Periodontal disease prevention device

Abstract

To provide a device for preventing periodontal disease, which aims to prevent periodontal disease by increasing the blood flow in the gums through brushing with a toothbrush, rectifying the tissue fluid produced in the gums and guiding it to the attached subepithelial connective tissue, and causing the tissue fluid to seep into the gingival sulcus through the gaps between attached epithelial cells, thereby generating a pseudo self-cleaning action of the gingival sulcus. [Solution] Using a motor for an arrow feather-shaped brush, the arrow feather-shaped brush is continuously rotated from the attached gum through the cervical area toward the gingival sulcus opening, with the product of the number of rows of brush bristles that make up the feather portion of the arrow feather-shaped brush 1 and the number of rotations per minute of the motor being in the range of 240 times per minute or less, and the rotating arrow feather-shaped brush is vibrated using a vibration motor 12.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention [Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for preventing periodontal disease by causing gingival tissue fluid to seep into the gingival sulcus. [Background technology]

[0002] The health of periodontal tissues is maintained by the actions of various receptors and the immune system in the junctional epithelium, which forms the boundary between the inside and outside of the body in the oral cavity, as well as the organic resistance of the junctional epithelium, which prevents bacteria and bacterial toxins in the gingival sulcus from invading or penetrating the body. Also, tissue fluid containing immune cells, immune substances, oxygen, etc. physiologically seeps from the subepithelial connective tissue through the gaps between the junctional epithelial cells into the gingival sulcus and becomes gingival crevicular fluid. Over time, bacteria, bacterial metabolic products, dead bacteria, dead white blood cells, toxins, etc. accumulate in the gingival sulcus and increase in concentration, reducing its bactericidal and antimicrobial effects. As the oxygen concentration decreases, the gingival crevicular fluid becomes stale. This fluid is then diluted with fresh tissue fluid that seeps out and discharged from the gingival sulcus, thereby cleaning the gingival sulcus and replacing the gingival crevicular fluid, constantly suppressing bacterial activity in the sulcus and preventing the accumulation of inflammatory substances. However, while organic defense in the junctional epithelium is achieved by inhibiting or preventing bacteria, inflammatory substances, etc. from invading or penetrating the body through the gaps between junctional epithelial cells from the gingival sulcus, defense through cleaning the gingival sulcus and replacing gingival crevicular fluid, the so-called gingival sulcus self-cleaning action, is achieved by tissue fluid, which acts as a carrier for carrying immune substances, etc., or as cleansing water, seeping into the gingival sulcus through the gaps between junctional epithelial cells.Therefore, the occurrence of these two actions is reciprocal, and under normal circumstances, when the junctional epithelium is healthy, the gingival sulcus self-cleaning action is not promoted. However, if the junctional epithelium is healthy and has high organic resistance, not allowing substances to pass through, the self-cleaning function of the gingival sulcus will not occur, and pathogens and toxins will increase in the gingival sulcus, eventually damaging the health of the junctional epithelium and causing periodontal disease.Therefore, it is thought that the body has a structure and physiological mechanism for periodontal tissue that allows large amounts of tissue fluid to functionally exude into the gingival sulcus in a short period of time when the junctional epithelium is healthy, and that chewing movements enable this to function. Therefore, if you can chew satisfying foods thoroughly at each meal, several times a day, an effective self-cleaning action of the gingival sulcus will occur, and it is thought that this will have a significant effect in protecting the health of the periodontal tissues.The correctness of this idea is shown by the fact that people who have the habit of chewing hard foods thoroughly have very good periodontal health.

[0003] If there is no inflammation or other abnormalities and the periodontal tissue is healthy, capillaries exhibit a roughly constant leakage rate, so that plasma components containing water leak into the tissue gaps in proportion to the blood flow rate, producing tissue fluid. Of the tissue fluid produced in the sessile subepithelial connective tissue, some seeps from the sessile subepithelial connective tissue through the gaps between the sessile epithelial cells into the gingival sulcus to become gingival crevicular fluid, and the other part is absorbed by the lymphatic capillaries in the sessile subepithelial connective tissue, and returns to the general circulatory system via lymphatic vessels and main lymphatic vessels. The connective tissue beneath such junctional epithelium contains a dense capillary network in close contact with the junctional epithelial basement membrane, nearly half of which are composed of fenestrated capillaries with high substance permeability. Blood is supplied to the tissue from two routes, the gums and the periodontal ligament, and at rest, the route from the gums is the main route (see non-patent documents 1 and 2). However, during chewing movements, a systemic reaction occurs in response to the exercise load, increasing cardiac output and the proportion of blood flow distributed to the jaw and oral tissues, and increasing the blood flow in the periodontal tissues, including the routes from the gums and periodontal ligament, promoting the production of tissue fluid beneath the junctional epithelium. On the other hand, it is well known empirically that massage using hands or devices promotes blood flow, and it has been clarified that when blood vessel walls are subjected to mechanical stress, shear stress occurs within the blood vessel walls, causing endothelial cells to produce NO (nitric oxide), a vasodilator, which expands the diameter of the blood vessels and increases blood flow (see non-patent literature 3, 4, 5, 6).Since the periodontal ligament is also subjected to intermittent pressure stimulation during chewing movements, it is thought that shear stress occurs within the blood vessel walls of the periodontal ligament, increasing blood flow to the periodontal ligament. At the same time, the produced tissue fluid is pumped into the periodontal cavity by a pumping action that occurs during chewing, with some of it being sent to the bone marrow and the other part being sent under the junctional epithelium, which is thought to result in a significant increase in the amount of tissue fluid under the junctional epithelium.The periodontal ligament is equipped with a unique mechanism that efficiently produces and sends out tissue fluid simultaneously, and chewing is thought to have the function of activating this mechanism. Therefore, chewing movements are thought to play a role in protecting the gums from bacterial infection by exuding fresh tissue fluid into the gingival sulcus, delivering immune cells, immune substances, oxygen, etc. to the gingival sulcus, and cleaning the gingival sulcus with tissue fluid several times a day after each meal, with some time between meals.

