Apparatus and methods for cleaning teeth and gingival pockets

Abstract

Various apparatus and methods for cleaning teeth and gingival pockets are disclosed herein. A fluid platform can include a pressure wave generator configured to propagate pressure waves through a treatment fluid. The pressure waves may be sufficient to remove undesirable dental deposits from a treatment tooth, neighboring gums, and/or spaces between the tooth and gums.

1 .- 64 . (canceled) 
     
     
         65 . A system for cleaning teeth in a mouth of a mammal, the system comprising:
 a fluid pump;   a fluid reservoir in communication with the fluid pump;   a mouthpiece in communication with the fluid pump, the mouthpiece including a fluid port through which treatment fluid can be delivered to at least partially fill the mouth; and   a pressure wave generator coupled to the mouthpiece and arranged to be disposed within the mouth;   wherein the fluid pump is operable to create oscillatory movement of the treatment fluid within a mouth, the volume of oscillatory movement being variable,   wherein the pressure wave generator is configured to produce one or more frequencies in a first frequency range when the fluid pump creates a first volume of oscillatory movement of the treatment fluid within the mouth, and to produce one or more frequencies in a second frequency range when the fluid pump creates a second volume of oscillatory movement of the treatment fluid within the mouth.   
     
     
         66 . The system of  claim 65 , wherein the first volume of oscillatory movement is larger than the second volume of oscillatory movement, and the second frequency range is of higher frequencies than the first frequency range. 
     
     
         67 . The system of  claim 65 , wherein the first volume of oscillatory movement is larger than the second volume of oscillatory movement. 
     
     
         68 . The system of  claim 65 , wherein second frequency range is of higher frequencies than the first frequency range. 
     
     
         69 . The system of  claim 65 , wherein the fluid pump is operable to create the first volume of oscillatory movement before it creates the second volume of oscillatory movement. 
     
     
         70 . The system of  claim 65 , wherein the pressure wave generator is configured to randomly change the frequencies propagated within the mouth between frequencies falling within the first range of frequencies and frequencies falling within the second range of frequencies. 
     
     
         71 . The system of  claim 65 , wherein the first range of frequencies has a smaller bandwidth than the bandwidth of the second range of frequencies. 
     
     
         72 . The method of  claim 65 , wherein the first frequency range is about 0.1 Hz to about 100 Hz. 
     
     
         73 . The method of  claim 72 , wherein the first frequency range is about 0.1 Hz to about 50 Hz. 
     
     
         74 . The method of  claim 65 , wherein the second frequency range is about 10 kHz to about 1000 kHz. 
     
     
         75 . The method of  claim 74 , wherein the second frequency range is about 100 kHz to about 500 kHz.