Abstract: The present invention includes a housing having a plurality of individual sections of dental floss. Each of the floss sections includes a pair of balls in which opposite ends of the floss section are embedded. The balls are removably joined to the housing and mountable between extensions of a tooth brush-like hand tool which is manipulated during the flossing of teeth. The tool extensions are resiliently compressible together via angled face portions of the housing to be disposed between the balls. The tool extensions subsequently extend outwardly to engage the balls to remove the floss sections from the housings for flossing. After flossing, the floss sections are removed from the tool extensions by utilizing a container that includes angled face portions for drawing the extensions toward each other whereby the floss sections are released into the container for disposal.

Abstract: A cap for frictional retention on an existing dental flossing tool to enhance protection of the dental flossing material when the tool is not in use and which can be removed, when desired, and which includes means for retaining one end of a strand of dental flossing material to enable the cap to function as an auxiliary handle for cooperation with the dental flossing tool to permit the flossing operation to be performed without having the user's hands contacting the flossing material.

Abstract: An elongated handle with an internal supply of fresh dental floss and a flossing head including a fork provides oral hygiene. A fresh section of floss is advanced by a one-touch arrangement which concurrently relegates spent floss to a separate take-up reel. The fresh floss spanning the tines of the fork is kept taut at all times as a result of various special expedients including a differential spool and drum and a rack and pinion floss locking arrangement. When the supply of fresh floss on the bobbin is exhausted, the device is discarded.

Abstract: A tooth flossing device for making the task of flossing teeth easier, neater, and more effective. A handle, designed for being gripped by a hand of a user, carries a removable, replaceable cartridge attached to one end. This cartridge contains a length of dental floss stretched between two pole pieces which are just far enough apart to pass a tooth between them. A user inserts the cartridge end of the flosser into his mouth, pressing the length of floss between two adjacent teeth, repeating the action until the spaces between all teeth have been cleaned. A used cartridge can be quickly and easily removed from the handle and replaced by a new one by pressing a detent and sliding the old cartridge from engagement with the handle. When the fresh cartridge is inserted, the detent automatically locks it into position.

Abstract: A device, a method of using such a device and a method for making such a device for threading floss between dental structures. The threading device is formed of a tube including a handle portion and a blade-like portion. A charge of dental floss is retained in the tube of which a lead portion extends through a tip aperture formed at a terminal tip or end of the blade-like portion. The lead portion is coated with a material to stiffen the same to further facilitate insertion of the device between dental structures. The device is formed by providing a tube and inserting a charge of floss therein. The tube and floss materials have different melting points such that the melting point for the floss material is greater than the melting point for the tube material. The tube is heated to its respective melting point whereupon a portion of the tube is formed into the blade-like portion.

Abstract: A device for cleaning teeth is disclosed as having a shaft for containing dental floss and floss holders. Wedge shaped fastening grooves in the floss holders hold the dental floss tightly between the floss holders. In operation, the segment of floss held between the floss holders is useable to clean between teeth.

Abstract: An individualizable flossing mouthpiece for simultaneously flossing a plurality of spaces between adjacent pairs of a person's teeth is a channel shaped member with an outer wall portion, and inner wall portion having free edges and a gap therebetween. The mouthpiece can receive a set of teeth in the gap. The wall portions have outer and inner series of closely spaced slots to receive dental floss therein. The distance between adjacent ones of the slots is less than the average tooth width, and dental floss can be impositively trapped in selected ones of the slots. The material of the channel shaped member is such that it can receive and permanently retain markings identifying certain ones of the slots in the outer wall portion. The mouthpiece can be individualized by placing the same in the person's mouth with the person's teeth in the gap and identifying those slots (less than all) in the outer wall portion corresponding to the edges of the person's teeth.

Abstract: A dental floss holder and applicator having a hollow handle for holding a supply of dental floss and a pair of intermeshing gear wheels mounted within the handle for advancing dental floss through a pathway which includes a dental floss anchoring member, a pair of prongs for holding a section of dental floss in position for use and a pair of intermeshing gears in the handle for pulling the dental floss through the pathway. The intermeshing gears are provided with a pawl for preventing the gears from reversing direction. The intermeshing gears not only advance the dental floss, but, in cooperation with the dental floss anchoring member, maintain it in tension while the floss is in use.

