Solar-powered toothbrush needs no toothpaste

Canadian researchers have designed a toothbrush that cleans your teeth by creating a solar-powered chemical reaction in your mouth, doing away with the need for toothpaste.

Dr. Kunio Komiyama, a dentistry professor emeritus at the University of Saskatchewan, designed the first model of the unconventional toothbrush 15 years ago.

Today, Komiyama and his colleague, Dr. Gerry Uswak, are seeking recruits to test their newest model, the Soladey-J3X. The toothbrush, which is manufactured by the Shiken company of Japan, will soon be tested by 120 teenagers to see how it compares to a regular toothbrush.

The way the Soladey-J3X works is it has a solar panel at its base that transmits electrons to the top of the toothbrush through a lead wire. The electrons react with acid in the mouth, creating a chemical reaction that breaks down plaque and kills bacteria. The toothbrush does not need toothpaste, and can operate with approximately the same amount of light as needed by a solar-powered calculator.

The researchers have already tested the toothbrush with bacteria cultures known to cause periodontal disease, and demonstrated that the brush causes “complete destruction of bacterial cells,” Komiyama said.