INTERDENTAL BRUSH AND DIAGNOSTIC METHOD WITH SAID INTERDENTAL BRUSH

Abstract

An interdental brush (1) with a handle (2) and a brush head (3), wherein the brush head (3) includes a wire element (4), which extends from the handle (2) to a free end (5) and to which bristles (7) are attached, which decrease in length towards the free end (5) of the wire element (4) in at least one section, and wherein a bristle-free section (8) is formed at the free end (5) of the wire element (4).

Claims

1. An interdental brush (1), comprising a handle (2) and a wire element (4), which extends from the handle (2) to a free end (5), and to which bristles (7) are attached, the bristles (7) decrease in length towards the free end (5) of the wire element (4) in at least one section, and a bristle-free section (8) is formed at the free end (5) of the wire element (5).

2. The interdental brush according to claim 1, wherein the wire element (4) has two strands (6) twisted together, which hold the bristles (7) between them and which are connected to one another at the free end (5) of the wire element (4).

3. The interdental brush according to claim 2, wherein the bristle-free section (8) extends over at least a length (Lw) of one full turn of the twisted strands (6) around each other.

4. The interdental brush according to claim 1, wherein the length of the bristle-free section (8) is at least 1 mm.

5. The interdental brush according to claim 1, wherein the bristles (7) define a conical outer contour (10) tapering off towards the free end (5) with free bristle ends (12) thereof.

6. The interdental brush according to claim 5, wherein the bristle-free section (8) protrudes from a theoretical extension (11) on the wire element (4) to the outer contour (10).

7. The interdental brush according to claim 2, wherein the twisted strands (6) form a bristle-free loop (9) in the bristle-free section (8).

8. The interdental brush according to claim 7, wherein the bristle-free loop (9) has a maximum external diameter (Da), which is larger than an external diameter (Ds) of the twisted strands (6) in a region of the bristles (7).

9. The interdental brush according to claim 8, wherein the bristle-free loop (9) has a fixed orientation towards the handle (2).

10. The interdental brush according to claim 8, wherein the handle (2) features at least one marking (23) which indicates a spatial orientation of the loop (9).

11. An interdental brush kit comprising at least two interdental brushes (1) according to 7, wherein the bristle-free loop (9) at the free end (5) of the wire element (4) of each of the at least two interdental brushes (1) is oriented in a same direction as the corresponding handle (2).

12. A diagnostic method, comprising inserting an interdental brush (1) according to claim 1 into a narrow interdental space (13) between a point of tooth contact (15) and a junctional epithelium (16), and detecting whether a bleeding of the junctional epithelium (16) is triggered.

13. The diagnostic method according to claim 12, wherein a number of narrow interdental spaces are juxtaposed with a number of narrow interdental spaces which bleed when provoked.

14. The diagnostic method according to claim 13, wherein interdental spaces (13) which bleed when provoked are regularly cleaned using an interdental brush (18) which has an outer contour with a uniform cross section of bristles (7).

15. The diagnostic method according to claim 12, further comprising performing re-examinations at predetermined intervals to check whether bleeding is triggered in the regularly cleaned interdental spaces (13), and a larger external diameter of the interdental brushes (18) with a cylindrical outer contour is selected for the purposes of regular cleaning for the interdental spaces (13) which bleed when provoked.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0050] The invention is subsequently explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0051] FIG. 1: shows a side view of an interdental brush according to the invention,

[0052] FIG. 2: shows a detailed view of the bristle-free region of the interdental brush of FIG. 1 with length specifications,

[0053] FIG. 3: shows a detailed view of the bristle-free region of the interdental brush of FIG. 1 with diameter specifications,

[0054] FIG. 4: shows a detailed view of the bristle-free region of the interdental brush of FIG. 1 with marked outer contour,

[0055] FIG. 5: shows a schematic representation of an interdental space,

[0056] FIG. 6: shows the interdental space of FIG. 5 with an inserted cylindrical interdental brush with bristles that are too short,

[0057] FIG. 7: shows the interdental space of FIG. 5 with an inserted cylindrical interdental brush with suitable bristles,

[0058] FIG. 8: shows the interdental space of FIG. 5 with an inserted cylindrical interdental brush with bristles that are too long,

[0059] FIG. 9: shows the interdental space of FIG. 5 and an interdental brush according to the invention,