[0004] On the other hand, our current diet includes a lot of processed and cooked foods, which reduces the need for chewing and is thought to result in insufficient chewing activity. This in turn results in a small amount of tissue fluid seeping into the gingival sulcus due to meals, which in turn insufficiently facilitates the self-cleaning action of the gingival sulcus. Teeth, which are hard tissues, penetrate the gingival epithelium, which is soft tissue, exposing the crown of the tooth to the oral cavity. The boundary between the tooth and gingival epithelium is the only place in the body where the continuity of epithelial cells is interrupted, and the neck of the tooth is sealed by the junctional epithelium, setting a boundary between the inside and outside of the body and forming the first line of biological defense. However, the adhesion between the tooth and junctional epithelium is weak, and the intercellular spaces of the junctional epithelium are wider than those of other epithelia. Therefore, the junction between the tooth and junctional epithelium and the junctional epithelium itself can easily become a route for bacteria, bacterial toxins, etc. to enter or penetrate the body. When the integrity of the junctional epithelium is impaired and a periodontal pocket (gingival sulcus) is formed, the onset of periodontal disease begins. On the other hand, the periodontal tissues, including the junctional epithelium in the cervical region, which forms the boundary between hard and soft tissues, have organic and functional defense mechanisms to prevent this, protecting the periodontal tissues from bacteria and harmful substances from the outside world and maintaining healthy homeostasis of the periodontal tissues.However, for this to be fully effective, in addition to proper immune function, a microcirculatory system consisting of arterioles, capillaries, venules, and lymphatic capillaries, as well as a chewing exercise amount (exercise load * exercise duration) with an exercise load (masticatory force * number of chews / minute) and exercise time (minutes) that meets the biological demands of the cervical periodontal tissues, including the periodontal ligament, etc., are required. However, in the modern diet, people tend to have a lack of chewing movement due to the small amount of force required for chewing and the small number of times they chew.In addition, we live in an environment where the body's defense mechanisms are not fully effective, and as a result of the increasing longevity and aging of the population, and periodontal disease is a disease that is highly correlated with age, it can be said that modern people are more likely to suffer from periodontal disease during their lifetime.

[0005] Structure and function of junctional epithelium The junctional epithelium forms the boundary between the inside and outside of the body at the bottom of the gingival sulcus, inhibiting the influx of exogenous substances into the body, preventing unnecessary loss of internal substances from the body, allowing physiological seepage of tissue fluid into the gingival sulcus, and, together with the immune system, preventing the invasion of bacteria, thereby defending the body and maintaining homeostasis within the body.However, damage to the junctional epithelium can trigger the onset of periodontal disease and can also allow bacteria to enter the body, making the junctional epithelium an extremely important tissue in the prevention and treatment of periodontal disease, and in protecting the body.

[0006] Junctional epithelium is a non-keratinizing stratified squamous epithelium that lies beneath the bottom of the gingival sulcus and has a basal cell layer that attaches to the connective tissue beneath the junctional epithelium and a basal cell layer that attaches to the enamel. The uppermost part forms the bottom of the gingival sulcus and surrounds the cervical enamel in a band from the bottom of the sulcus to the position of the CEJ (cervical enamel joint), sealing the neck of the tooth. Even under normal conditions, the junctional epithelium has wide intercellular spaces, and migration of leukocytes is always observed within these spaces. These spaces serve as routes of migration, and leukocytes are also observed in the gingival sulcus. The intercellular spaces of the junctional epithelium function as a route for tissue fluid to seep into the gingival sulcus and as a route for the delivery of immune substances, so that the natural immune defense mechanism extends to the gingival sulcus (Non-Patent Documents 7, 8, 9). However, the tissue fluid itself can also serve as food for bacteria, and the wide intercellular spaces of the junctional epithelium easily serve as routes for bacteria and harmful substances to enter or penetrate the body, making these weak points in the biological defense mechanism of the junctional epithelium.

