Cellulose Cleaning Bodies for Gentle Tooth Enamel Protection

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing oral and dental care products with silicate or silica gel particles are harsh on tooth enamel and fail to effectively clean hard-to-reach areas, leading to inadequate removal of plaque and potential long-term carious defects.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating fine-grained, water-insoluble cellulose cleaning bodies with a spherical, smooth surface and adjustable hardness into a toothpaste to gently remove plaque from teeth without damaging enamel, allowing for effective cleaning in narrow spaces and under the gum line.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If silicate or silica gel particles are used as cleaning agents, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but tooth enamel is attacked strongly due to high abrasion value

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning effectivenessVSAvoidtooth enamel abrasion
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the material parameter from silicate/silica gel to cellulose, which fundamentally alters the hardness and abrasion characteristics while maintaining cleaning effectiveness through the paste formulation and application mechanism

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent uses biodegradable cellulose cleaning bodies that are designed to be gentle and non-damaging, replacing the durable but harmful silicate particles with naturally degradable alternatives that minimize long-term enamel damage

Inventive Principle:
Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

2Productivity

If conventional toothpaste is used, then general tooth cleaning is achieved, but hard-to-reach areas such as surfaces with multi-band appliances or contact points between teeth are cleaned inadequately

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegeneral cleaning coverageVSAvoidplaque accumulation in hard-to-reach areas
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates cleaning bodies with specific local properties - spherical shape with controlled size (200-600 μm diameter) that enables them to penetrate into narrow spaces and hard-to-reach areas between teeth and around appliances, providing localized cleaning where conventional paste fails

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent employs spherical cleaning bodies instead of angular particles, allowing the rounded shapes to roll into and clean narrow interstitial spaces, contact points between teeth, and areas around orthodontic appliances that flat or angular particles cannot access

Inventive Principle:
Principle #14Spheroidality (Curvature)

3Productivity

If cleaning bodies with high hardness are used, then cleaning power is improved, but damage to tooth enamel or dentin occurs when tooth necks are exposed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecleaning powerVSAvoiddamage to exposed tooth necks
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent fundamentally changes the hardness parameter of cleaning bodies by selecting cellulose with controlled properties, creating cleaning agents that are soft enough not to damage exposed tooth necks yet effective at removing plaque through mechanical action in the paste formulation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

The cellulose cleaning bodies provide a gentle and effective cleaning solution for hard-to-reach areas, minimizing enamel abrasion and ensuring the active ingredients reach the teeth and gums, while being non-toxic and biodegradable, thus preventing caries and maintaining tooth health.

Implementation Method 1

The cleaning agents, which act as abrasives, are primarily intended to combat the formation of plaque on the teeth

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectAbrasion: Abrasion

Implementation Method 2

The cleaning bodies driven by the bristles of a toothbrush impart thrust and rotation bodies to adjacent cleaning bodies in the manner of a friction wheel transmission

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectRolling motion: Ball

Data Source

PatentEP2893957B1Oral and tooth care and tooth cleaning agent
Publication Date: 2018.07.11 DR RUDOLF LIEBE NACHFOLGER
  • EP2893957B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2893957B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The invention relates to an oral and dental care and tooth cleaning agent in the form of a paste with an addition of fine-grained, water-insoluble cleaning agents (28). According to the invention, these cleaning agents (28) consist of cellulose.