Solar Toothbrush Could Eliminate the Need for Toothpaste

Then we first saw this new gadget, we thought “Oh, a mechanical toothbrush powered by the sun.” But that isn’t what this is. Instead of using solar rays to charge itself up, the toothbrush uses them to catalyze a powerful chemical reaction that could leave your mouth way cleaner than regular old brushing does.

“You see complete destruction of bacterial cells,” says Kunio Komiyama, the inventor of the device. Oh, and did we mention that no toothpaste is required?

Mechanical University of Saskatchewan dentistry professor emeritus Dr. Kunio Komiyama and his colleague Dr. Gerry Uswak are recruiting 120 teens willing to brush with a prototype light-powered toothbrush and sit in a dentist’s chair for a few extra inspections. The manufacturer, the Shiken company of Japan, is paying the researchers to investigate whether the brush, which causes a chemical reaction in the mouth, does a better job of eliminating plaque and bacteria than a conventional toothbrush.

Komiyama’s first model, which was described 15 years ago in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology, contained a titanium dioxide rod in the neck of the brush, just below the nylon bristles. It works when light shines on the wet rod, releasing electrons. Those electrons react with acid in the mouth, which helps break down plaque. No toothpaste is required.

Now Komiyama’s back with a newer model, the Soladey-J3X, which he says packs twice the chemical punch compared to the original. Protruding from the base of the brush is a solar panel, which transmits electrons to the top of the toothbrush through a lead wire. It won’t work in the dark, though – the brush needs about as much light as a solar-powered calculator would to operate.

No Need Of Tooth Paste On Tooth Brush Now

Japanese scientists are collaborating with an oral health company on a revolutionary toothbrush that uses electricity to make teeth pearly white and does away with the need for toothpaste.

First dreamed up 15 years ago by Dr. Kunio Komiyama, who is now a professor of dentistry at Canada’s University of Saskatchewan, the Soladey-J3X has a solar panel at its base that requires minimal amounts of light to transmit electrons to the head of the toothbrush through a titanium dioxide semiconductor embedded in the body.

Once there, the electrons react with acid that occurs naturally in the mouth, creating a chemical reaction that breaks down plaque and kills bacteria, according to Dr. Komiyama and his colleague, Dr. Gerry Uswak, dean of the university’s College of Dentistry.

Prototypes of the cutting-edge device have been developed by Shiken Inc. — “shi ken” translates as “dental health” in Japanese — and research is underway.

To date, according to the Osaka-based company, tests in cultures of bacteria that cause periodontal disease have shown that the process brought about the “complete destruction of bacterial cells,” as well as breaking down the plaque.

A study on 120 teenagers is presently underway to determine how they rate it in comparison with a regular toothbrush.

The gadget has already received the recognition of the oral care industry, winning first prize at the recent annual FDI World Dental Conference in Dubai, fighting off 170 other entrants.

Patents on the toothbrush have already been taken out in nine countries, including Japan, although the company says the product will not be released onto the market until the early months of next year. Price should be around 40 euros (4300 Japanese yen).