[0007] Between the connective tissue side basal cell layer and the enamel side basal cell layer are several cell layers consisting of junctional epithelial cells, and these cells as a whole maintain intercellular junctions and functional connectivity with the teeth as they migrate collectively toward the bottom of the gingival sulcus.Once they reach the bottom of the sulcus, they degenerate without keratinizing and gradually disappear. Furthermore, in junctional epithelium, the migration and disappearance of junctional epithelial cells that divide in the basal cell layer to the bottom of the gingival sulcus is repeated as described above, and turnover occurs at a faster rate than in other epithelia, and is even faster during inflammation (see Non-Patent Document 10). The rapid turnover of such junctional epithelium is thought to function to protect the body from infection by constantly growing and shedding, just like the epithelium of skin and mucous membranes, earwax, etc. The active metabolism of junctional epithelial cells is supported by the dense capillary network that is closely attached to the basement membrane of the junctional epithelium, and the capillaries that make up this network are distributed in areas where there is a high demand for material exchange between blood and tissue fluid through the vascular walls, such as the gastrointestinal mucosa, endocrine glands, and kidney glomeruli. Approximately half of the capillaries are fenestrated capillaries, which have small pores in the vascular walls and a high rate of leakage of plasma components from the vascular walls, and have the function of producing large amounts of tissue fluid (see non-patent documents 11 and 12). This is supported by the structure and function of tissues that produce a larger amount of tissue fluid than other tissues, and the produced tissue fluid plays an important role in the self-cleaning function of the gingival crevicular fluid as the main source of gingival crevicular fluid.

[0008] On the other hand, it has been reported that inflammation increases gingival crevicular fluid containing immune cells, immune substances, inflammatory substances, etc. (see Non-Patent Documents 13 and 14). In inflamed tissue, the permeability of venous blood vessels increases, causing an unphysiological increase in the leakage of plasma components, and the amount of tissue fluid increases, causing the tissue fluid pressure to rise, which in turn increases the pressure difference between the tissue fluid pressure in the inflamed tissue and the pressure in the gingival sulcus. Furthermore, inflammation causes the gaps between junctional epithelial cells to expand, reducing the flow resistance of tissue fluid within the junctional epithelium, making it easier for high-pressure tissue fluid to seep through the gaps between junctional epithelial cells, where flow resistance is reduced, into the gingival sulcus, where there is no pressure, and the amount of tissue fluid seeping into the gingival sulcus increases depending on the pathological condition.

[0009] Furthermore, inflammation increases the permeability of venous blood vessels, increasing the leakage of plasma components including water and increasing the amount of inflammatory tissue fluid. This increases the flow of tissue fluid within the gaps between junctional epithelial cells, and bacteria that have invaded the gaps between junctional epithelial cells, lysed leukocytes, lysed bacteria, etc., as well as bacterial toxins and inflammatory substances that have diffused or penetrated from the gingival sulcus, are carried along by the flow of tissue fluid and washed into the gingival sulcus, where they overflow and are expelled from the gaps between junctional epithelial cells and the gingival sulcus. In addition, the fluid environment around the junctional epithelial cells, such as the oxygen concentration and osmotic pressure, is normalized, and the amount of immune substances that reach the gaps between junctional epithelial cells increases, which is thought to normalize the cellular function of the junctional epithelium and increase immune resistance. Furthermore, the turnover of the junctional epithelium becomes faster, and the collective migration and disappearance of the junctional epithelial cells themselves toward the bottom of the gingival sulcus also proceeds quickly, while harmful substances are still contained within the junctional epithelium. This not only promotes their transport and excretion into the gingival sulcus, but is also expected to have the effect of suppressing bacteria that attempt to invade the body from the oral cavity through the gingival sulcus and the gaps between the junctional epithelial cells, as well as the penetration or diffusion of foreign substances into the body.

[0010] The increase in the amount of gingival crevicular fluid described above is a self-cleaning effect of the gingival crevicular cavity that is non-physiologically promoted by inflammation. It occurs inversely to the expansion of intercellular spaces in the junctional epithelium due to inflammation, which reduces organic resistance. It can be considered a functional defense mechanism that operates automatically to maintain homeostasis of the periodontal tissue, and is thought to act as a feedback control for inflammation by working to restore organic resistance in the early stages of inflammation.