[0060] FIG. 10: shows the interdental space of FIG. 5 with an inserted interdental brush according to the invention,

[0061] FIG. 11: shows the interdental space of FIG. 5 which has begun to bleed, with an extracted interdental brush according to the invention,

[0062] FIG. 12: shows the interdental space of FIG. 5 with visible bleeding,

[0063] FIG. 13: shows the interdental space of FIG. 5 with an inserted cylindrical interdental brush with suitable bristles for cleaning, and

[0064] FIG. 14: shows an interdental brush according to the invention with an orientation marking on the loop.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0065] FIG. 1 shows an interdental brush according to the invention as a whole designated with 1. The interdental brush has a handle 2 and a brush head 3.

[0066] The shape of the handle 2 does not play an essential role in the invention, which is the reason why it is shown either only party or not at all in FIGS. 1 to 13.

[0067] In principle, the handle 2 can have any shape which enables good manual use. Particularly cylindrical rods with hexagonal or octagonal cross sections have proved successful. These are almost round, are comfortable to grip and can be more easily secured against twisting due to the edges.

[0068] In the example, the brush head 3 is positioned coaxially on the handle 2. The brush head 3 can also be positioned at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the handle, making it easier to use on molars.

[0069] The brush head 3 has a wire element 4 which is attached to the handle 2 on one side and on the other side has a free end 5.

[0070] In the example, the wire element 4 is formed out of metal wire, which is made of two strands 6, which are twisted together. The bristles 7 are kept in place in-between the twisted strands 6. At the free end 5 of the wire element 4, there are no bristles 7 in a bristle-free section 8.

[0071] The two strands 6 are connected to each other at the free end 5, where they form a bristle-free loop 9. The two strands 6 are preferably formed from one piece, whereby the loop 9 is formed initially by a bend in the middle of a wire in order to subsequently twist the two strands 6 together with the bristles 7.

[0072] The bristle length steadily decreases towards the free end 5 of the wire element 4. The free bristle ends 12 thus form a cone-shaped or conical outer contour 10 tapering off towards the free end 5 of the wire element 4.

[0073] FIG. 2 illustrates a theoretical extension of the outer contour 10 up to the wire element 4, that is, to the geometric tip 11 of the cone. As can be easily seen, the bristle-free section 8 protrudes beyond this tip 11 in an axial direction. This geometric condition is important for the invention.

[0074] In FIG. 3, it can be seen that the bristle-free loop 9 has a maximum external diameter Da which is larger than an external diameter Ds of the twisted strands 6 in the region of the bristles 7. The shortest bristles have a diameter Db which is approximately equal to the diameter Da of the loop 9. The wire diameter Dd in the example is approximately 0.25 mm.

[0075] FIG. 4 shows that the axial length Lb of the bristle-free section 8 is longer than the length Lw of one full turn of the twisted strands 6 around each other. Also, the axial length Ls of the loop 9 is longer than the length Lw of one turn in the example.

[0076] The total length Lb of the bristle-free section 8 is directly dependent on the opening angle A of the outer contour 10 of the bristles 7, since the condition that the bristle-free section 8 protrudes beyond the tip 11 of the outer contour 10 must be fulfilled. In the example, said total length Lb is, for instance, at least 1 mm, preferably at least 1.5 mm, and at best at least 2 mm.

[0077] FIG. 5 shows a schematic representation of a cross section through a narrow interdental space 13 between two adjacent teeth 14. In the drawing, only the rear tooth 14 can be seen, since the front tooth, which is not shown, would obscure the interdental space 13. The two teeth touch each other at an indicated point of contact 15. The depicted interdental space 13 is therefore a narrow interdental space by definition. In the middle of the col 16, an inflammation 17 is indicated.

[0078] In order to diagnose this inflammation, an interdental brush is inserted into the interdental space between the gum and point of contact.

[0079] In FIG. 6, an interdental brush 18 with a cylindrical outer contour according to state-of-the-art technology is shown, which has bristles 7 that are, however, too short. The bristles 7 bend namely at the papillae 19 and the point of contact 15 towards the handle 2, but do not reach the inflammation 17 in the centre of the col 16. This brush 18 does not trigger any bleeding.

