Tooth Mobility Sensor for Infant Dental Extraction Timing

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Solution Overview

Problem

Parents face challenges in determining the optimal timing for extracting primary teeth to make room for permanent teeth, as normal tooth mobility can be misinterpreted, leading to potential bleeding, infection, or malocclusion, and waiting too long can cause discomfort and infection risks.

Innovation Solution

An oral care device with a processing arrangement that assesses tooth mobility using sensors and algorithms to provide recommendations on whether to extract a tooth, when to extract, and how to check for permanent tooth emergence, using sensing data and user inputs to guide parents on synchronization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If parents manually assess tooth mobility to determine extraction timing, then they can identify potential tooth readiness, but they may mistake normal physiological mobility as an extraction indicator, leading to premature extraction

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetooth mobility assessment accuracyVSAvoidextraction timing decision reliability

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an oral care device with sensors as an intermediary between the parent and the tooth mobility assessment. The device objectively measures tooth mobility parameters and provides processed information to parents, eliminating the subjective misinterpretation of normal physiological mobility while maintaining accurate detection of extraction-ready teeth.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the manual mechanical assessment of tooth mobility by parents with an automated sensing system. The oral care device uses sensors to detect and quantify tooth mobility parameters, substituting human judgment with objective mechanical measurement to improve assessment accuracy and prevent premature extraction decisions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If parents wait for clear signs of tooth readiness before extraction, then extraction safety increases, but the permanent tooth emergence may be delayed, causing discomfort and infection risks

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveextraction safetyVSAvoiddelay in permanent tooth emergence

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the oral care device continuously monitors tooth mobility parameters and provides ongoing information to parents about extraction readiness. This allows parents to make timely extraction decisions based on objective data, balancing safety requirements with the need for timely permanent tooth emergence, thereby reducing delays and associated risks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Productivity

If premature extraction is performed, then space is made for permanent tooth, but complications such as bleeding, infection, and malocclusion may occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvespace creation for permanent toothVSAvoidbleeding, infection, and malocclusion risks

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent enables preliminary assessment of tooth extraction readiness through the oral care device's mobility detection capabilities. By providing advance objective information about tooth mobility status, the system allows parents to time the extraction optimally - not too early to avoid complications, and not too late to ensure space availability for permanent tooth emergence.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS20250009490A1Permanent tooth emergence assessment

Publication Date: 2025.01.09 KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS NV

AI summary

A processing arrangement and method for providing guidance in relation to permanent tooth emergence of an infant. Embodiments propose to process an obtained indicator of tooth mobility of a primary (infant) tooth with a pre-determined algorithm or decision tool, and generate a prompt relating to possible adult tooth emergence dependent upon an outcome of the algorithm or decision tool. The prompt may be a recommendation to check for adult tooth emergence at a site of the relevant tooth. The prompt may be a prediction or estimate of a permanent tooth emergence status.