BRPI1105928A2 - oral sprinkler with spray valve - Google Patents

Abstract

ORAL IRRIGATOR WITH SPRAY VALVE. Oral hygiene device by blasting a mouthwash or mouthwash into the interdental spaces and gum, in which a spray valve, coupled to a reservoir, plays the role of suction and ejection pump of the liquid, which is taken to specific points. from the mouth through anatomical nozzles.

Description

"ORAL IRRIGATOR WITH SPRAY VALVE"

The present invention relates to a mouthwashing apparatus based on the principle of removing plaque from teeth and gums by means of small water jets or antiseptic liquid, delivered to the mouth through anatomical nozzles.

As directed by dentists, the daily cleaning of teeth is essential for maintaining oral health. Keeping your teeth clean, that is, controlled plaque levels at low levels, is key to preventing tooth decay, keeping your gums healthy, and preventing periodontal disease (inflammation of the dental support tissues). However, really clean teeth require more than the simple traditional brushing of the free and more accessible teeth. Interdental spaces, especially spaces between molars, are difficult to access and require more elaborate and time-consuming cleaning procedures; For this reason they are usually neglected in the oral hygiene of the majority of the population.

In the current state of the art, it is necessary to use more than one cleaning method and instrument to perform an oral hygiene that can be considered good by a dentist. Specifically in relation to interdental spaces, the options of industrialized instruments and sanitation devices available to the populations of large cities are as follows: dental floss, interdental toothpaste, mouthwash, interdental brushes, unitufo brushes, oral irrigators. The following highlights the most important aspects of each of these interdental hygiene technologies.

1. Dental floss - Nylon (multifilament) or PTFE floss

(monofilament), waxed or not, which removes plaque by sliding or rubbing it on the surface of a tooth. Dental floss is regarded as a very efficient way of removing plaque that forms between teeth, provided it is used properly; however, it is not able to remove 100% of it. In addition to their reasonable efficiency, a good feature of dental floss is that they are disposable, thus preventing the restitution of the removed bacteria to the mouth. On the negative side, usability problems are reported that greatly hamper the adoption of dental floss by most of the population. Are they:

- Difficulty in holding the floss properly;

■ Finger discomfort caused by the cord when held;

- Difficulty passing the wire in the posterior regions, especially between upper and lower molars;

- Broken wire when passing between teeth;

■ Difficulty in removing debris even after threading;

• I spend a lot of time in the process.

To the floss usability problems, there is the inconvenience of the possible occurrence of involuntary gum trauma (injuries) during its use, and the inefficiency of the method in the removal of concavity residues and grooved surfaces.

2. Interdental Toothpicks - These are the traditional and widely used 'toothpicks' we find in restaurants. Made of wood,

They are especially suitable for greater interdental spacing and grooved surfaces, for the removal of food that is trapped or deposited there. They function as a lever and as a plaque scraping element. Some manufacturers offer the product soaked in fluorine, stating that it is impregnated between teeth, adding reinforcement to tooth enamel and increased protection against tooth decay.

The great popularity of the interdental toothpick is due to its simplicity of use, and has the great advantage of being disposable, like the floss. Its most notable drawback is the great possibility of gum trauma occurring during its use. Some people exaggerate the strength and depth of scraping, opening spaces between the gum and teeth where small food scraps deposit and start subgingival plaque formation, which can lead to tartar, gingivitis and periodontal problems.

3. Mouthwashes - These are antiseptic solutions used in mouthwash, also known as 'mouthwashes'. They act as bactericides,

assisting in the control of bacterial biofilm and consequently also reducing gum inflammation and periodontal diseases. They have in their favor the simplicity and speed of use, and are therefore very well accepted by the population, even due to the various flavors available. They are advertised by manufacturers mainly as fighters of bad breath.

As negative points for rinses, we highlight the

following:

- lack of unanimity among dentists regarding convenience

of your prescription;

Prolonged use of alcohol rinses can cause side effects such as oral mucosal aggression and even oral cancer.

- the cost of the product is high and beyond the reach of most

population;

- its use tends to mask poor mechanical hygiene of the

teeth.

4. Interdental (or interproximal) brushes - Such as toothpicks, interdental or interproximal brushes are suitable for people who have

the teeth more spaced from each other. They usually consist of a handle to which a small bottle-like brush is attached to one end, which is inserted between the teeth and moved horizontally. Its popularity is not even close to toothpicks and dental floss; But in big cities it is no longer so difficult to find them even in the big supermarkets.

