Methods and apparatuses for treating tonsils

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses to clean a tonsil include a bite-piece and a fluid delivery tube. The bite piece has a longitudinal axis and the bite-piece is configured to be clenched between at least one upper side tooth and at least one lower side tooth within a user's mouth. A fluid delivery tube is slidingly engaged with the bite-piece. The fluid delivery tube is configured to direct a flow of water onto a tonsil and to wash debris from the tonsil.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 a bite-piece, the bite piece has a longitudinal axis and the bite-piece is configured to be clenched between at least one upper side tooth and at least one lower side tooth within a user's mouth; and   a fluid delivery tube, the fluid delivery tube is slidingly engaged with the bite-piece, the fluid delivery tube is configured to direct a flow of water onto a tonsil and to wash debris from the tonsil.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the bite-piece further comprising:
 an alignment groove, the alignment groove extends along the longitudinal axis such that when the bite-piece is clenched between the at least one upper side tooth and the at least one lower side tooth the longitudinal axis becomes coincident with a tooth line.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2  wherein the alignment groove is a concavity within a surface of the bite-piece. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the longitudinal axis makes an acute angle with the tooth line. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid delivery tube functions as a support for a handle. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the fluid delivery tube further comprising:
 a head, the head contains a plurality of holes configured for water to pass through and to direct water onto a tonsil when the bite-piece is clenched between the at least one upper side tooth and the at least one lower side tooth.   
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a gag reflex is suppressed when the bite-piece is clenched between the at least one upper side tooth and the at least one lower side tooth. 
     
     
         8 . A method comprising:
 applying a biting force to a bite-piece, the biting force is applied by a user's teeth, wherein the bite-piece is held inside of the user's mouth and a gag reflex is suppressed by the applying; and   spraying fluid onto a tonsil during the applying, wherein fluid flows through a fluid delivery tube and out of a fluid delivery head during the spraying.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the spraying sprays fluid on both tonsils substantially simultaneously. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the biting force is applied with a plurality of lower teeth. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the biting force is applied with a plurality of upper teeth. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 aligning a longitudinal axis of the bite-piece relative to a tooth-line during the applying in order to locate the tonsil for the spraying.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the bite-piece is slidingly engaged with the fluid delivery tube and the aligning permits the fluid delivery tube to spray fluid onto to the tonsil. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the fluid delivery tube can spray fluid substantially simultaneously onto both tonsils. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 rubbing the tonsil with an end of the fluid delivery tube, wherein the rubbing can clean debris from the tonsil while a gag reflex is suppressed by the applying.   
     
     
         16 . An apparatus comprising:
 a bite-piece, the bite-piece has a longitudinal axis, and substantially parallel upper and lower surfaces, at least one of the substantially parallel upper and lower surfaces includes a concavity extending along the longitudinal axis, the bite-piece is configured to be clenched between a user's teeth and as the user applies biting pressure to the bite-piece on the substantially parallel upper and lower surfaces, the concavity causes the longitudinal axis of the bite-piece to become substantially parallel with a tooth line of the user's teeth; and   a fluid delivery tube, the fluid delivery tube having a first end and a second end, the first end is sized to be grasped by the user external to the user's mouth and the first end is configured to receive fluid, the second end is sized to be located within the mouth and to spray fluid onto the tonsil and the fluid delivery tube is configured to translate through the bite-piece.   
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the fluid delivery tube is slidingly engaged with the bite-piece. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the fluid delivery tube is rotatably engaged with the bite-piece. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 a cleaning head, the cleaning head has a longitudinal axis, the cleaning head is releasably coupleable to the second end and the longitudinal axis of the cleaning head forms an angle with a longitudinal axis of the fluid delivery tube.   
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the cleaning head has an end that can make contact with the user and the end has a radius of curvature. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus of  claim 20  wherein the cleaning head is selected from the group consisting of a brush attachment, a cotton swab attachment, and a rubber attachment. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the second end further comprises a plurality of holes configured to allow fluid to pass through. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the second end has a rounded shape to minimize excitation of a gag reflex within the user. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein the fluid is selected from the group consisting of water and an antiseptic solution.