Dental hygiene maintenance kit for dental braces patients

Abstract

A maintenance kit for dental brace wearers.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to customized satchels or containers.

[0003] 2. Background Information

[0004] Dental hygiene is very important to all people, but is a particular challenge to wearers of dental braces. Braces tend to trap food and promote even more decay that such food would absent braces. Therefore, it is even more important that wearers of braces regularly brush, floss and (preferably) also rinse with mouthwash than do non-brace wearers. Yet, the process of effectively cleaning teeth is more difficult with braces than without.

[0005] As with all things difficult, the avoidance of which does not yield immediate negative consequences, teens do not particularly relish the idea of effective and regular dental hygiene while wearing braces. This is particularly true during school time, when the supplies needed to properly clean teeth after eating are anything but conveniently carried about. The problem: teens are the most frequent wearers of braces.

[0006] The only way to effectively increase teen compliance with dental hygiene recommendations during brace-wearing years is to make maintenance measures as convenient as possible. Simply providing a teen with a toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, etc., and expecting him or her to get such out of their backpack, locker, etc. and use it regularly is unrealistic.

[0007] An analysis of teen behavior, perceptions, and habits revealed to the present inventor a simple, but overlooked motivator of teens in particular which, if utilized, may lead to more regular dental hygiene compliance. Teens like specialized “kits”, tools, packages, etc. For example, teens could use any number of existing binders, etc. for school work, but they much prefer specialized, zipper closed binders with specialized pockets for pens, CDs, etc., and sales prove this point. Teens tend to be the largest purchasing block of specialized CD player cases, sports bags (highly specialized to the sport implement involved), specialized shoes, and backpacks with features quite specific to their tastes and activities, all when existing, less specific containers would serve to transport these items, at a functional level, just as well as the specialized containers.

[0008] In view of these observations, the present inventor realized that a specialized container “kit” with all the supplies needed to carry out recommended dental hygiene would (while convenience for braces wearers of all ages) particularly promote compliance among teens.

[0009] Therefore, the present invention is of a highly specialized container system which is specifically designed to accommodate dental hygiene supplies (tooth brush(es), toothpaste, floss, and mouthwash. Preferred embodiments also include additional features (pouches) for holding ancillary items, such as money, make-up and the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0010] In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a dental hygiene maintenance kit for accommodating dental hygiene supplies.

[0011] It is another object of the present invention to provide a dental hygiene maintenance kit for accommodating dental hygiene supplies, which kit includes receptacles specifically designed to organize and make readily available toothbrush(es), toothpaste, mouthwash and dental floss.

[0012] It is another object of the present invention to provide a dental hygiene maintenance kit for promoting greater compliance with dental hygiene requirements, particularly among teens, such kits including specially sized and shaped receptacles designed to organize and make readily available toothbrush(es), toothpaste, mouthwash and dental floss.

[0013] A related object of the present invention is to provide a dental hygiene maintenance kit for promoting greater compliance with dental hygiene requirements, particularly among teens, such kits including specially sized and shaped receptacles designed to organize and make readily available toothbrush(es), toothpaste, mouthwash and dental floss, and including such toothbrush(es), toothpaste, mouthwash and dental floss with such kit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] FIG. 1 is a frontal view of a dental hygiene maintenance kits of the present invention shown in their storage/transport configuration.

[0015] FIG. 2 is a view of a preferred embodiment of the dental hygiene maintenance kit of the present invention shown in the open configuration for use of the dental hygiene supplies therein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0016] A collection of four dental hygiene maintenance kits of the present invention are shown in FIG. 1, the only difference among them being the selection of differing colors, particularly for appealing to young people. The kits are identified generally by the reference number 10. Referring to FIG. 2, each kit 10 of the present invention will include a backing member 11 (essentially a large, rectangular fabric piece which is sized for accommodating the various features which are to be described hereafter.

[0017] Attached to the inner face of backing member 11 will be, at a minimum, a first pouch 12 which is designed to accommodate a toothbrush 14 (a standard toothbrush in the preferred embodiment). A second pouch 16 is sized and shaped for holding a toothpaste tube 18 (a medium travel size, of approximately 4 oz. would be considered optimal in the present context). A third pouch 22 is designed to hold a mouthwash container 20 (an exemplary such container is the travel size, 1.5 oz. SCOPE container which is ideal for this purpose, and can be readily re-filled from a larger container at home between uses). A fourth pouch 24 is designed to hold a dental floss container 26.

[0018] VELCRO-fastened flaps 13, 17, 21, and 25 respectively, reversibly close pouches 12, 16, 20 and 24 for securing their contents therein.

[0019] Preferred embodiments of the present invention also include ID enclosures 30, and wallet-like, zipper-closed enclosure 32.

