Curved Dental Impression Device for Interdental Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing tooth cleaning devices inadequately clean crevices between teeth and gingival pockets, often requiring complex designs or electric power, and fail to effectively remove bacterial plaque and food particles, leading to issues like cavities and periodontosis.
Innovation Solution
A tooth cleaning device with a curved carrier body and resilient, plastically deformable dental impression material applied to its upper and bottom sides, featuring centering projections to ensure a centric bite, allowing a cleaning fluid with abrasive particles to be pressed through crevices between teeth and gingival pockets for effective mechanical detachment of debris.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional tooth cleaning devices (tooth brushes, dental floss, inter-dental brushes) are used, then the cleaning process is simple and does not require electric power, but they cannot effectively clean crevices between teeth and gingival pockets
Solution Approach 1:
The device segments the cleaning function by using multiple jets positioned at different locations and angles to target specific areas (occlusal surfaces, sides, and crevices of teeth), allowing effective cleaning of hard-to-reach areas while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure
Solution Approach 2:
The device adds spatial dimensionality to cleaning by incorporating jets that spray from multiple directions (onto sides and occlusal surfaces) rather than relying on linear brushing motion, enabling coverage of crevices and gingival pockets without complex mechanical mechanisms
2Reliability
If devices capable of cleaning crevices between teeth are designed, then cleaning effectiveness improves, but the devices become complex and may require electric power supply
Solution Approach 1:
The device enables self-service cleaning by allowing the user to manually press cleaning fluid through the device using tongue or cheek muscle movements, eliminating the need for external power sources while achieving effective cleaning through user-generated pressure
Solution Approach 2:
The device uses hydraulic pressure generated by the user (pressing cleaning fluid through crevices) to achieve cleaning without mechanical motors or electric power, converting human bodily pressure into effective cleaning force through fluid dynamics
3Reliability
If dental impression material is applied in low height to cover only occlusal surfaces, then the device structure remains simple, but crevices between teeth remain uncovered and cannot be cleaned
Solution Approach 1:
The device uses dynamics by allowing the dental impression material to be plastically deformed under bite pressure, enabling it to dynamically adapt and cover crevices between teeth that were not covered in the static low-height application, while maintaining simple material application procedures
Solution Approach 2:
The device changes the physical state parameter of the dental impression material from rigid to plastically deformable under pressure, allowing it to flow into and cover crevices between teeth when bitten, thereby expanding coverage without increasing initial material application complexity
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 device provides a simple, cost-effective means to thoroughly clean crevices between teeth and gingival pockets, preventing plaque buildup and promoting oral hygiene, suitable for regular use to maintain healthy teeth and gums, even for individuals with periodontosis or breath odor issues.
Implementation Method 1
a resilient, plastically deformable dental impression material applied to the upper side and the bottom side of the carrier body
Implementation Method 2
at least two centering projections on the upper side of the carrier body in a central region of the carrier body, wherein the centering projections extend from the upper side of the carrier body and run parallel to each other; and at least one centering projection on the bottom side of the carrier body positioned offset with respect to the centering projections on the upper side of the carrier body
Implementation Method 3
allowing a cleaning fluid with abrasive particles to be pressed through crevices between teeth and gingival pockets for effective mechanical detachment of debris
Implementation Method 4
a cleaning fluid with abrasive particles to be pressed through crevices
Data Source
AI summary
A tooth cleaning device for the specific cleaning of crevices between teeth and gingival pockets having a curved carrier body in the shape of a jaw and a resilient, curable dental impression material, which is applied on both sides of the carrier body. The impression material is applied at a low height such that, during use, only the occlusal surfaces of teeth submerge into the dental impression material, while the crevices between teeth are largely free from the dental impression material. The carrier body has at least one, preferably a plurality of centering projections, which ensure that the tooth cleaning device is inserted in a centric position of the jaw. The device forms a barrier between the actual oral cavity (cavum oris proprium) and the oral vestibule, that is, the space between the lips/cheeks and row of teeth (vestibulum oris). In view of this barrier, the crevices between teeth present the only passage through which a cleaning fluid can be pressed by moving the tongue and/or cheek muscle.