[0011] On the other hand, in order to protect healthy periodontal tissues, it is important to sufficiently generate the physiological self-cleaning action of the gingival sulcus through chewing movements. An increase in tissue fluid itself increases the pressure of the tissue fluid within the tissue, and the movement of tissue fluid between tissues occurs due to the pressure difference between the tissue fluids of each tissue, with the pressure in the gingival sulcus being approximately zero, and it is thought that the seepage of tissue fluid into the gingival sulcus occurs based on the pressure difference between the pressure of the tissue fluid in the free gingiva and the pressure in the gingival sulcus (see non-patent document 15).Since it is thought that an increase in tissue fluid under the junction epithelium itself has the effect of promoting the seepage of tissue fluid into the gingival sulcus, it is thought that if there is an appropriate exercise load accompanied by a reaction from the general circulatory system and chewing exercise is performed for a sufficient exercise time (number of chews), a physiological self-cleaning effect of the gingival sulcus will occur, which will have the effect of protecting the health of the periodontal tissues. In addition, chewing movements generate intermittent tension in the periodontal ligaments, causing intermittent increases in tissue pressure, which increases the pressure of tissue fluid and promotes its seepage into the gingival sulcus. Swallowing also generates strong occlusal pressure, causing intermittent increases in tissue pressure, which forcibly pushes tissue fluid into the gingival sulcus and simultaneously generates negative pressure in the oral cavity, promoting the suction of gingival crevicular fluid into the oral cavity and promoting its replacement.

[0012] However, many books and magazines have stated that chewing has many beneficial effects, such as promoting the development of oral and maxillofacial tissues, promoting saliva secretion, assisting digestion, and promoting cerebral blood flow, as well as stabilizing the autonomic nervous system, stabilizing blood sugar levels, improving immunity, improving metabolism, suppressing appetite, and alleviating depressive symptoms. It has also been noted that chewing has a preventative effect on periodontal disease. However, these also include many indirect effects, and the preventative effect on periodontal disease is a secondary effect of saliva secretion, such as the cleansing effect of the oral mucosa caused by promoting saliva secretion and the suppression of oral bacteria by the antibacterial effects of saliva components. It has not been stated that chewing movements directly protect the health of periodontal tissues by causing the self-cleaning action of the gingival sulcus. Furthermore, there has been little perspective on chewing as a chewing movement.

[0013] Similarly, as the trend towards softer foods continues, and the number of children who cannot chew hard foods or who are picky eaters who refuse to eat hard foods increases, the need to improve chewing ability has been pointed out, and chewing training gum has been provided.However, while the instructions for the gum state that chewing gum promotes saliva secretion and provides the beneficial effects of saliva, and that it has the effect of improving chewing power, they do not state that chewing movement has the function of causing the gingival sulcus to self-clean.

[0014] Furthermore, it was well known that people who have the habit of chewing hard foods well have much healthier periodontal tissues, but the causal relationship between chewing habits and the health of periodontal tissues has not been scientifically explained.

[0015] Furthermore, although the existence of a self-cleaning effect of the gingival sulcus has long been known, the mechanism by which this occurs has not been fully elucidated. It is well known that brushing increases blood flow to the gums (see Non-Patent Documents 16 and 17), that using an electric toothbrush increases blood flow to the gums, and that tissue fluid is produced in proportion to blood flow. However, conventional electric toothbrushes did not have the function to guide the tissue fluid produced in the gums beneath the junctional epithelium and cause it to seep out from beneath the junctional epithelium into the gingival sulcus. In addition, the effect of increasing blood flow due to massage was thought to be the promotion of peripheral circulation or the promotion of cell metabolism.

[0016] In contrast to this, the present invention aims to prevent periodontal disease by utilizing the structure and function of periodontal tissues through artificial brushing to create a pseudo-self-cleaning effect on the gingival sulcus. However, artificial brushing does not involve the systemic circulatory response that accompanies chewing movements, and there is no increase in blood flow to the periodontal tissues due to increased cardiac output or increased distribution of blood flow to the oral and maxillofacial tissues, and the function of the periodontal ligament that accompanies chewing movements cannot be utilized. Therefore, in order to artificially replace part of the function of chewing movements and create a pseudo-self-cleaning effect on the gingival sulcus, it was necessary to equip the brushing device with the following functions: a) Increase blood flow to the gums as much as possible b) Collecting tissue fluid produced in the gums and directing it under the junctional epithelium of the dental cervix c) The tissue fluid induced under the junctional epithelium is exuded into the gingival sulcus through the gaps between the junctional epithelial cells. d) Increased blood flow, production of tissue fluid, induction of tissue fluid under the junctional epithelium, and delivery of the induced tissue fluid through the gaps between the junctional epithelial cells to the gingival sulcus are repeated continuously.

