What-is-it question CLXI part two

[Granmaa]

The box in the first half of this post was a tooth powder box from this set of oral tools. Included is a tooth brush, a tongue scraper and a tool which has two purposes: picking teeth and what else?

Miles


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[JLDoggett]

Tooth-pick.
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[Granmaa]

That's what one end is used for, but how about the other?

Miles
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[2209patrick]

Maybe a scaling instrument ?

Pat.
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[dognose]

Or maybe a device for assisting the replacement of the brush head?

Trev.
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[Granmaa]

I don't think it's for removing brush heads, but it is for removing something, possibly two things.
Pat, what is scaling?

Miles
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[2209patrick]

Hi Miles.

My reference says a "scaler" was used to remove tartar from the enamel.

Pat.
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[Granmaa]

I don't think it's suited to that, Pat.
I think it's probably for removing the dirt from underneath finger nails. It has also been suggested to me that it was to draw out the powder box, but I'm not sure that's likely.

Miles


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[rynegold]

I think that is exactly what it is for: why else the stud? and does the "U" shaped end of the pick not fit the stud's neck exactly?

I appears to do so in your pic.

regards, m
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[Granmaa]

It doesn't fit exactly, but it's quite close. The reason why I doubt that use is that it should be perfectly easy to use the stub to pull the box out with your fingers. It isn't possible to be sure in this case though, because the bottom has become detached from the cardboard box, so I don't know how far down the powder box would have rested.

Miles
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[admin]

Miles,
If one wound a thread around the hooks in the end, is the U of the bow created large enough to use the implement as a flossing device? I have no idea how old the practice of flossing is, but it is so low tech that it may have been around for centuries.
http://www.alibaba.com/product/rightech ... evice.html

Regards, Tom
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