An oral hygiene device in the form of a toothbrush 10 comprises a handle section 12, a cartridge 14 containing a cleaning composition held under gas pressure, an actuating mechanism 16 and a head section 18. The cartridge has a discharge opening at a front end thereof, which includes a control valve 26 comprising a valve stem 27. The actuating mechanism 16 includes a plunger 40 and a lever formation 38 which acts on the plunger. The lever formation is acted upon by a hand-operated actuating button 58 for dispensing the plunger rearwardly for depressing the valve stem 27 for releasing cleaning composition from the cartridge causing the cleaning composition to be conveyed under gas pressure along passage 48 of the valve stem and into passages 46, 32, 37 and 29 where it is discharged via opening 31 at a distal end of the head section 18 onto bristles 28.

A dental cleaning appliance includes a handle, a fluid delivery system for delivering working fluid to the teeth of a user, and a control circuit for actuating the delivery of working fluid to the teeth of the user depending on a received input. For each input, the control circuit is arranged to actuate the delivery of a series of bursts of working fluid to the teeth of the user.

The invention relates to method of manufacturing a recess wall lined with bristles for a mouthpiece for simultaneously brushing at a plurality of dental positions, and to a recess wall and mouthpiece manufactured according to the method. In a providing step, an elongate, continuous, bristled sheet part having a first side lined with a plurality of bristles is provided. The elongate sheet part defines a length axis extending parallel to the sheet part and, viewed transverse to the length axis, a cross-sectional shape. The sheet part obtained in the providing step has an initial condition in which the cross-sectional shape has an initial shape, and the length axis is arch-shaped. In a transforming step, the sheet part of the providing step is transformed from the initial condition to a final condition to provide the recess wall. In the final condition the cross-sectional shape has a final U-shape, the length axis is arch shaped, and the first side is a concave inner side of the final U-shape. The first side is in the final condition more concave than in the initial condition.

A mouthpiece for a dental cleaning device comprises a supporting structure configured to encompass a plurality of teeth of a dental arch. The supporting structure has an inner surface facing a tooth surface. At least one brushing chamber is provided at the inner surface side. The brushing chamber comprises a flexible wall part being deformable by pressurizing or depressurizing the brushing chamber. Bristles extend externally from the flexible wall part. In a method of brushing teeth, a plurality of teeth is encompassed by the mouthpiece, and the at least one brushing chamber is alternatingly pressurized and depressurized.

A toothbrush having one or more light sources with an electronic interlock control device preventing operation of the light source when the toothbrush is removed from the user's mouth. The electronic interlock control over operation is necessary to prevent accidental eye exposure to the high intensity light source with a wavelength in the range of about 400 nm to about 1000 nm. The light-emitting toothbrush activates upon entering the user's mouth but deactivates immediately when removed, thus protecting the user's eyes from direct exposure to the high power light source contained in the brush head.

A toothbrush or oral cleaning implement including a handle defining a first fluid conduit and a handle inlet port, a brush tip extending from a first end of the handle and defining a second fluid conduit, the second fluid conduit in fluid communication with the first fluid conduit, a brush head supported on an end of the brush tip including a fluid outlet in fluid communication with the second fluid conduit, a handle valve positioned between the handle inlet port and the first fluid conduit, and a base removably connected to the second end of the handle. The base including a base fluid inlet port that connects with an external fluid source, a base fluid outlet port in fluid communication with the base fluid inlet port, and a base valve that selectively opens and closes the base fluid outlet port.

A dental cleaning appliance includes a fluid reservoir for storing working fluid, a nozzle for delivering working fluid to the teeth of a user, a light source for illuminating the fluid reservoir and a control circuit for activating the light source to generate an alert which is conveyed to the user through the illumination of the fluid reservoir.

A cartridge and a base unit for use in an oral care appliance are disclosed. The cartridge includes a connection interface configured to form a detachable connection. The base unit is also configured to engage operatively with the cartridge to facilitate flow of an oral care composition from the cartridge into the oral care appliance.

An oral care implement that delivers a fluid from a reservoir to an applicator by capillary action. The oral care implement may include a head and a handle, the head having tooth cleaning elements extending therefrom. There may also be a reservoir storing a fluid and an applicator on the head. Finally, a delivery member may extend from the reservoir to the applicator. The delivery member may include a capillary tube that draws the fluid from the reservoir to the applicator by capillary action.

This application relates to method of manufacturing a pressure chamber of a dental mouthpiece; to a method of manufacturing a dental mouthpiece and pressure chamber; to a mouthpiece manufactured with these methods, provided with these methods; to J-/U-shaped dental mouthpiece; and to systems comprising said mouthpieces. The method of manufacturing a pressure chamber joins a frame part and a flexible wall part by over-moulding. The method of manufacturing a mouthpiece starts with an essentially flat member comprising pressure chambers, and is folded and bended into a J-shaped or U-shaped trough configuration. The J-/U-shaped mouthpiece may comprise a multiple of trough sections and be flexible to ride along a dental arch and has its handle coupling at the anterior end of the mouthpiece.