Ring Dental Care Device With Counter-Oriented Teeth
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing animal dental care devices are inefficient in removing plaque and tartar due to limited surface area abrading (ASA) and often require manual handling, which can be dangerous and unpleasant for both the animal and the owner, especially for larger or more aggressive animals.
Innovation Solution
A ring-shaped dental care device made from pliable yet durable materials with counter-oriented teeth on both surfaces, designed to be bitten and rotated to maximize mechanical cleaning action, allowing for efficient removal of plaque and tartar across various biting configurations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual tooth brushing is performed on large or dangerous animals, then dental cleaning can be achieved, but the procedure requires heavy sedation or anesthesia which is potentially dangerous to the animal
Solution Approach 1:
The device allows the animal to perform its own dental cleaning by chewing on the ring structure with protrusions that scrape plaque and tartar from teeth surfaces. The animal's natural chewing motion activates the cleaning function without requiring manual intervention, sedation, or anesthesia, thereby eliminating safety risks associated with heavy sedation while effectively cleaning hard-to-reach tooth surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The dental care ring serves as an intermediary tool between the animal and the cleaning action. Rather than direct manual brushing, the ring with its protrusions mediates the cleaning process by translating the animal's chewing motion into effective plaque removal from various tooth surfaces including occlusal, buccal, and lingual surfaces.
2Productivity
If traditional flossing devices with tassel ends are used, then some cleaning action is provided, but the abrading surface area is minimal and cleaning effectiveness is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The invention transitions from linear flossing strands to a three-dimensional ring structure with protrusions extending in multiple directions. This dimensional change creates numerous contact points and significantly increases the abrading surface area, allowing simultaneous cleaning of multiple tooth surfaces including occlusal, buccal, and lingual surfaces, thereby dramatically improving cleaning effectiveness compared to traditional tassel-end flossing devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The ring structure is segmented into multiple protrusions distributed around the ring's circumference. Each protrusion acts as an independent cleaning element that contacts different tooth surfaces during chewing. This segmentation increases the total abrading surface area and distributes the cleaning action across multiple points, enhancing overall cleaning effectiveness compared to aggregated tassel strands.
3Productivity
If spike-covered chewing devices are used, then plaque removal is attempted, but the sharpness of spikes irritates gingival tissue and limits where the device can be placed in the mouth
Solution Approach 1:
The protrusions are strategically designed with specific local qualities: they have cleaning surfaces oriented to contact tooth surfaces while avoiding soft tissue. The geometry and orientation of each protrusion are optimized to concentrate cleaning action on hard tooth surfaces (occlusal, buccal, lingual) while minimizing contact with gingival tissue, thereby maintaining effective plaque removal without causing tissue irritation.
Solution Approach 2:
The protrusions are designed with asymmetric geometry where the cleaning surfaces are positioned and oriented to preferentially contact tooth surfaces rather than soft tissue. This asymmetric design allows the device to be placed in various positions within the mouth (between flews, cheeks, and against teeth) while maintaining effective plaque removal on hard surfaces without irritating gingival tissue, overcoming the limitation of symmetric spike designs.
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 an effective mechanical cleaning action that can be enhanced by the owner's tension and rotation, ensuring thorough plaque and tartar removal without irritating the animal's sensitive tissues, promoting proactive dental care and reducing the need for frequent veterinary services.
Implementation Method 1
The teeth are disposed onto adjacent annuli in counter oriented fashion forming channels between proximate teeth... allowing the animal's teeth to pass over the ring's outer and inner surfaces within the channels... enabling the ring's teeth to abrade the animal's teeth and remove accumulated plaque and tartar
Data Source
AI summary
An animal dental care device and method. The device is a ring with inner and outer surfaces on each of which are disposed pluralities of teeth oriented to create channels. When used to care for an animal's dentition, the device is introduced to the animal, causing the animal to bite the device and engage its dentition onto the device's pluralities of teeth. The device is pulled and rotated, causing the animal to release and re-bite the device, playfully reengaging its dentition onto the teeth of the device, the device's teeth efficiently removing plaque and tartar buildup from the animal's dentition.