[0017] Meanwhile, an electric toothbrush has already been proposed that massages the gums by continuously rotating an arrowhead-shaped brush in one direction. This electric toothbrush is capable of exerting an effect on the arterioles, venules, lymphatic capillaries, etc. of the gums by applying intermittent pressure stimulation within a biologically physiological frequency range of 6 to 700 times per minute (see Patent Document 1). However, with this electric toothbrush, the magnitude of the effect on the lymphatic, venous, and arterial systems varies depending on the frequency of the intermittent pressure stimulation, even when the applied pressure of the brush is the same. In the low-frequency range within the physiological frequency range, the effect on the venous and lymphatic systems is relatively greater than that on the arterial system, and the rectification-inducing effect on extracellular fluid is relatively greater. On the other hand, in the high-frequency range within the physiological frequency range, the effect on the arterial system is greater than that on the venous and lymphatic systems, and the increase in blood flow is relatively greater. For this reason, by changing the frequency of intermittent pressure stimulation to the gums within a physiological range, the electric toothbrush was able to freely select and adjust whether to increase the rectifying effect on tissue fluid (extracellular fluid) or to increase the effect on the arteriolar walls and thereby increase blood flow. However, the manifestation of these effects was a trade-off depending on the frequency of the intermittent pressure stimulation, and it was not possible to simultaneously achieve the most effective blood flow increasing effect of the electric toothbrush and the most effective tissue fluid rectifying effect of the electric toothbrush.

[0018] On the other hand, a vibration device with the effect of increasing blood flow in the gums has been proposed (see Patent Document 2), which was able to increase blood flow by stimulating the gums with vibrations, but it did not have the function of guiding tissue fluid under the attached epithelium and causing it to seep into the gingival sulcus. [Prior art documents]

[0019] [Non-Patent Document 1] Takahashi, T., Yokochi, C., Takahashi, K. Three-dimensional observation of the ultrastructure beneath the inner gingival epithelium. Journal of Dental Basics 1977;19:241-263. [Non-patent document 2] Masato Matsuo, Kazuto Takahashi. Three-dimensional observation of the periodontal ligament surface, II. The buffering mechanism between the periodontal ligament and the tooth. The Quintessence, 1991;10(2):7-15. [Non-patent document 3] Furchgott,RF& Zawadzki,JVThe obligatory role of endothelial cells in the relaxation of arterial smooth muscle by acetylcheline.Nature1980;288(5789):373-376. [Non-patent document 4] Ignarro, LJ, Buga, GM, Wood, KS, Byrns, RE, & Chaudhuri, G. Endothelium-derived relaxing factor produced and released from artery and vein is nitric oxide. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 1987;84(24):9265-9269. [Non-Patent Document 5] Snow HM, McAuliffe SJ, Moors JA, Brounlie R. The relationship between blood flow and diameter in the iliac artery of the anaesthetized dog; the role of endothelium-derived relaxing factor and shear stress. Exp Physiol 1994;79(5):635-45. [Non-patent document 6] F Markos,BA Hennessy et al.Revers arterial wall shear stress caused nitric oxide-dependent vasodilation in the anaesthetized dog.Pflugers Arch 2002;445(1):51-4. [Non-Patent Document 7] DDBosshartdt and NPLang.The Junctional Epithelium:from health to Disease.Journal of dental research 2005;84(1):9-20. [Non-patent document 8] Shimono, M. Structure and function of gingival epithelium from the viewpoint of intercellular junctional apparatus. Journal of the Japanese Dental Association. 1983;36(9):24-33. [Non-Patent Document 9] Rolf Attstrom.Presence of leukocytes in crevices of healthy and chronically inflamed gingivae.Journal of periodontal research 1970;5(1):42-47. [Non-Patent Document 10] Skougaad M.Turnover of the gingival epithelium in marmosets.Acta Odontol Scand 1965;23:623-643. [Non-Patent Document 11] Higashi Tatehiko and Kamiya Ryou (eds.). Microcirculation. Ultrastructure of capillaries. Corona Publishing. 1983; 24-37. [Non-Patent Document 12] Yoshiaki Kishi, Kazuto Takahashi. Three-dimensional observation of capillaries in the oral mucosa IV. Inner gingival epithelium. Journal of Basic Dentistry 1978;20:406-420. [Non-Patent Document 13] HJRUDIN / HFOVERDIEK / KHRATEITSCHAK.Correlation between Sulcus Fluid Rate and Clinical and Histological Inflammation of the Marginal Gingiva.Helvetica Odontologica Acta.1970;14(1):21-26.

