Interdental stimulator

Claim 2

An interdental stimulator consisting essentially of nonharmful synthetic resinous polymeric material with cellular and solid-film strata thereof disposed longitudinally in parallel and alternating sequence with each solid-film stratum joined to adjacent cellular strata.

Claim 3

An article, useful as an interdental stimulator, a. which is an elongated body having length and transverse cross section adapted for inserting into an oral cavity and including an end portion longitudinally tapering to a terminus adapted to enter interproximal space between teeth, and b. which consists essentially of nonharmful synthetic resinous polymeric material in parallel strata longitudinally disposed in said elongated body with said strata being alternating cellular and solid-film strata of said material with each solid-film stratum intermediate adjacent cellular strata and joined thereto.

Claim 4

An article, useful as an interdental stimulator, a. which is an elongated body having length and transverse cross section adapted for inserting into an oral cavity and including an end portion longitudinally tapering to a terminus adapted to enter interproximal space between teeth, and b. which consists essentially of nonharmful synthetic resinous polymeric material in parallel strata longitudinally disposed in said elongated body with said strata being alternating cellular and solid-film strata of said material with each solid-film stratum intermediate adjacent cellular strata and joined thereto.

Claim 5

The article of claim 2 in which the nonharmful synthetic resinous polymeric material is polystyrene, said cellular strata are closed-cell polystyrene strata, and said each solid-film stratum intermediate said adjacent cellular strata is joined to said adjacent cellular strata by a fusion bond.

Claim 6

The article of claim 2 in which said parallel strata longitudinally disposed in said elongated body extend from end to end of said body and also are disposed substantially perpendicular to a plane projected through the edges of its bottom surface, and in which said tapered end portion includes a location thereon having a transverse cross section of a width under transverse compression adapted to fit approximately said interproximal space between the teeth.

Claim 7

The article of claim 4 in which said elongated body has a transverse cross section of a maximum width under transverse compression adapted to fit approximately said interproximal space between the teeth, and in which the height of the transverse cross section of said elongated body is between 1 1/2 to 4 times said maximum width.

Claim 8

The article of claim 4 having three cellular strata and two solid-film strata.

Claim 9

An interdental stimulator for stimulating gums, cleaning teeth, dislodging food particles, and for like dental hygienic purposes, a. which is an elongated body having a length and rectangular transverse cross section whose height is greater than its width and having said length, height and width adapted for inserting into an oral cavity, and having an end portion longitudinally tapering to a tip having at least one of its dimensions smaller than interproximal space between teeth, and b. which consists essentially of polystyrene in parallel strata longitudinally disposed in said elongated body with said strata being alternating closed-cell and solid-film polystyrene strata with each solid-film intermediate adjacent closed-cell strata and having its major surfaces heat-bonded thereto and with said parallel strata longitudinally disposed in said elongated body also disposed substantially perpendicular to the bottom surface of the elongated body.

Claim 10

An interdental stimulator for stimulating gums, cleaning teeth, dislodging food particles, and for like dental hygienic purposes, a. which is an elongated body having a length and rectangular transverse cross section whose height is greater than its width and having said length, height and width adapted for inserting into an oral cavity, and having an end portion longitudinally tapering to a tip having at least one of its dimensions smaller than interproximal space between teeth, and b. which consists essentially of polystyrene in parallel strata longitudinally disposed in said elongated body with said strata being alternating closed-cell and solid-film polystyrene strata with each solid-film intermediate adjacent closed-cell strata and having its major surfaces heat-bonded thereto and with said parallel strata longitudinally disposed in said elongated body also disposed substantially perpendicular to the bottom surface of the elongated body.

Claim 11

The interdental stimulator of claim 7 a. which includes three closed-cell and two solid-film polystyrene strata extending from end to end of the elongated body, b. in which said solid-film polystyrene strata are of oriented polystyrene film, c. whose elongated body is of a length between 1 1/4 to 3 inches, of a width between one thirty-second to one-eighth inch, of that height between one-eighth to one-half inch which is between 1 1/2 to 4 times said width, and d. in which said tip is a line edge.

Claim 12

The interdental stimulator of claim 8 having both end portions tapering.

Claim 13

The interdental stimulator of claim 8 characterized by said width of its rectangular transverse cross section under transverse compression adapted to fit approximately said interproximal space between the teeth, and further characterized by a Shore A-2 surface hardness between about 60 to 100 and a density between 10 and 30 pounds/cubic foot.