Floss Employing Microporous Tapes Sandwiching Paste Dentifrice

This invention relates generally to the field of dental cleaning materials, and particularly to an improved dental flossing tape which may be used conveniently by those possessing only ordinary skill, and which offers advantages not heretofore available to the general public.

Typically, the use of prior art technology employs a waxed or non-waxed thread of textile material which is passed between the teeth and moved in the interstice to dislodge entrapped food particles, and to debride dental plaque and other debris. This operation will normally result in contacting adjacent gingiva as well. The thread or flat tape will remove unwanted material, but is not capable of providing a polishing effect on the teeth.

For the professional, there are available various forms of monoplanar tapes which can be manually coated with a polishing material and applied to complete professional cleaning procedures. This operation is somewhat messy, necessitating the soiling of the fingers, and, as a result, there is little possibility of acceptance of the same by the lay public.

Conventional brushing with a toothbrush, particularly when carefully performed, does much to maintain the teeth in cleaned condition. However, brushing does not reach the spaces between the teeth to any substantial depth, particularly in those areas between the teeth and below the gums. Therefore such brushing must be supplemented by effective flossing which will bring cleaning material to the otherwise unreached areas.

Accordingly several objects and advantages of the invention are to provide an improved flossing means, to provide a flossing means which polishes the teeth, and to provide a flossing tape which is neat to use, is economical, easy to fabricate, etc. Further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description and accompanying drawings.

Briefly stated, the invention contemplates the provision of an improved flossing tape capable of carrying a suitable dentrifice, including abrasive material. Use of the same will not result in soiling the fingers of the user, but will allow ready flow of the dentrifice to the outer surfaces of the tape during use. Thereby a cleaning procedure is obtained which approaches in efficacy that obtained by professional personnel.

To this end, the disclosed embodiments comprise a microporous tape of synthetic resinous material, typically polytetrafluoroethylene, in which the dentrifice is positioned, during manufacture between a pair of lamina in relatively dehydrated condition, to be activated by contact of the outer surfaces of the lamina with saliva and/or other liquids present in the oral cavity. It is to be understood that the use of the term "microporous" herein encompasses micropores or microvoids. Some of the dentifrice flows through the pores of the laminae, and the remainder thereof exudes from the free longitudinal edges of the tape.

While a number of synthetic resinous materials are useful for the contemplated purpose, I have found most suitable, expanded and microporous polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) to be ideal. This material is presently commercially available in a flat and microporous filament known as weaving fiber in sizes ranging from about 100 to 200 denier to greater than 2,400 denier (a filament of one denier weighs 50 mg per 450 m of length). Such a fiber has a minimum breaking tenacity of three grams per denier, and typical thickness of 25.4 microns (1 mil).

As a dentifrice, many commercially available toothpastes and gels are suitable. The dentrifice can be coated upon the laminae as is, or it can first be thinned with a volatile vehicle such as ethanol. After application, the dentifrice is enclosed between the laminae, and some of the moisture content is allowed to evaporate through the pores of the microporous laminae to a degree where abrasive particles offer a suitable shear for cleaning or polishing purposes. The tape is then suitably packaged in an airtight or hermetically sealed enclosure so as to maintain the desired moisture level prior to use. When put into use, owing to the force exerted on the exposed surfaces of the tape, the dentifrice is caused to exude from the tape, wherein it may mix with saliva, water, or other fluid present in the oral cavity which will assist in spreading the same over the surfaces of the teeth as the tape is moved between the individual teeth.

Optionally the dentifrice may also ciontain a humectant, such as disclosed in Pader U.S. Pat. No. 3,538,230 (1970), in order that the floss will remain stable and moist for a longer period of time.

In the drawings, to which reference will be made in the specification, similar reference characters have been engaged to designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing a first step in the manufacture of an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a view in perspective showing a second step in the method.

FIG. 3 is a view in perspective showing a third step in the method.

FIG. 4 is a view in elevation showing a completed tape in coiled condition ready for packaging.

FIG. 5 is a view in elevation, partly broken away to show detail of a completed article in packaged condition.