Outdoor Tools 14

Outdoor Tools 15

Outdoor Content 16

Outdoor Track 17

[0020] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6052377 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 7428311 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0021] Since chewing force not only affects the microcirculatory system of periodontal tissues, but also influences the metabolism of various cells, including bone cells, and various receptors, it is not believed that the health of periodontal tissues can truly be protected solely by the self-cleaning action of an artificial, pseudo-gingival sulcus, which does not generate chewing force.However, it is believed that the effect of suppressing bacterial infection in the gingival sulcus, preventing the onset of periodontal disease, and maintaining the health of periodontal tissues is significant. The objective of this invention is to develop a device for preventing periodontal disease that significantly increases blood flow in the gums through brushing with a toothbrush, rectifies the flow of tissue fluid produced in the gums, guides it to the junctional subepithelial connective tissue, and allows it to seep into the gingival sulcus through the gaps between the junctional epithelial cells, thereby generating a pseudo-self-cleaning effect of the gingival sulcus. [Means for solving the problem]

[0022] The electric toothbrush in Patent Document 1 is capable of simultaneously increasing blood flow in the gums and rectifying the flow of tissue fluid, but because these actions occur in opposition to each other depending on the frequency of the intermittent pressure stimulation, it is not possible to simultaneously achieve the maximum effect of these two actions with the electric toothbrush. On the other hand, although the device in Patent Document 2 has the function of increasing blood flow in the gums, it does not have a brush, and it does not have the function of rectifying and inducing tissue fluid to collect under the junction epithelium and exude it into the gingival sulcus. In this invention, a motor for an arrow-shaped brush is used to continuously rotate the arrow-shaped brush from the attached gum, through the cervical area, toward the opening of the gingival sulcus, within a range where the product of the number of rows of brush bristles, which are the blades of the arrow-shaped brush and are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the shaft, and the number of rotations per minute of the motor is 240 revolutions per minute or less (the general value of the maximum heart rate, which is considered to be the maximum frequency of physiologically occurring periodic pressure fluctuations in the human body), and the rotating arrow-shaped brush is vibrated by a vibration motor. Since the frequency of the intermittent pressure stimulation by the arrow-shaped brush is lower than the maximum heart rate (which is thought to be about 240 beats per minute), which is the maximum frequency of periodic pressure fluctuations that occur physiologically in the human body, it is clear that the vascular wall compressed by the blades of the rotating arrow-shaped brush can return to its original position before being compressed by the next blade of the arrow-shaped brush, and there is an advantage in that the application of the rotating arrow-shaped brush does not cause circulatory disorders due to the blood vessels being substantially continuously compressed. Furthermore, although the working surface of the brush, which is formed by the connected tips of the brush bristles, can be flat, it is also possible for the working surface of the brush to be concave in the center in the vertical direction, which is the length of the brush, and convex in the center in the horizontal direction, which is the width of the brush. [Effects of the Invention]

[0023] The present invention aims to increase blood flow in the gums by simultaneously applying to the gums intermittent pressure stimulation using an arrow feather-shaped brush, which intermittently presses on the blood vessels in the stimulated area, causing large deformations in the blood vessel walls and thereby generating relatively large shear stress in the blood vessel walls, and vibration stimulation using a vibration motor, which does not cause large deformations in the blood vessel walls but has a high vibration frequency, causing microscopic mechanical stress on the blood vessel walls, including the arterioles, throughout the gums to which the vibration stimulation is transmitted.As a result, the nature of the mechanical stress that generates the blood flow increasing effect is different, and it is possible to expect a synergistic or additive effect of the blood flow increasing effects of each stimuli.

[0024] In the present invention, the rotation speed of the arrow feather-shaped brush is relatively slow, the movement speed of the brush bristles, which are the feathers of the arrow feathers, on the gums is physiological and relatively slow, and the brush bristles are elastic, so that they have a rectifying and discharging effect on extracellular fluid, and can guide the tissue fluid generated in the attached gingiva to under the attached epithelium, and cause the tissue fluid present under the attached epithelium to seep into the gingival sulcus through the gaps between the attached epithelial cells.

[0025] In the present invention, the relatively slow rotational movement of the vibrating arrowhead brush from the attached gingiva toward the opening of the gingival sulcus can efficiently promote the production of tissue fluid and its delivery to the gingival sulcus.By causing the tissue fluid to seep into the gingival sulcus and creating a pseudo-self-cleaning effect of the gingival sulcus, it is expected that the effect of preventing periodontal disease can be achieved.

[0026] In this embodiment, there are three rows of brush bristles, which are the feather-shaped brush blades, and each acts as a brush.The working surface of the brush is concave with a recess in the center in the longitudinal direction, so when the brush is applied horizontally to the gums, the contact pressure at both ends of the brush is greater than the contact pressure at the center of the brush, and the tissue fluid at both ends of the brush can be collected in the center of the brush during rotational vibration. Since the tissue fluid is collected in the center of the brush, the amount of tissue fluid delivered to the gingival sulcus is greater in the center, the pressure of the tissue fluid as it seeps into the gingival sulcus is greater in the center, and the force that expels existing gingival crevicular fluid is greater, which is expected to have the effect of promoting the replacement of gingival crevicular fluid.