[0080] The opposite case is shown in FIG. 7. The bristles 7 of this cylindrical interdental brush 18 according to state-of-the-art technology are much too long, so that when extracting the interdental brush 18, the bristles 7 will not bend the other way, which also prevents bleeding from being triggered.

[0081] The inflammation cannot be diagnosed with either of these two interdental brushes.

[0082] The bristles 7 of the cylindrical interdental brush 18 according to state-of-the-art technology shown in FIG. 8 are the correct length. The slightly curved back bristle tips 12 reach the inflammation 17 in the centre of the col 16 well. When extracting the interdental brush, the bending effect occurs and bleeding is triggered.

[0083] Diagnosing this inflammation with cylindrical interdental brushes 18 according to state-of-the-art technology thus involves trying several such interdental brushes 18, whereby it is practical to start with a small brush diameter, which is then gradually increased.

[0084] Diagnosing the inflammation becomes a lot easier with an interdental brush 1 according to the invention. FIG. 9 shows an interdental brush 1 according to the invention with a conical outer contour and a loop 9 on the bristle-free section 8, as well as the interdental space 13 already shown in FIG. 5.

[0085] This interdental brush 1 is inserted into the narrow interdental space 13 between the gum 20 and point of contact 15. With the loop 9 on the free end 5, the interdental brush 1 can be inserted particularly easily, until resistance, created by the gradually increasing length of the bristles 7 at the insertion end 21 of the interdental space 13, becomes too great.

[0086] As can be seen in FIG. 10, some of the bristles 7 always reach the inflamed region 17 of the col 16. When the interdental brush 1 is extracted, bleeding 22 is triggered due to the spring effect caused by the bristles 7 of the correct length bending the other way. This bleeding is indicated in FIG. 11. In the example, the inflammation 17 is located at the lowest point of the col 16, therefore the bleeding 22 is only visible from the outside if the col 16 is filled with blood 22 and the blood 22 flows over the papilla 19, as is indicated in FIG. 12.

[0087] For treatment and prevention, the interdental space 13 with a diagnosed inflammation is regularly cleaned using an interdental brush 18 with a cylindrical outer contour. The diameter of the interdental brush 18 is determined from the previously established size of the interdental space.

[0088] The loop 9 at the free end of the brush head 3 serves as an aid to make it easier to insert the interdental brush 1 in narrow interdental spaces 13. As indicated in FIG. 14, the handle 2 thus features markings 23, which indicate the spatial orientation of the loop 9. In the example, this marking 23 consists of several dots which are either applied to or printed on the handle 2. If the markings 23 are in a line 24 parallel to the line 25 of a row of teeth 26, the loop 9 is oriented exactly perpendicular to the row of teeth 26, and thus in the correct orientation for insertion into an interdental space 13. The marking 23 may also feature a haptic component, so that the orientation can be deduced by feeling or touch.

[0089] An interdental brush 1 with a handle 2 and a brush head 3, wherein the brush head 3 has a wire element 4 which extends from the handle 2 to a free end 5 and to which bristles 7 are attached, which decrease in length towards the free end 5 of the wire element 4 in at least one section, and wherein a bristle-free section 8 is formed at the free end 5 of the wire element 4.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0090] 1 Interdental brush [0091] 2 Handle [0092] 3 Brush head [0093] 4 Wire element [0094] 5 Free end of the wire element [0095] 6 Strands [0096] 7 Bristles [0097] 8 Bristle-free section [0098] 9 Loop [0099] 10 Outer contour [0100] 11 Tip of the outer contour [0101] 12 Free bristle end [0102] 13 Interdental space [0103] 14 Tooth [0104] 15 Point of contact [0105] 16 Col [0106] 17 Inflammation [0107] 18 Interdental brush according to state-of-the-art technology [0108] 19 Papilla [0109] 20 Gum [0110] 21 Insertion end [0111] 22 Blood [0112] 23 Marking [0113] 24 Line between markings [0114] 25 Line of a row of teeth [0115] 26 Row of teeth [0116] Da Diameter of the loop 9 [0117] Ds Diameter of the twisted strands 6 [0118] Db Diameter of the shortest bristles [0119] Dd Diameter of one strand 6 [0120] Lb Length of the bristle-free section 8 [0121] Ls Length of the loop 9 [0122] Lw Length of one turn [0123] α Opening angle of the outer contour 10