A toothbrush that generates its own electricity with every stroke could offer a new way to fight the microbes behind cavities and gum disease.
Conventional toothbrushes rely on physical scrubbing to remove plaque from teeth and gums. But even after a thorough brush, some bacteria remain and begin rebuilding plaque. To solve that problem, researchers have developed a self-powered toothbrush that converts the friction of brushing into an electrical charge. That electricity is intended to zap the plaque-promoting bacteria and keep them from colonizing teeth.
"It's great to have new approaches that actually enhance the effect of mechanical cleaning," said Nicholas Jakubovics, an oral microbiologist at Newcastle University in the U.K. who was not involved in the study. "The idea that the toothbrush surface itself is actively doing something is really interesting."
The experimental brush has bristles made from polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), a plastic that generates electricity when bent; these types of energy-pr...
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