The disclosure provides an ionic toothbrush having an elongated body that may be configured to have a one-piece design, or alternatively one or more components of the ionic toothbrush may be removable and/or replaceable. In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides an ionic toothbrush which includes a handle portion, a brush head portion including a plurality of bristle tufts; and an electrical circuit configured to transmit a negative electrical charge through at least a portion of the brush head, wherein the electrical circuit includes one or more sections of conductive resin present on an outer surface of one or both of the handle portion and the brush head portion.

A cleaning section for an electric oral hygiene device includes a carrier mounted for driven rotation and/or oscillating rotation around a rotation axis, at least a plurality of first cleaning elements and a plurality of second cleaning elements, the cleaning elements being mounted on a mounting surface of the carrier. The carrier has an outer rim and an inner portion. The plurality of first cleaning elements are arranged at the inner portion of the carrier, and the plurality of second cleaning elements are arranged at the outer rim of the carrier. The plurality of first cleaning elements have a longitudinal axis and a substantially cross-shaped cross-sectional area extending in a plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the cross-shaped cross-sectional area having four projections and four channels, the projections and channels being arranged in an alternating manner.

A refill for an electric toothbrush comprises a generally tubular structure formed by refill walls defining an interior space for accepting thereinto a coupling stem of a toothbrush handle. The refill includes a motion transmitter functionally connected to the brush head for driving it. The refill has a coupling device including a pair of mutually opposite and resiliently deformable cantilevered arms disposed in the interior space of the refill and adjacent to the refill walls and extending from respective roots in a circular or semi-circular manner around, and in a plane substantially perpendicular to, the refill's longitudinal axis. Each of the arms is resiliently deformable and terminates with a coupling surface for engaging a coupling pin extending from the handle's coupling stem for secure and disengageable connection therewith.

A pump toothbrush having a toothpaste tube to dispense dentifrice material to top of bristle head is disclosed. The pump toothbrush has a pump head with a resilient button to create an internal vacuum force to draw the dentifrice material from the toothpaste tube. The toothpaste tube is supported by width-limiting fingers to prevent total collapsing of sidewalls resulting in blocking of its flow channel. A self-closing spout is used for preventing backflow. For a manual pump toothbrush the toothpaste tube has an oval-shaped shoulder for mating with the oval-shaped shoulder of a detachable handle for fastening the toothpaste tube by threads. For an electrical pump toothbrush, a detachable endcap connector is used for swinging out the toothpaste tube from its handle for replacement. A sonic vibration model uses rubber molding to minimize vibration on the handle. A dual-rotary model has two rotary bristle elements engaged by gear teeth.

A filament for an oral care implement has a longitudinal axis and a substantially cross-shaped cross-sectional area extending in a plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The cross-shaped cross-sectional area has four projections and four channels. The projections and channels are arranged in an alternating manner. Each channel has a concave curvature formed by neighboring and converging projections. The concave curvature has a radius, and each projection is end-rounded thereby forming a curvature. The curvature has a diameter, and the ratio of the diameter of the curvature of the projection to the radius of the curvature of the channel is from about 0.2 to about 1.5.

A three-way mechanical toothbrush includes an angular mechanical toothbrush having a plurality of switches and a charging port disposed on a first end and a toothbrush head disposed on a second end. The toothbrush head provides for three (3) discrete areas of brush bristles with each area capable of multiple directional brushing action.

A dental cleaning appliance includes a handle and a fluid delivery system. The fluid delivery system includes a nozzle for delivering a burst of working fluid to the teeth of a user. A contact member for engaging the teeth of the user is moveable relative to the nozzle as the appliance is moved along the teeth of the user. A sensor provides an output which varies with movement of contact member relative to the nozzle. A control circuit actuates the delivery of working fluid to the teeth of the user depending on the output from the sensor.

A toothbrush includes a removable, replaceable brush head that includes a clip that also serves as a removal tool for a spent brush head. The toothbrush may be a manually-wound or charged, powered toothbrush that includes a winding mechanism, an energy storage element, and an output gear train to cause a rotating, oscillating or sweeping brush head to move, thus improving the efficacy of the user's oral-care regimen.

An automated toothbrush assembly for brushing teeth includes a handle that is gripped for brushing teeth. A rotation unit is movably positioned within the handle and the rotation unit includes a drive shaft that extends outwardly through the handle. The rotation unit alternately rotates the drive shaft in a first direction and a second direction when the rotation unit is turned on. A plurality of brushing heads is provided and a respective one of the brushing heads is removably attachable to the handle to place the respective brushing head in mechanical communication with the drive shaft of the rotation. Each of the brushing heads includes a brush that has a conical shape to penetrate spaces between teeth.

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.