A dental hygiene system provided with interchangeable dental heads permits
power-enhanced brushing and concurrent fluid irrigation to optimize a
user's personal dental hygiene efforts. The system has a handle assembly
with an irrigation nozzle in close proximity to displaceable bristles
driven by a battery-operated handle motor. Pumping of irrigation fluid
such as an antiseptic solution into the oral cavity is also motor driven.
A telescoping chamber with irrigation fluid fits on the piston-like base
end of the handle and is refilled by docking the handle assembly on a
complementary docking station that includes a detachable fluid reservoir,
microswitch controls and a base fluid pump. Docking of the handle
assembly triggers the microswitches and opens a check valve in the bottom
of the handle chamber, which activates the flow of fluid from the
reservoir into the chamber. An optional fiberoptic subassembly
illuminates the oral cavity.