[0027] The central part of the brush's working surface in the short axis direction is high, and the tip is rounded and convex, so the contact with the gums caused by the rotation of the arrow-shaped brush is soft, allowing for rheologically smooth pressure and the straightening and guiding of tissue fluid. The feather-shaped brush of the above configuration makes it possible to smoothly deliver fresh tissue fluid to the gingival sulcus and gently discharge previously released gingival crevicular fluid out of the gingival sulcus.

[0028] Preventing periodontal disease through plaque control required a great deal of time and effort to remove plaque, but even so, it was nearly impossible to completely remove it, and using plaque control alone as a means of preventing periodontal disease was extremely inefficient. The present invention has the effect of enhancing the body's defense capabilities, and when used in combination with plaque control, a synergistic effect is created between the effect of enhancing the body's defense capabilities and the effect of reducing pathogens by removing them, making it possible to expect early improvement of periodontal disease and significant prevention of periodontal disease, and to expect the effect of increasing the efficiency of periodontal disease prevention and reducing the effort required.

[0029] Periodontal disease is highly correlated with age, and with the global trend toward longer life expectancies, aging, and softer diets, preventing periodontal disease is considered an urgent issue facing humanity. As the number of patients increases, there are concerns that medical costs will rise in the future. On the other hand, prevention is a better medical practice than cure, and the present invention can contribute to both individuals and society by maintaining the quality of life of individuals and curbing rising medical costs.

[0030] The present invention utilizes the structure and function of periodontal tissues to enhance their own defenses and enable them to prevent bacterial infection, and is therefore of great health value.It is a method of preventing periodontal disease that artificially compensates for the self-cleaning effect of the gingival sulcus, which is lost as humans become human and the amount of chewing movement caused by eating decreases, using biologically compatible physiological means, and is also expected to have the effect of activating the metabolism and function of periodontal tissues.

[0031] By making daily use of the present invention a daily habit, it is highly likely that a pseudo-gingival sulcus self-cleaning effect will be unconsciously applied at an early stage in the onset of periodontal disease; it is highly likely that the increased functional defense power caused by the early inflammatory biological reaction and the pseudo-gingival sulcus self-cleaning effect will act simultaneously; this synergistic effect will enhance the effect of returning periodontal tissues to normal, increase the organic resistance of the junctional epithelium, and can be expected to have the effect of suppressing the onset of periodontal disease early.

[0032] The present invention physiologically considers the mechanism by which the self-cleaning action of the gingival sulcus occurs, recognizes the importance of tissue fluid seeping into the gingival sulcus in maintaining gum health, and infers that after tissue fluid seeps into the gingival sulcus, the gingival crevicular fluid becomes stale over time and its bactericidal and antibacterial properties decrease, and that chewing movements play a role in restoring this, but that the self-cleaning action of the gingival sulcus caused by chewing movements that occur when humans eat is insufficient with the chewing movements that occur when modern people eat, and has thereby been able to identify the problem. However, there has been little physiological knowledge about the direct relationship between chewing movement and gum health through the self-cleaning action of the gingival sulcus, and there has been a lack of awareness of the importance of this self-cleaning action of the gingival sulcus. The present invention recognizes that preventing periodontal disease is one of the most pressing issues facing humanity, and that the cause of this is a lack of chewing movement. Based on this, the present inventors have learned about the structure and function of periodontal tissues, considered mastication as a chewing movement, and physiologically inferred the mechanism by which chewing movement produces a self-cleaning effect in the gingival sulcus. This has led to the idea of ​​utilizing the structure and function of periodontal tissues to produce a pseudo-self-cleaning effect in the gingival sulcus as a means of preventing periodontal disease. Furthermore, in order to produce a pseudo-self-cleaning effect in the gingival sulcus using a brush, it is necessary to simultaneously produce as large an increase in blood flow as possible and an effect of inducing a rectification of tissue fluid; these are effects that occur in a trade-off relationship depending on the frequency of the intermittent pressure stimulation, and by recognizing that solving this problem was a technical challenge, it was possible to come up with the idea of ​​combining brushing with relatively low-frequency intermittent pressure stimulation, which has both the effect of increasing blood flow and the effect of inducing a rectification of tissue fluid, with vibration stimulation, which has a large blood flow-increasing effect.This invention is not a simple combination of the inventions of Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, but is conceptually different from conventional methods of preventing periodontal disease, and its means, action, and effect are qualitatively different.

