The document discusses the evolution of toothbrush technology, tracing its history from early natural tools to modern innovations such as powered and mouthpiece toothbrushes. It details specification guidelines for toothbrush design, types of bristles, and various brushing techniques, while also highlighting advancements in sustainable and efficient designs. Notable products include the Amabrush, Ufunbrush, and Hibrush, which aim to enhance the user experience and improve oral hygiene efficiency.

1. A look at the new
toothbrush technologies
SUBMITTED BY:
Dr. Ritu Gupta
Intern (Batch 2013-14)

2. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
 Initially, aromatic plants like chewing twings
were used and Meswak from Arak trees were
used
 Then Chinese invented the modern toothbrush
in the year 1600
 In 1780, William Addis designed a toothbrush
with bone handle and hog bristles
 In 1900, celluloid (plastic) brushes with bone
handle were introduced.
 In World War II – nylon bristles were introduced.

3. ADA SPECIFICATIONS OF A TOOTHBRUSH
THE HEAD OF THE BRUSH SHOULD BE:
a. 1-1.25 inches long
b. 2-4 rows of bristles
c. 5/16 to 3/8 inches wide
d. 5-12 tufts per row
e. 80-60 bristles per tuft

4. DESIGN OF THE TOOTHBRUSH
 A toothbrush consists of handle, shank and
head
 It has bristles, which when bunched together
are called tufts
 The extreme end of the head is toe and that,
close to the handle is the heel.
a. Size- large, medium and small
b. Lateral profile- flat , convex , concave and
scalloped

5. BRISTLES
 2 types of bristles are available, nylon
(synthetic) and natural (hog)
 Nylon bristles are preferred
 Natural bristles are more susceptible to
breakage and fraying, contamination with
bacteria is high

6. HARDNESS
Depends on material, diameter and length.
a. Nylon bristles are more flexible
b. Soft : 0.007-0.009 inches (No. 7,8,9)
c. Medium : 0.010-0.012 inches (No. 10,11,12)
d. Hard : 0.013-0.014 inches (No. 13,14)
e. Extra hard : 0.015 inches (No. 15)
If the bristles are soft , they should be set
close. If they are hard they should be more
widely spaced.

7. HANDLE DESIGN
a. Straight
b. Angulation in the shank
c. Indentation of handle for a better grip
i) Frequency of brushing-every 12 hours
ii) Frequency of change of brush-every 3
months
iii) Length of brushing time- initially 10-20
minutes is required until the patient
becomes
more precise. Later 3-5 min may suffice.

8. BRUSHING MOTIONS IN BRUSHING TECHNIQUES
1.HORIZONTAL
a. Reciprocating (scrub)
2.VIBRATORY
a. Bass method
b. Stillman’s method
c. Charter’s method
3.VERTICAL SWEEPING
a. Rolling stroke
b. Modified Bass
c. Modified Stillman’s
d. Leonard
e. Smith-Bell (physiological technique)
4.Rotary (Fones’) technique

9. INSTRUCTIONS IN BRUSHING
 It should be started on the last /terminal teeth
 Three teeth are covered at a time
 20 strokes are used in each area
 Overzealous brushing can lead to gingival
recession, wedge shaped defects in the
cervical areas of root surfaces and painful
ulceration of the gingiva. This type of brushing
technique should be identified and
discouraged
 To maintain cleaning efficacy toothbrushes
must be replaced as soon as the bristles begin

10. POWERED TOOTHBRUSHES
 They were introduced in 1939. Various types
of motions used in powered toothbrushes
are:
 Reciprocal or ‘back and forth’
 Circular
 Elliptical or combination

11. POWERED TOOTHBRUSHES ARE
RECOMMENDED FOR:
 Individuals lacking fine motor skills
 Small children or handicapped or
hospitalized patients who need to have their
teeth cleaned by someone else
 Patients with orthodontic appliances
 Patients who prefer them

12. AREAS IN WHICH TECHNOLOGY IN TOOTHBRUSH
IS IMPROVING:
 SUSTAINABILITY – brushes that can be
recycled
 EFFICIENCY- brushes that clean your teeth
 CONNECTEDNESS- brushes that send
information to your smartphone to assist with
brushing

13. 1. MOUTHPIECE TOOTHBRUSH
 A mouthpiece or mouthguard
toothbrush is a new style of dental
health product that cleans all the
teeth at the same time
 A moulded (often silicone)
component is placed into mouth and
bitten into
 Connecting to a control / power unit
that sits outside of the mouth, when
powered on the bristles inside the U
shaped mouthpiece clean the front,
back and chewing surfaces of both
the upper and lower teeth
simultaneously

