There are hundreds of different shapes and sizes of what the industry refers to as “Dental Picks” or “Floss Picks” (hereinafter, “dental picks”). These devices consist of a small hand held single piece of plastic with a “U” or semi-circular head that has a piece of dental floss strung between the open ends of the “U”. These devices are used to floss between the teeth while being held between the fingers of one hand. (See a typical dental pick FIG. 1). There are also many different shapes and sizes of toothbrushes. The term “dental devices” includes dental picks and toothbrushes.
A problem with the existing dental picks is that they all work on the concept of running a tight string (floss) between the teeth and down into the gums to free up loose debris and keep the gums pliable and free of foreign objects that can cause infection. However, most times, the pressure on the string up against the gums causes the gums to bleed. Even when gums do not show signs of bleeding, they are still exposed to small cuts from the floss; and are thus open for infection by foreign particles and bacteria. Brushing one's teeth vigorously with a toothbrush or using a sharp dental pick by the nature of the design may also result in similar injury and risk of infection to the gums and other parts of the mouth.
There exists a need for dental devices that comprise a reservoir of a liquid such as, but not limited to, an anti-bacterial, and means to apply the liquid to the functional end of the dental device and/or the mouth and gums of the user. There exists a further need for dental devices comprising a reservoir in the handle, wherein the reservoir is capable of retaining a liquid, and dispensing the liquid when desired to the gums or other portion of the mouth of a user.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds