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.
The experimental brush has bristles made from polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), a plastic that generates electricity when bent; these types of energy-producing materials are called piezoelectric. As the bristles flex during brushing, they produce an electrical charge that then triggers chemical reactions in saliva and water. These reactions release reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are highly reactive molecules that can damage bacterial cells.
In laboratory tests where the toothbrush was used on isolated germs, its electrified bristles killed more than half of the Streptococcus mutans bacteria present. These microbes contribute to tooth decay. By comparison, nylon bristles killed just 9% of the bacteria. They also reduced levels of Porphyromonas gingivalis, a bacterium linked to gum disease, by up to 78%, while nylon brushes reduced them by less than 8%.
The team also found that the activity of certain genes in both S. mutans and P. gingivalis fell after exposure to the electrified bristles. These genes are involved in making ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters — molecular pumps that help shuttle essential nutrients across bacterial cell membranes. The researchers suspect that disrupting this machinery makes it harder for these microbes to survive and cling to teeth.
The new toothbrush still needs to be tested in further safety trials. (Image credit: Kathrin Ziegler via Getty Images)The researchers also tested the new brush against plaque biofilms — hardy communities of bacteria that stick together and cling to tooth surfaces. For the experiment, they grew human dental plaque on cow tooth enamel and found that the brush removed more than 99% of the biofilm, outperforming a regular nylon brush.
By the end of the trial, the participants who used the electrified bristles had less plaque, less gum inflammation and less bleeding than the participants who used ordinary brushes. Plaque samples also showed that the people who used electrified brushes had lower levels of bacteria associated with oral disease and higher levels of beneficial bacteria, which have previously been reported to suppress harmful oral bacteria and support oral health.
Related storiesThe researchers think that the disease-linked bacteria may have relatively fragile cell membranes, making them more vulnerable to damage from ROS than the beneficial bacteria. That's a theory that requires further study, though, so it's not completely clear how selective the brush is against plaque-causing bacteria.
"We would want to make sure that it is safe on the tissues for long-term use," Jakubovics said. He noted that, in lab tests, bacteria are grown directly on the bristles and exposed to their electricity for hours, "whereas in reality, in the mouth, your bristle is only in contact with the tooth or oral tissue for a very short time."
This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to offer medical advice.
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