Abstract: An improved dental flossing tool having reciprocating tines supporting the flossing material and biased apart to assure proper tension on the flossing material, while having means carried by the tines for moving the flossing material between the tines and having removable head means to permit replacement of the head to provide sterile use for subsequent users.

Abstract: An elongated, planar support member is provided with dental floss about its peripheral edge. Multiple notches extending into the support member at various locations about the peripheral edge thereof expose multiple lengths of floss for flossing teeth. The lengths of floss extending across the notches are at various angles with respect to the longitudinal extent of the support member in order that the interdental spaces between various teeth are conveniently and effectively accessed.Preferably, four lengths of floss are exposed across four notches. Two floss lengths are parallel to a longitudinal axis of the support member and two floss lengths are at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the support member.The peripheral edge of the support member is provided with a groove. In one embodiment of the invention, the floss is fixed in the groove. In another embodiment, the floss is rotatingly positionable in the groove.

Abstract: A multi-purpose dental applicator including a handle and an interchangeable removable member which can be a yoke supporting a length of dental floss, a toothbrush, a spiral wound wire tooth cleaning brush, a rubber tip gum massager, or a length of abrasive tape. The handle has an elongated shank for gripping purposes and a head piece having a receiving cavity for receiving the shank of the interchangeable removable member. The handle further incorporates threads on the outer surface of the head surrounding the receiving cavity. In the preferred embodiment, the receiving cavity is an opening extending into the body of the head in a generally inverted frustum shaped configuration which then extends into a spherical shaped cavity and thereafter extends into an arcuate section having the circumferential length of approximately twenty degrees to either side of the vertical or longitudinal axis of the head.

Abstract: A dental floss tool including two simple snap together plastic parts which form a housing for fixedly mounting a reel of dental floss positioned to supply a length of floss to a support structure comprising two flexible slotted arms and a lock for securing the ends of the length of floss to maintain it under tension across the ends of the arms.

Abstract: A dental hygiene product in the form of a packet having a front panel and a back panel containing a pre-cut length of dental floss thread stored as a coil. The packet is severable into first and second packet portions, and opposite ends of the thread are affixed to respective packet portions which, after being severed, form grip tabs to facilitate withdrawal and use of the floss thread. A perimeter slit helps start the tearing of the packet. A plurality of packets may be constructed in strip-wise and matrix array configurations, and the packets may be separable along perforations. When constructed as a packet set, a single thread may define coiled portions for respective packets, and cuts may be made to sever the thread into thread units. A layer of tacky material may be disposed on a portion of the interior surface of one of the front and back panels to initially adhere the dental floss thread in a selected configuration on the interior surface of one of the panels.

Abstract: "A multi-purpose cartridge type handle assembly" utilizing a movable block wedged in a "U"-shaped bracket and urged by a spring to hold various adaptors fitted with special sanitary tools for flexible operations.

Abstract: Dental floss is covered with patches of fluoride so that a flossing procedure will expose a user's teeth to a source of flouride. The floss is either ribbon like or string like.

Abstract: Tensile threads used for tooth care can be fastened to a fork-type holder. The ends of each thread have thickened portions in the form of knots which rest as abutments when the thread is placed in the holder on the fork-type arms. For storing the threads in a hygenically closable container, a plurality of threads are arranged spaced apart from each other and parallel to each other. The knots on each side of the threads are located in a row and are connected to each other through intended breaking points. The threads are placed in closable containers from which they can be moved individually by means of the fork-type holder. After the threads have been removed by the holder, the holder assumes it correct position of use.

Abstract: A dental floss cleansing device which includes a floss chamber connected by a neck to a bow frame spaced from the chamber. The bow frame includes a post projecting from a proximal end of an elongated shaft having a curved distal end. The shaft is centrally grooved for floss guiding purposes. A debris protective shield extends from opposite sides of the shaft over a major portion of its length. A floss strand extends from the floss chamber along the floss guiding groove in the shaft to the curved distal end of the shaft. The floss strand extends in a bight back to the post, and is there secured.