Interdental brushes are considered by many dentists to be more efficient than dental floss and toothpicks, and, in the long run, better accepted by patients because of their ease of use. As a negative point, it should be emphasized the possibility of gum trauma during cleaning, especially when the spaces are narrowing.

5. Unitufo Brushes - As the name implies, the unitufo brush has a single tuft or bundle of bristles at the tip of an anatomical handle. Its shape allows it to be used to contour the teeth, including the teeth.

interdental spaces, gently penetrating the gums. The correct use of unitufo brushes requires motivation on the part of the user, as it is a relatively long procedure.

6. Water picks - These are precision, electric devices with motors that produce water jets under adjustable pressure. They have a reservoir to which water is added or an antiseptic oral solution, which is blasted directly over the teeth, gums and tongue. The impact of the liquid on the oral tissues destroys and expels the plaque adhered to them, and may impregnate them with antibacterial substances. They have a set of anatomical irrigation nozzles designed to reach teeth and less accessible interdental spaces.

Electric oral irrigators are presented by their manufacturers as the best device for complete oral hygiene, with plaque control efficiency levels far above brushes and dental floss. Not yet popular in Brazil and almost all over the world, it can be seen that in the United States, their technology has been improving, and the price has been steadily falling, making them very attractive to the population at first.

As for the disadvantages of electric oral irrigators,

mention the following:

- its high price, especially in the Brazilian market, radically inhibits its popularization;

- your total cost of ownership and use is not restricted to the cost of the device but to the sum of it with the cost of batteries and / or energy.

electrical power over the life of the appliance;

- The need to plug the device into a power outlet, recharge batteries or replace them is a factor in discouraging the patient. Motivation is mentioned by all dentists as a factor of success or failure in

maintenance of oral hygiene;

- The fact that it is a device of delicate mechanics generates eventual need for repair or replacement, which is also a demotivation factor;

- psychological discomfort about using an electrical appliance in contact with water in a bathroom;

- The size of most commercially available devices makes their portability very difficult.

7. Oral Faucet Irrigators - These are simplified devices whose main feature is the use of pressurized water from the home's water network. Thus, they do not use electricity, but the only liquid they accept is water, which comes out of the tap directly into the patient's mouth. A notch on the appliance cable regulates the flow of water from the nozzle. The major disadvantage of this model is the impossibility of constant pressure regulation. The great advantage, however, is the cost, much more affordable for the general population.

It should be noted that all commercially available instruments and apparatus can only remove plaque until it has solidified. When this happens, the solidified mass is renamed tartar, which can only be completely removed by a dentist, as it does not break down easily and adheres firmly to the teeth. Therefore, regardless of the method or apparatus, plaque removal should be done while it is in the early stages of formation, ie shortly after chewing food, since at this stage it will appear as a mass. easily disintegrable soft.

Since plaque is in its early stages, that is, within hours of chewing food, part of it is susceptible to removal by small jets of lightly pressurized water. One idea that comes to mind when you think about this is to use pressurized water from a small compressor, as dentists do in their offices. However, if you look deeper into this idea, you will realize the drawbacks, such as the need for electrical power to drive the compressor and little or no portability of the assembly. In order to materialize this idea and make the resulting product accessible to the population, the electric oral irrigator, also known as 'water pick', was described in item 6 above. Although it represents a trend, there are still many problems intrinsic to this technology, the main ones being dependence on electricity and little or no portability of the sets. In the current state of this technology, it can be argued that water picks are expensive appliances, dependent on a power outlet and a bathroom counter, highly limiting factors for popularization, especially among the lower income groups.

In order to be popular and within reach, the mouthwash has to be efficient, comfortable, compact, highly portable and inexpensive. These are characteristics that we envision in the invention of the Spray Valve Oral Irrigator (IOVS), which we describe.

The IOVS consists of the components described below, shown in the attached figures 1 to 7:

1. Container - Cleaning fluid reservoir.

2. Spray Valve - Hand-operated pump, responsible for extracting the cleaning liquid from the container by suction.

3. Cleaner Suction Puller or Suction Tube - Spray valve extension tube for extracting all liquid contained in the container.

4. Nozzles or 'Lead Tubes' - Set of small diameter tubes, special holes and anatomical shapes that are connected to the

spray valve to guide the cleaning liquid to the attack points in the mouth.

5. Spray valve cap.

Cost-effective components of the IOVS should preferably be plastics, although they may also be made of glass or metal. Material must be non-toxic and may not react with cleaning liquid substances.

