Hand-actuated rotatable toothbrush

The method of applying rotational brush strokes to teeth in response to hand-powered longitudinally reciprocating motion of a handle of a toothbrush, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) positionally stabilizing a brush head of said toothbrush relative to the handle by frictionally engaging tooth surfaces with a projection secured in fixed relation to the brush head in order to oppose longitudinal movement of said brush head due to longitudinal reciprocation of said handle;
• (b) longitudinally sliding said handle back and forth within said brush head in response to longitudinal reciprocation of said handle when said projection is in frictional engagement with said tooth surfaces;
• and
• (c) in response to said back and forth sliding of said handle within said brush head, rotating a plurality of rotatable brush bristles secured to said head about an axis oriented generally perpendicular to said longitudinal sliding motion.

A brush comprising:

• a handle having a distal portion;
• a brush head having a first surface;
• a first plurality of tufts of brush bristles fixedly mounted on said first surface;
• a generally cylindrical rotatable brush member mounted on said brush head for rotation about an axis oriented generally parallel to said bristles in said first plurality of tufts;
• a second plurality of tufts of brush bristles mounted on said rotatable brush member to extend generally parallel to said bristles in said first plurality of tufts;
• means for slidably securing said distal handle portion to said brush head to permit longitudinal movement of said handle relative to said brush head;
• and
• motion conversion means responsive to longitudinal movement of said distal handle portion within said brush head for rotating said rotatable brush member and said second plurality of tufts about said axis.