RECYCLED AND RECYCLABLE TOOTHBRUSH HAVING BRISTLE AND HANDLE CONFIGURATIONS FOR IMPROVED ORAL HYGIENE

摘要

A toothbrush including a head region in which is secured bristles on the top side of the head region, along at least a portion of the length of the head region. A neck region is connected to the head region and an elongated gripping region is connected to the neck region. The head and neck regions are both angled backward from the gripping region. An end rest region having a generally flat bottom surface is connected to the gripping region. The gripping region arches frontward of both the neck and end rest regions. The head and other handle regions of the toothbrush are of a material composition at least a portion of which is recycled plastic; preferably, the material composition is at least about 90 % recycled plastic. At the time of disposal of the toothbrush of the invention, say when its bristles are worn out, the entire toothbrush can be preferably recycled instead of included in non-recyclable trash. The toothbrush bristles are configured as a row of columns of spaced-apart tufts of end-rounded bristles. An innermost column of bristle tufts is of a first height along the entire length of the innermost column; outermost bristle tuft columns are each of a second height that is greater than the first height along their entire lengths; and intermediate bristle tuft columns are of intermediate heights that are between the first and second heights along their entire lengths. The innermost column is of a first length, the outermost bristle tuft columns are each of a second length that is less than the first length, and the intermediate bristle tuft columns are of intermediate lengths between the first and second lengths.