The basic principle of this sprinkler model is not to use any type of electricity in the system, and no pressurizing gas. The system works with the manual actuation of the spray valve (2), which, through the extractor (3), extracts the cleaning liquid from the container (1) and, through the nozzle or lead tube (4), takes it to the point you want to reach in the mouth. Thus, the system closes with the device and the person using it, ie no other type of energy is required. The cleaner may be treated pure tap water;

water-diluted toothpaste solution, antibacterial mouthwashes, or an oral solution. However, the cleaning liquid is not part of the invention described herein; It is free choice by those who use the device. However, it should be borne in mind that the reservoir will be constantly replenished with the cleaning liquid and therefore the spray valve must be removable and reinstallable on the container head either by threading or snapping as needed.

The nozzles or lead tubes (Fig. 7), with anatomical shapes and

Rounded heads not to hurt the gum, are chosen according to the teeth and the areas of these to reach. It can be easily and quickly connected to the spray valve and can be either a snap-in or threaded type (Figs. 3 to 6). io After positioning the head of the lead tube at the point

desired, which can be between two teeth, behind a tooth, or at the gum line, squeeze the spray valve head (Fig. 1) or trigger (Fig. 2), releasing a squirt strong enough to remove small hidden food leftovers, preventing plaque formation. The appliance can also be used as a simple mouthwash or liquid deodorant to make the breath more pleasant with less use of the product.

An important feature of this type of irrigator is the low consumption of the cleaning liquid, since the attacks are punctual and, in each actuation of the spray valve, the amount of squirted liquid is small, avoiding the waste of product.

As for the portability of the device, it is guaranteed by the small size of the set and a carrying case. Moreover, for the same valve the reservoir may be of various shapes and sizes. Thus, the set can be carried in pouches, virtually without inconvenience.

Another feature to note in the appliance being presented here is that its Total Cost of Ownership and Use is restricted to the cost of the appliance itself and the cleaning liquid. As for the maintenance cost, it is considered that the cost of the appliance is low enough that, if necessary, a new one is purchased, instead of wasting time fixing a defective one. These features are a great advantage over water picks1, which, over their lifetime, consume electrical power and, in the event of mechanical and / or electrical failures, may require a technician or an expensive replacement.

Regarding gingival trauma during use, IOVS is exceptionally safe because its jet is light and the nozzles have rounded tips, avoiding trauma even in sensitive tissues.

It is easy to see that the efficiency of the IOVS is highly dependent on spray valve technology. With advancement in this technology, especially with the increase in the volume of liquid extracted in each drive, and increase in the liquid ejection force, the apparatus described here will become increasingly efficient in removing plaque.

Using the Spray Valve Oral Irrigator has very little environmental impact as it does not use electric power or pressurizing gas, and none of its components is toxic. Their disposal does not require any special care other than those already established in the municipal regulations.

It is important to mention that the invention described herein does not replace the brush or the floss, nor the electric oral irrigators are indicated by dentists as substitutes for these traditional dental hygiene instruments. It is, in fact, one more device option available to the population.

Finally, in view of the fact that the invention set forth herein is a counterpoint to electric oral irrigators or water picks, we present below a brief comparison of some features of both types of technology.

_Water Picks_IOVS Feature

Manual Electric Drive

Low High Portability

High Low Cost

Total Cost of Ownership and Use Appliance + Energy Appliance

Adjustable pressure Yes No

Volume per minute High Low

High Low Liquid Waste

Simple Complex Technology

Claims (8)

1. "ORAL IRRIGATOR WITH SPRAY VALVE" for oral hygiene, which removes plaque adhering to teeth and oral tissues by means of pressurized liquid jets, known as 'oral irrigator', 'oral irrigator' or 'dental irrigator', characterized by using a spray valve as a manually operated cleaning suction pump. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that it has an antiseptic water or liquid reservoir in the head of which the spray valve is installed. Apparatus according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that it has a suction pipe of the cleaning liquid connected to the spray valve. Apparatus according to claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it has a cover for the spray valve. Apparatus according to Claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it has anatomically shaped tubes of small diameter, called lead tubes or nozzles, which are connected to the spray valve to direct the flow of the cleaning liquid to the desired points. , in the mouth. Apparatus according to Claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the nozzles are connected to the spray valve by means of a male-female plug or through a threaded ring. Apparatus according to one of Claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the spray valve has an extension with a female connection or threaded tip for fitting or fixing the nozzle. Apparatus according to Claims 1 to 7, characterized in that it has a carrying case for the entire assembly.