Solar-Powered Toothbrush being developed
September 13, 2010
Those sci-fi movie visions of the future might not be that far off anymore, at least when it comes to dental hygiene. An
electric toothbrush is currently in development that uses solar energy to clean teeth, without the need for toothpaste!
This
toothbrush, called The
Soladey-J3X, is currently being developed by Canadian dental professionals in conjunction with a Japanese manufacturer. This toothbrush holds a solar panel at the base of the brush that transmit negatively-charged electrons to the toothbrush head. Once the electrons reach your teeth, they react with acids in the mouth that cause a chemical reaction. This reaction kills bacteria in the mouth and breaks down plaque, cleaning the teeth and the mouth.
The toothbrush has been tested on bacteria cultures that cause dental disease, and has been said to cause ‘complete destruction of bacterial cells'.
As cool as this toothbrush sounds, it still has its faults, all stemming from the fact that there is no toothpaste involved. Toothpaste does more than just remove bacteria and plaque, which are the only functions this toothbrush provides. Most toothpastes contain compounds, like fluoride, that provide benefits such as fighting cavities,
rebuilding enamel, whitening teeth,
freshening breath, etc. But without toothpaste, this toothbrush might have some trouble keeping your oral hygiene at its best.
Be that as it may, it will be interesting to see how this toothpaste-less brush develops. New and interesting innovations like these are what dentist.net is all about!