[0033] As society ages, the number of people requiring care or with poor oral function is increasing, and the number of people who must consume soft or liquid foods is also increasing. As a result, the oral environment is extremely poor, but care is not available sufficiently, and many deaths from pneumonia in the elderly are due to aspiration pneumonia caused by poor oral hygiene. In addition to the general cleaning effect of a brush on tooth surfaces, this invention is also excellent at cleaning the gingival sulcus at the junctions between teeth, which is a common site for periodontal disease. It also utilizes the structure and function of periodontal tissue to physiologically compensate for the self-cleaning function of the gingival sulcus, which is significantly reduced in those requiring care or those with weak oral function, thereby enhancing the body's defenses. The brush is covered, which protects the tongue and oral mucosa, making it safe. It is also easy for caregivers to operate and apply to those requiring care. Therefore, it can be expected to efficiently help improve the oral hygiene environment and the body's defenses in those requiring care or those with weak oral function, and to have the effect of preventing periodontal disease and aspiration pneumonia. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0034] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view of a device for preventing periodontal disease according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the same.

[0036] [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a side view of the same.

[0037] [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of the device body installed inside the outer cylinder and the feather-shaped brush (1) attached to the shaft outside the outer cylinder.

[0038] [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an electric circuit including a feather-shaped brush motor control circuit section (15), a vibration motor control circuit section (16), and a power supply section (14). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0039] In this embodiment, the brush bristles are planted vertically on the bristle surface of the brush, which is parallel to the side of the shaft (8), and the rows of bristles are arranged parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft at 120-degree intervals. A hollow arrow-shaped brush (1) having three rows of bristles is attached to the shaft (8), which is connected to the arrow-shaped brush motor (11) by a flexible joint (10), and rotates it. The arrow-shaped brush motor control circuit section (15) incorporates a reverse link switch (4) that also serves as a manual power switch to change the electrical polarity and change the direction of rotation, and a variable resistor (3) with a manual slide switch, which allows control of the direction of rotation and stepless control of the rotation speed of the arrow-shaped brush, which has three rows of bristles, in the range of 80 / min to 0 / min. A protective cover (2) for covering the feather-shaped brush (1) is attached to the neck of the outer tube (5) that houses the device body, preventing the brush from coming into contact with the cheek mucosa or tongue.

[0040] The vibration motor (12) is installed below the feather-shaped brush motor (11) inside an outer tube (5) whose gripping portion below the neck is covered with soft resin, and an electrical circuit section (13) consisting of an feather-shaped motor control circuit section (15) and a vibration motor control circuit section (16) is installed below the vibration motor, and a power supply section (14) consisting of a battery installed below that supplies power to the vibration motor control circuit section (16) and the feather-shaped brush motor control circuit section (15).

[0041] The operation of the device configured as above will now be described. The motor control circuit section (15) for the arrow-shaped brush and the vibration motor control circuit section (16) share the battery (14) as a power source, but each can be controlled independently, and it is possible to perform the functions of conventional devices by operating only the arrow-shaped brush. However, the present invention uses the continuous unidirectional rotational motion of the feather-shaped brush (1) to apply intermittent pressure stimuli to the periodontal tissue at a frequency of approximately 240 / min or less, which is the maximum frequency of physiological pressure fluctuations that occur in the human body, and is capable of simultaneously increasing blood flow and rectifying the tissue fluid.In addition, the feather-shaped brush (1) can be vibrated while rotating by the vibration motor (12), which makes it possible to simultaneously increase blood flow in the periodontal tissue and induce rectification of the tissue fluid.

[0042] The arrow-shaped brush (1) is capable of a relatively slow, continuous rotational movement in one direction accompanied by vibration from the gingival junction toward the crown of the tooth. This allows the peristaltic pump-like action of the brush to rectify the tissue fluid produced in the gums due to increased blood flow, guide it under the junctional epithelium, and allow it to continuously seep into the gingival sulcus through the gaps between the junctional epithelial cells. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 1. Arrow feather brush 2.Protective cover 3. Arrow feather brush control circuit / variable resistor 4. Reverse interlock switch (also power switch) 5. Outer cylinder 6. Vibration motor control circuit / variable resistor 7. Vibration motor control circuit / power switch 8. Shaft 9. Bearings 10. Flexible joint 11. Arrow feather brush motor 12. Vibration motor 13. Electrical circuit section (excluding the arrow-shaped brush control circuit section and vibration motor control circuit section / power supply section) 14. Power supply (battery) 15. Arrow feather brush control circuit 16. Vibration motor control circuit

Claims

[Claim 1] a vibration motor that controls the vibration intensity of the vibration motor and the ON / OFF state of the power supply; a vibration motor that controls the rotation direction and speed of the feather-shaped brush motor; a vibration motor control circuit that controls the vibration intensity and the ON / OFF state of the power supply; a main device consisting of a power supply unit (battery); and an outer cylinder that houses the main device and has a protective cover attached to the neck and a gripping portion coated with soft resin, and the product of the number of bristle rows and the number of rotations per minute of the feather-shaped brush that rotates continuously in the same direction by the feather-shaped brush motor is 240 / min or less, and a device for preventing periodontal disease characterized by applying vibration to the rotating feather-shaped brush using a vibration motor.

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