Dental flosser

thingiverse

My goal is to create a toothbrush-sized handle with a line of dental floss under tension that can navigate all my dental nooks and crannies with ease. The back molars are notoriously difficult to reach in my mouth, and the dentist has been giving me a hard time about not flossing properly. The initial prototype was fashioned from a dinner fork with the middle prongs removed, while the second iteration was crafted from a similar-sized aluminum strap bent into shape. Now that I have access to a 3D printer, I thought it would be fun to print one. The challenge is to design an easily printable flosser that can take a 5-meter spool of dental floss directly from its case, unspool and lock as needed, add tension to the other end with a ratchet-type mechanism, and voila - the ultimate flossing experience. My custom-made flosser is incredibly maneuverable, allowing me to easily navigate all my teeth and give them a thorough flossing. I initially used Oral B floss, which worked well, but then switched to Colgate, which has broken on occasion (when you find something that works, you stick with it). Printing the flosser on my machine is done without support structures, and the spools and spindles are printed vertically with maximum accuracy and strength. The ratchet mechanism on the waste spool clicks satisfyingly into place. As of December 2018, I've received a clean bill of health from the dentist for two consecutive years, and my flosser is still going strong. I'm convinced that Oral B tape is the best option - it's minty fresh and gets the job done.