FIG. 6 is a view in perspective of a second embodiment of the invention.

In accordance with the first embodiment of the invention, the device is described by its method of fabrication as illustrated in the sequential steps of FIGS. 1 to 5. The starting material is a microporous base element (FIG. 1) which is coated by a dentifrice 12 (FIGS. 2 and 3).

Element 11 is formed by parallel strips (FIG. 1) of indefinite length having first and second longitudinal edges 14 and 15, a medially disposed axial fold line 17, and inner and outer surfaces 18 and 19 defining a planar interstice 20 therebetween.

Dentifrice 12 may consist of a variety of ingredients. I have found that many commercially available toothpastes and gels are suitable. The former are water based suspensions including particulate abrasives which, depending upon brand and composition, may vary from about one micron to about twenty microns average particle size. Optionally, for greater longevity the dentifrice may contain a humectant. Ideally, the particle size is sufficiently small as to be capable of limited passage through the pores of the microporous strips, although this characteristic is not essential.

Dentifrice 12 is applied to inner surface 18 of element 11 by any suitable coating method. This can be assisted by the thinning of the dentifrice with the addition of a volatile vehicle, such as ethanol, which evaporates through the pores of the microporous material without difficulty. If necessary, this process can be expedited by the addition of heat in a well known manner.

A second embodiment 30 (FIG. 6) differs from the first embodiment in that separate strips are provided instead of a single strip which is longitudinally folded. Thus, a pair of strips or laminae 31 and 32 are each bounded by first and second longitudinal edges 33 and 34. A coating 35 may be applied to one or both inner surfaces prior to assembly.

In either the first or the second embodiment, the article is suitably packaged by coiling the same (FIG. 4) prior to insertion into an airtight or a hermetically sealed package 37 (FIG. 5), so that desired moisture content may be maintained until the time of use.

With the opening of the package and the uncoiling of the article, the product is used as with any dental tape by tensing the same between the fingers of the user and inserting the same between the teeth, followed by further movements altogether called a flossing procedure. As the tape is moved, a pressure exerted on the sides of the same will cause the dentrifice to exude from the free longitudinal edges in the areas between the teeth and below the gums, so that the outer surfaces of the article will engage the same and perform a cleaning or polishing action. In the case where the strips are of PTFE, contact with the teeth under pressure will cause a visible change in the translucency of the product, so that the fact that the product has been previously used is readily apparent. As the dentifrice exudes, it mixes with fluids present in the oral cavity, which causes a resuspension of any agglomerated particles, and facilitates flow of the dentifrices over the teeth during the cleaning or polishing operation.

The following examples are to be considered as illustrative, and not exhaustive of available modifications in the spirit of the invention. In the case of each laminate, the microporous material has a minimum tensile strength of three grams per denier and consists of expanded PTFE fiber obtainable commercially under the trademark GORE-TEX, and manufactured by W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc. of Newark, Del. The dentifrices employed are commercially available as consumer products, suitably modified for use in conjunction with a dental tape.

Procedure:

The tape is cut to a convenient length of 46 cm (18 inches) and doctor blade coated with the dentrifrice to a thickness averaging in the range of about 0.25 mm (10 mils) to about 0.76 mm (30 mils). The tape was next folded longitudinally upon itself and lightly pressed together, leaving the longitudinal edges thereof in substantially abutted condition. In elongated condition, the tapes were permitted to partially dry at room temperature for approximately eighteen hours, following which each length of tape was coiled and placed in an air-tight container, namely a synthetic resinous envelope, such as those sold under the trademark ZIP-LOCK of Dow Chemical Co. In this condition, the tapes were stored over a period of several months prior to use. Upon opening the same, the tapes were found to be supple, the dentifrice being adequately stabilized without oozing from the abutted edges of the tape prior to actual use. Using the tapes in normal manner, loss in taste was detected, but when the tapes were stored for a week, then no substantial loss in taste was detected. As the tapes were passed between the teeth, additional moisture present within the oral cavity activated the dentifrice sufficient to cause it to flow from the abutted longitudinal edges. It was found that the tape changed translucency in those areas where pressure exerted upon the sides of the tape, as during a flossing operation, caused temporary changes in translucency, which were restored after use when the tape dried, or was partially dried and tensed in a longitudinal or transverse direction. When tensed and moved to floss between all contacting teeth of the dentition the tape did not break, and demonstrated little or no fraying of the PTFE.