[0020] Affixed to the outer face of backing member 11 are closure members 34. In the preferred embodiment, these closure members are buckle-closed straps which, when backing member is rolled into a closed configuration (as in FIG. 1) hold the kit 10 in such configuration. When the kit is to be accessed and used, the straps are unbuckled, and backing member 11 is un-rolled to expose the pouches and contents thereof.

[0021] Brief experiments reveal that teens in particular respond very favorably to the present kit. Precisely because it is specialized, and not just some bag of supplies that the teens are told to use, for reasons that escape any but, perhaps, a teen psychologist, dental hygiene compliance rises substantially when teens are provided with the dental hygiene supplies in the kits, as compared to being provide with identical supplies without the kits/organizers.

[0022] Although the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, this description is not meant to be construed in a limited sense. Various modifications of the disclosed embodiments, as well as alternative embodiments of the inventions will become apparent to persons skilled in the art upon the reference to the description of the invention. It is, therefore, contemplated that the appended claims will cover such modifications that fall within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A maintenance kit for dental braces-wearing patients comprising:

a backing member having an outer face and an inner face;

a first pouch member affixed to said inner face of said backing member, said first pouch member being attached to said backing member whereby a first enclosure is formed having a single first opening into said first enclosure, said first pouch member being sized and shaped for receiving the handle portion of a toothbrush into said first enclosure through said first opening;

a second pouch member affixed to said inner face of said backing member, said second pouch member being attached to said backing member whereby a second enclosure is formed having a single second opening into said second enclosure, said second pouch member being sized and shaped for receiving into said first enclosure through said first opening a tube of toothpaste;

a third pouch member affixed to said inner face of said backing member, said third pouch member being attached to said backing member whereby a third enclosure is formed having a single third opening into said third enclosure, said third pouch member being sized and shaped for receiving into said first enclosure through said first opening a bottle of mouthwash;

a fourth pouch member affixed to said inner face of said backing member, said fourth pouch member being attached to said backing member whereby a fourth enclosure is formed having a single fourth opening into said fourth enclosure, said fourth pouch member being sized and shaped for receiving into said first enclosure through said first opening a package of dental floss; and

affixed to said outer face of said backing member retainer strap means for, when said backing member is configured into a rolled-up configuration, maintaining said backing member in said rolled-up configuration between access to said inner face of said backing member and said first, second, third and/or fourth pouches thereon.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein said first pouch is attached to said backing member whereby said first pouch is, at its attachment to said backing member, between approximately four and six inches in depth and approximately one-half to three-fourths inches in width, with fabric forming said first pouch being of dimensions whereby, when attached to said backing member, a first receptacle is delimited between said backing member and said first pouch member for receiving said tooth brush handle therein.

3. The invention of claim 2 wherein said second pouch is attached to said backing member whereby said second pouch is, at its attachment to said backing member, between approximately four and six inches in depth and approximately one and one-half to two inches in width, with fabric forming said second pouch being of dimensions whereby, when attached to said backing member, a second receptacle is delimited between said backing member and said second pouch member for receiving said tube of toothpaste therein.

4. The invention of claim 1 further comprising a first flap member attached to said inner face of said backing member and positioned for overlying a first surface space of said inner face adjacent to said first opening into said first pouch sufficient over which the head portion of a toothbrush lies when such toothbrush positioned in said first pouch, said first flap member having reversible attachment means for reversibly attaching a margin of said first flap member to a portion of said first pouch member for securing a toothbrush in position in said first pouch member.

5. The invention of claim 2 further comprising a first flap member attached to said inner face of said backing member and positioned for overlying a first surface space of said inner face adjacent to said first opening into said first pouch sufficient over which the head portion of a toothbrush lies when such toothbrush positioned in said first pouch, said first flap member having reversible attachment means for reversibly attaching a margin of said first flap member to a portion of said first pouch member for securing a toothbrush in position in said first pouch member.

6. The invention of claim 1 further comprising:

a toothbrush sized and shaped for reception into said first pouch member; and

a tube of toothpaste sized and shaped for reception into said second pouch member;

a container of mouthwash sized and shaped for reception into said third pouch member; and

a package of dental floss sized and shaped for reception into said fourth pouch member.

7. The invention of claim 2 further comprising:

a toothbrush sized and shaped for reception into said first pouch member; and

a tube of toothpaste sized and shaped for reception into said second pouch member;

a container of mouthwash sized and shaped for reception into said third pouch member; and

a package of dental floss sized and shaped for reception into said fourth pouch member.

8. The invention of claim 5 further comprising:

a toothbrush sized and shaped for reception into said first pouch member; and

a tube of toothpaste sized and shaped for reception into said second pouch member;

a container of mouthwash sized and shaped for reception into said third pouch member; and

a package of dental floss sized and shaped for reception into said fourth pouch member.