Toothbrushes

Claim 1

A toothbrush comprising a finger-manipulable member, an elongated stem having front and rear ends, the rear end of the stem being connected to said finger-manipulable member, said stem extending forwardly from said finger-manipulable member, and a longitudinal array of bristles secured to said stem and extending forwardly thereon and being at forwardly inclined angles with respect to said stem, said bristles extending radially from said stem in circumferential arrangement around said stem and being of progressively increasing lengths in a direction rearwardly from the leading end of said stem towards said member, such that the array of bristles is of substantially conical configuration with said stem in axial position and with the apical portion thereof at said leading end, the foremost bristles of said array being proportioned for entry into a space of predetermined proportions representing the space between the cervical portions of two adjacent teeth, said bristles being of flexible, resilient material to flex with respect to said stem when operatively disposed within the space between the cervical portions of two adjacent teeth and engaged by the interproximal areas of the adjacent teeth and to return to their respective normal unflexed positions when operatively disposed behind said teeth, said member including a finger-engageable push portion in proximity with and entirely behind said bristles to enable a finger in operative engagement with said member at said push portion to apply forward pressure on said stem and said array of bristles in the longitudinal direction thereof.