Will We be Using Solar Power Instead of Toothpaste One Day?

Dr. Kunio Komiyama, a dentistry professor emeritus at the University of Saskatchewan, has invented a toothbrush that will not need toothpaste, but will clean teeth with solar power. He designed the first model 15 years ago and has been perfecting it since. His college friend, Dr. Gerry Uswak, is looking for recruits to test their latest model, the Soladey-J3X, and 120 teenagers will test to see how it compares to the traditional toothbrush and toothpaste.

The Soladey-J3X houses a solar panel at the base of the brush that transmits electrons to the head of the toothbrush with a lead wire. When the electrons reach the head, they react with acid in the mouth, creating a chemical reaction that breaks down plaque cells and kills other bacteria in the mouth. The toothbrush uses about the same amount of power as a traditional solar-powered calculator.

Komiyama and Uswak have tested the toothbrush on bacteria cultures that cause dental disease and Komiyama said that the toothbrush causes “complete destruction of bacterial cells.” The Soladey-J3X also won the first place prize at the annual FDI World Dental Conference in Dubai last month.

Source: Physorg.com