Abstract: A dental floss holding assembly comprising a pair of holders, one each for being held in a hand while dental floss suspended under tension therebetween is manipulated in dental interstices. Each of the pair of holders comprises a compact, hand-holdable member for being held in the palm of the hand, the member having positioned thereon an outwardly-extending disk defining a floss-retaining groove between the member and the disk for securing one wrapped end of the length of floss therearound. In another embodiment, a box holding a supply of floss is provided with a disk around which the floss is wrapped to hold in one hand.

Abstract: An annealed Nylon rope formed with one or more knots held by a dog, or by a human, to enable an untwisted tassel portion of the rope to be pulled between a dog's teeth in the manner of dental floss.

Abstract: An improved dental flossing apparatus comprising a handle and a removable yoke member. The handle comprises an elongated shank for gripping purposes and a head piece having a receiving means for receiving a removable yoke and threads on the outer surface of the head surrounding the receiving means. In the preferred embodiment, the receiving means is an opening having a spherical cavity for receiving a spherical ball and a tapered throat area. The handle further comprises a slidable and threaded collar which can be slid onto and screwed around the opening to tighten the removable yoke to the handle. The yoke comprises two arms for retaining a length of dental floss between them and a stem terminating in sphere for insertion into the receiving means. The sphere provides a universal orientation for the yoke since the sphere can be rotated to any desired spherical rotation relative to the handle.

Abstract: This invention relates to a dental floss applicator for flossing teeth with dental floss supplied from the applicator. More particularly, the present invention relates to a dental floss applicator for dispensing dental floss and for securing a pre-selected length of dental floss between a supply and take up unit to permit the flossing of teeth without hand contact in the mouth.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for the manufacture of various dental flosses containing chemotherapeutic preparations which are releasable during flossing.

Abstract: An automatic toothbrush wherein the brush can be replaced by a floss holder driven by the toothbrush motor.

Abstract: A dental flosser is described wherein a pair of floss-holding arms can be moved in parallel motion so as to enhance the cleaning action of a dental floss. The dental floss is provided with beads that releasably engage the arm ends in tension in a manner so that vigorous action of the dental flosser does not release the floss, yet enables its easy removal after use. The dental flosser is formed of a convenient unitary plastic structure in which movable components are affixed with live hinges. Various beaded dental floss forms are described.

Abstract: The dental debris remover includes a rigid sickle-shaped frame, a puller and a floss string member. The floss string member is formed in an endless loop to create a variety of configurations for more effective cleaning and to achieve quick attachment to the frame handle notches on one side and to the puller hooks on the other side. The end of the frame bending towards the handle has a soft hygienic external layer or coating. The device is designed to perform two main functions, between the teeth cleaning and under fixed denture cleaning.

Abstract: A plurality of dental floss holders, each formed of a length of floss with gripping elements are aligned in succession with the floss of each being part of a continuous strand that is severable between holders, and with each two adjacent gripping elements of adjacent holders being separable parts of an initially unitary component. Also disclosed is an assembly of parallel disposed floss holders releasably joined together in dispenser packages and other assemblies of packaged dental floss holders.

Abstract: A dental floss applicator comprises a fork having a pair of elongated legs projecting from an elongated handle, a container on the handle for storing a supply of dental floss, and a reel on one side of the handle for being rotated to withdraw a continuous string of dental floss under tension from the container and pass the dental floss from the container along the length of one leg, across the distance between the tips of the legs, after which the floss extends along the length of the other leg and is then wound on a rotatable post on the underside of the handle. The reel and post rotate in unison so that as they rotate, the dental floss is continuously fed from the container across the distance between the tips of the legs where the floss is held under tension for use in teeth cleaning. The relative diameter of the post and reel provide a differential tensioning arrangement for applying a controlled tension to the dental floss across the distance between the tips of the legs.

Abstract: A dental flosser which has a locking mechanism that effectively prevents slippage of floss string during use. Broadly speaking, the flosser includes a body and a handle threadably joined to the body. The locking mechanism includes a bore in the body through which the floss is threaded, a shoulder on the body, and a washer mounted on the body adjacent the bore. With the floss looped around the washer, threadably tightening the handle on the body compresses the floss between the shoulder and handle to prevent floss slippage. Preferably, the handle has a floss storage cavity and the body has an internal floss passageway extending to the tip of one of two prongs on the body. Loosening the handle allows floss to be drawn or dispensed from the one prong.