Disposable oral hygiene instruments and packages and methods for storing and dispensing same

Abstract

An oral-care system is disclosed. The system includes a handle portion and an attachable yoke structure for coupling tongue scraping ribbons or strips to the handle portion. The tongue scraping ribbons or strips are coated with or include a whitening agent, an anti-bacterial agent, an anti-microbial agent, a flavoring agent or a combination thereof. The system includes a container unit or dispenser unit for dispensing the tongue scraping ribbons or strips from a spool of tongue scraping ribbons or strips and for dispensing floss from a spool of floss. In further embodiments of the invention, the container unit or dispenser unit is configured to dispense chewable or soluble ribbons or strips that include a whitening agent, an anti-bacterial agent, an anti-microbial agent, a flavoring agent or any combination thereof, which are released in the user's mouth during use.

1 . A system comprising:
 a) a container unit; and   b) a spool of ribbons or strips that are configured to be dispensed from the container unit; and   c) a spool of floss configured to be dispensed from the container unit.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the spool of ribbons or strips is concentrically position with respect to the spool of floss. 
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the ribbons or strips are separated by perforations. 
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the ribbons or strips are contoured, patterned or textured. 
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 1 , further includes a handle section with a yoke portion, wherein the yoke portion is configured for holding individual ribbons or strips that are separated from the spool of ribbons or strips. 
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the container unit further includes a first spindle, wherein the spool of strips is wrapped around the first spindle. 
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the container unit further includes a second spindle, wherein the spool of floss is wrapped around the first spindle 
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the container unit comprises a traction feature for preventing a portion of the spool of strips from retracting into the container unit once the portion of the spool of strips has been dispensed. 
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a cutting feature for cutting a portion of the spool of floss once the portion of the spool of floss has been dispensed from the container unit. 
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the spool of ribbons or strips is formed form a polymeric material. 
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the ribbons or strips are coated with a film 
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the film includes one or more of a whitening agent, an anti-bacterial agent, an anti-microbial agent and a flavoring agent. 
   
   
       13 . A system comprising:
 a) a handle section;   b) a yoke structure with two arms coupled to the handle section; and   c) a tongue scraping ribbon or strip coupled to the two arms of the yoke.   
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the yoke structure is configured to detachably couple to the handle section. 
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the tongue scraping ribbon or strip is configured to detachably couple to the two arms of the yoke structure. 
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein tongue scraping ribbon or strip is contoured, patterned or textured. 
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the tongue scraping ribbon or strip is formed from a polymeric material. 
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the tongue scraping ribbon or strip is coated with a film that includes one or more of a whitening agent, an anti-bacterial agent, an anti-microbial agent and a flavoring agent. 
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 14 , further comprising a container unit for dispensing the tongue scraping ribbon or strip from a spool of tongue scraping ribbons or strips housed within the container unit. 
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the container unit further includes a spool of floss configured to be dispensed from the container unit. 
   
   
       22 . A system comprising:
 a) a container unit;   b) a spool of ribbons or strips that are configured to be dispensed from the container unit; and   c) a spool of floss configured to be dispensed from the container unit, wherein the spool ribbons or strips and the spool of floss are concentrically position with respect to each other within the container unit.