beyond a stop position so that through continued actuation of the drive the magnets separate to allow a spring to push the piston away from the stop position to urge a burst of fluid from the fluid chamber.

A composition delivery source (300) includes a chamber (302), a solid-liquid composition delivery tube (314), a mixing tube (316), and a liquid-supply tube (318). A filter (304) divides the chamber (302) into a liquid compartment (306) and a solid-liquid composition compartment (308). The solid-liquid composition delivery tube (314) is in fluid communication with the solid-liquid composition compartment (308). The mixing tube (316) is in fluid communication with the liquid compartment (306) and the solid-liquid composition compartment (308). The liquid-supply tube (318) is in fluid communication with the liquid compartment (306) and a liquid solution container (366). A pump unit (301) is provided that includes a mixing pump (322), which is arranged to cause flow in the mixing tube (316); and a liquid-supply pump (324), which is arranged to cause flow in the liquid-supply tube (318). Other embodiments are also described.

The present invention relates to a contra-angle dental handpiece attachment (100) for a device (200) for driving an endodontic file (1000) and for operating a remote pump (700).

An oral irrigator comprising a reservoir, a pump in fluid communication with the reservoir, where the pump pumps fluid from the reservoir to an outlet, a motor coupled to the pump to drive the pump, a control module in electrical communication with the motor to vary an output of the motor, wherein when a first setting corresponding to a first pressure output for the outlet is selected the control module drives the motor by applying a first voltage waveform to the motor and when a second setting corresponding to a second pressure output for the outlet is selected the control module drives the motor by applying a second voltage waveform to the motor, where the second voltage waveform is different from the first voltage waveform.