In another version of this example, when the 6.4 mm (0.25 inch) wide base material was macroscopically punched with 1.6 mm (0.625 inch) holes spaced apart longitudinally about every 1.3 cm (0.5 inch), and then coated and partially dried in a similar manner, and then used in a similar flossing procedure, the tape demonstrated increased fraying.

Using the unpunched base material of the above described procedure so as to lamnate together two separate strips of 400 denier each with about 25.4 microns (1 mil) thickness for each strip and about 1.1 Ka minimum breaking tenacity of each strip, various dentifrices were substituted with equally favorable result. Suitable materials include Crest tartar control formula toothpaste from a tube (Procter & Gamble), Pepsodent toothpaste from a tube (Lever Brothers), Ultrabrite toothpaste from a tube (Colgate), Zact (Lion Corp., made in Japan), and Check-Up (Henkel, made in West Germany), and Close-Up gel (Lever Brothers). Because of the consistency of certain of the gels, there was a slight tendency to separate within the tape interstice upon partial stabilization, which separation does not appear to affect the efficacy of the device when used. During the procedure of flossing the dentition, each strip of 400 denier in the laminate did not normally break in the mouth. There was little or no fraying of PTFE.

Where desired, for a given thickness such as 25 microns (1 mil), the fiber size of each strip may be varied, ranging from a low of approximately 300 to 400 denier, up to 2,400 denier. Below the lower level there are problems of suitably abutting strips of the laminate. Below the thickness of 25.4 microns (1 mil), for example at about 19.05 microns (0.75 mil), there is a slight advantage that corresponds to about 300 to 1,800 denier. Above the upper levels no advantage in flossing effect appears to be obtainable.

Partial stabilization can be obtained during a shorter period of time by applying heat to the product to drive off excess moisture through the microvoids of the tape. Where, owing to the thickness of the dentifrice, difficulty is encountered in spreading the same, spreadability may be improved by the addition of small amounts of a volatile vehicle, such as ethanol, which evaporates through the microvoids of the tape during the stabilizing procedure. Most dentifrices contain abrasive particles ranging from 1 to 20 microns, with a suitable average being around 3 to 5 microns. Adequate flow of the dentifrice occurs from the abutted longitudinal edges during use.

The obtaining of a proper degree of stabilization depends, to some extent, on the manner in which the product is packaged for commercial use. While most conveniently, the product is stabilized (through evaporation of moisture) to a degree where the abutted edges will not shift when sheared between the thumb and finger of the user, in some cases, it may be desirable to package the product in a more moist state, in the interest of preserving volatile flavoring oils, so that when the airtight container is opened, further partial stabilization may occur prior to use, particularly when several lengths of product are packaged within a single container.

Using examples 1-7, an airtight container was substituted by a sealed hermetic enclosure with no substantial loss in taste detected after storage for several months.

Using examples 1-7, but before the commercially available dentifrices listed are respectively applied to the laminae, said dentifrices are mixed with flexible microsponges that contain the flavor oil(s) particular to that dentifrice. Such microsponges with filling with a flavor oil are commercially obtainable from Advanced Polymer Systems, Inc., (API) of Redwood City, Calif., subject to FDA approval.

Then following the procedures in examples 1-7, the tapes were stored over a period of several months prior to use. Upon opening, no substantial loss in taste was detected when the laminae and its dentifrice containing microsponges were moved between and pressed against teeth in a flossing procedure that released flavor oil from the microsponges of the exuded dentifrice.

I wish it to be understood that I do not consider the invention to be limited to the precise details of structure shown and set forth in this specification, for obvious modifications will occur to those skilled in the art to which the invention pertains. Accordingly the scope of the invention should be determined, not by the examples given, but only by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.