New Brush Prototype Boasts Bacteria Removal Simply Using Sunlight-

The Shiken Company of Japan has developed a new solar-powered toothbrush which is so powerful that it may eliminate the need for toothpaste. Two dental researchers with the company, Dr. Kunio Komiyama and Dr. Gerry Uswak, are set out to determine whether the innovative brush will do a better job of reducing plaque and bacteria than the standard. The two doctors are searching for 120 teens willing to use the prototype and sit in a dentist chair for an array of inspections. Komiyama’s first model, which was featured 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 begins to operate when light shines on the wet rod, which in turn releases electrons. As those electrons react with acid in the mouth, it helps to break down plaque – sans toothpaste. According to Komiyama, his newer model — the Soladey-J3X — works twice as effectively compared with the original. The Soladey-J3X includes a solar panel that extends past the base of the brush, which transmits electrons to the top of the toothbrush through a lead wire. However it cannot be used in the dark, as it requires the same amount of solar energy that a solar-powered calculator would need to operate. Komiyama has tested the newest brush on cultures of two types of bacteria which are major causes linked to periodontal disease. “You see complete destruction of bacterial cells,” he said. Last month, at the FDI Annual World Dental Conference in Dubai, the company’s poster illustrating the lab research snagged first prize out of 170 entries.