14. PRODUCTS AVAILABLE:
I) AMABRUSH
1. Cleaning time : 10 seconds
2. First company/brand to manufacture
mouthguard toothbrushes
3. These toothbrushes reduce brushing
time, but clean your teeth for longer
4. Better cleaning than regular electric
toothbrush
5. Uses BASS method approach in tooth
cleaning

15. II)UFUNBRUSH
 Cleaning time: 10 seconds
 Aimed more at children being
the primary users, with ‘fun’
stickers being attached to the
mouthpiece to make it more
fun and enjoyable to use.
 Available in range of colours
with different sized
mouthpieces to fit the mouths
of children from ages 3+ to
adults
 It is the only one to be
powered by a removable

16. III) UNICO SMARTBRUSH
 Cleaning time: 3 seconds
 Offers different sized mouthpieces as well as
modular storage system with UV sanitizer
and more

17. IV) HIBRUSH
 World’s first fully automatic toothbrush –provides
with effortless b dentist approved cleaning
 3 modes to choose from :
a. cleaning
b. teeth whitening
c. massage mode
 SPECIFICATIONS:
a.360 Ultrasound cleaning
b. Waterproof
c. 4h run time- that’s 60-80 brushes
d.100% non- toxic, food grade silicone
e. Micro USB charging port

18. HIGH EFFICIENCY:
 The 360 auto clean technique removes all
contamination completely in just 10
seconds.
 Antibacterial effect helps recover healthy
oral flora
 Ultrasound helps gently break away
stubborn plaques and stuck food between
teeth.

19. WHITE TEETH:
 Whitening mode uses UV teeth whitening
technology
 Combines it with a deep and gentle
ultrasonic massage , to lift stains form the
enamel
 A daily treatment of 15 minutes will lead to
complete results in less than 30 days as
claimed by the manufacturers.

20. ULTRA HEALTHY:
 FDA- approved. The mouth tray is made
from extra soft silicone.
 Hardwearing and food grade, this ensures
maximum durability combined with
unmatched comfort

21. ENVIRONMENT FRIENDLY /
BIODEGRADABLE BRUSHES AND
REPLACEMENT HEADS

22. I) BE (BEYOND ELECTRIC)
 100% biodegradable and compostable
toothbrush
 It is powered by kinetic energy , meaning no
batteries required
 To use Be, you give a dial on the bottom of
brush two short twists and then press a button
to power it on and off. These 2 twists are
enough to last for a 2 minute brushing of your
teeth.
 Advantage : it’s footprint on the planet is much
lower.

24. II) TOOTHSHOWER
 Toothshower is a toothbrush
cum water flosser that you
install in your shower.
 It uses the water pressure from
your shower as a power
source- no electricity is
needed
 Advantage : i) not as fiddly as
string floss
ii) not as messy as countertop
water flosser

25. III) BOIE TOOTH BRUSH
 100% recyclable toothbrush.
 It also has silver, which has antimicrobial
properties, embedded into toothbrush head

26. 6.BENJAMIN BRUSH
 Manufacturer: BleepBleeps
 Aims to make brushing more
enjoyable activity by playing
music via a built in speaker
while you brush
 Waterproof and charged via
USB
 Two varieties available – one for
kids and one for adults

27. 8. GENIUS 9000 AND SONICARE DIAMOND
CLEAN SMART
 Manufacturers : Braun Oral-B and Philips
Sonicare
 Standout features include the way in which they
connect to your smartphone using Bluetooth
and shows you via an app how well you are
brushing your teeth.
 Makes use of microchipped brush heads which
tracks the usage and then notifies you via a
yellow light on the brush when it’s time to be
replaced

28. Genius 9000
Sonicare diamond
cleansmart

29. REFERENCE LINKS:
 https://www.electricteeth.co.uk/toothbrush-
technology-2018
 https://www.electricteeth.co.uk/mouthpiece-
toothbrush

30. REFERENCE BOOKS AND ARTICLES:
 Carranza’s CLINICAL PERIODONTOLOGY 11TH
edition Volume I and II
 Lang NP,Lindhe J. Textbook of clinical periodontology
and implant dentistry. 6th ed.
 Mandal et al. New dimensions in mechanical plaque
control: An overview
 Clayton NC. Current concepts in toothbrushing and
interdental cleaning. Periodontol 2000 2008;48:10-22
 Bhaskar SN et al. Water jet devices in dental practice.
J Periodontol 1971;42:658-64
 Van der Weijdan Ga, Slot DE. Interdental oral
hygiene: The evidence; Hongkong 2012. p .1-18