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Every year about 13 million teeth, including a significant number of wisdom teeth, are extracted in Germany. In order to reduce swelling, dentists generally advise patients to use ice packs on the outside of their cheeks for a few days after the surgery. However, patients often have trouble doing so in everyday activities. Christopher Maier from Stuttgart in Germany designed a head belt to hold ice packs in place to tackle this problem, which he submitted to a German-wide pupil contest. Dental Tribune ONLINE spoke with the 17-year-old grammar school student about his invention.
Dental Tribune ONLINE: Mr Maier, you recently presented the Gena-Strap, a special belt to ensure optimum cooling of the cheek after dental surgery, to the competition’s jury. Could you please explain how you came up with the idea?
My brother had three wisdom teeth extracted. In order to reduce the swelling and sooth the pain after the surgery, he had to keep his cheeks cool after the surgery. Holding the ice packs in place, however, prevented him from doing virtually anything else. As we could not find a sensible construction to hold the ice packs in place, we had to develop one ourselves.
How does the belt work exactly?
The belt consists of different polypropylene straps that can be adjusted to the head size of the patient with a chin-strap. In addition, Gore-Tex pockets, into which commercially available ice packs are inserted, can be fastened at cheek level.
The Gena-Strap offers a number of advantages: on the one hand, it ensures lasting cooling and the material does not irritate the skin; on the other hand, it allows patients to use their hands without restriction.
You competed against more than 600 participants and managed to go through to the contest semi-finals. What do you think your odds of winning the competition are?
Although my idea was well received and I expect to be in the finals, I cannot comment on my chances of winning the contest yet.
The jury said that my idea was good and very helpful. My family and friends were very enthusiastic about it and many of them, especially those who were about to have their wisdom teeth extracted, asked me if the belt was already available for purchase.
Do you think the Gena-Strap could be marketed successfully?
I am sure that many dental patients worldwide would buy it owing to the benefits of the product. The German dental market in particular holds great sales potential because tooth extractions are one of the most frequently performed procedures in Germany.
