Technological Item Breakdown of The Electric Toothbrush: A Cleaner Way of Brushing Your Teeth and Maintaining Good Hygiene

What is an electric toothbrush? An electric toothbrush is a toothbrush with automatic spin brushes known for brushing teeth, similar to manually used toothbrushes but operates with electricity. In general, Babylonians and Egyptians created the first toothbrush in 3500 BCE out of stick twigs. Coarse hairs taken from the back of a hog’s neck and attached to handles made of bone or bamboo were how the toothbrush bristles were made. Dupont de Nemours introduced the nylon bristles in 1938 after the boar’s hairs (cited from Howard Farran DDS’s Facebook.)

     The very first electric toothbrush was created in 1954 by Dr. Philippe Guy Woog in Switzerland. The brush made its introduction in France before being introduced to the American Dental Association (ADA) in 1959. However, the main problem with the original design was its reliance on using an electrical outlet to provide the power. Broxo S.A. in America later introduced the device to America. During the 1960s, General Electric designed the first portable electric toothbrush using batteries.  However, due to its bulky size and short battery life, the brush was difficult to use, and the batteries were irreplaceable. Therefore, the brush had to be replaced when the batteries died for good (cited from Barron Family Dental and Bhandal Dental Practice.)

     Dentists advertise electric toothbrushes to people worldwide because they decrease the number of bacteria (plaque) that cause periodontal and gum diseases, resulting in a more feasible way of cleaning teeth and maintaining good hygiene.

Item Description: The Parts of the Electric Toothbrush

Outer Case/Brush Head     The outer case is the component that holds all the parts together inside the electric toothbrush. The outer part utilizes the control buttons on/off and the arrow to guide you to the different settings of how you brush your teeth. The head of the electric toothbrush connects with the outer layer (or can be adjustable/removable), so whenever the on/off button is pressed, the bristles of the brush spin fast to clean our teeth. Electric toothbrushes today include removable heads because, over time, the bristles/hairs on the head will become worn down and, therefore, less effective at keeping your teeth and mouth clean. Replacing the head of the toothbrush is crucial to maintaining good oral hygiene.

Figure 1: Outer case/body of an electric toothbrush (own photo)

Figure 2: Electric Toothbrush Head (own photo)

Metal Link Rod

    The metal rod is the material that connects the electric toothbrush body and the heads, making the toothbrush able to function. The subcomponents are utilized by a metal shaft and shaft rubber seals to form the connection of the toothbrush.

Figure 3: The components of the metal rod for the electric toothbrush (Kmart)

Motor

     Electric toothbrushes have a motor inside the outer case for the brush to run. When activated, the motor will begin to spin as energy is taken through the circuit board and to it, producing a brushing motion to the brush head. The cam and gear system connected to the motor can create both back-and-forth and side-to-side motions, replicating the effect you would get from using a manual toothbrush. If your electric toothbrush has multiple modes, the setting you select will be able to dictate the movement of the motor.

Figure 4: Variety of motors used for the electric toothbrush (depending on the brand and design) (Alibaba)

Battery

     Electric toothbrushes work as a power source from an in-built rechargeable battery. The power drawn from the battery is what makes the electric motor inside the brush spin, which in turn is what cleans your teeth. Battery power will vary depending on the brush and will run out faster depending on which cleaning mode you choose. Most electric toothbrushes use rechargeable batteries, which an inductive charger can replenish. However, some use replaceable batteries, in which case you dispose of the old ones and insert new ones when the battery runs out.

Figure 5: Inductive charging station for the electric toothbrush (own photo)

Circuit Board     When you turn your electric toothbrush on or pick a particular setting, you trigger a switch on the circuit board. These switches tell the motor how to move and are made possible by tiny memory chips on the inside circuit. Circuit boards also indicate battery life or cleaning mode, as LED lights attached to the board activate when necessary.

Figure 6: The subparts that make up the circuit board of the electric toothbrush (Righto Ken Sirriff)

Pressure Sensor

     Some brushes feature pressure sensors, which help keep your oral health in check. When cleaning your teeth, feedback passes through the brush. The pressure sensor guides how to brush with the right amount of pressure to protect gums. The ring lights up green when optimal pressure is applied and red when too hard.

Figure 7: The LED light effect when brushing teeth and using too much force (Crest Oral B Shop)

Conclusion

     In conclusion to the technological description, electric toothbrushes are starting to become the presently used brushes in our everyday life when we brush our teeth, replacing the manual toothbrushes we all formerly used. All the components discussed in the description provide a cleaner, more effective way of maintaining healthy teeth and reducing the risk of periodontal and gum diseases. Therefore, it contributes to what dentists advertise for people to use. Regardless of the price and replaceable heads, electric toothbrushes can help time how long we brush our teeth, reach the back teeth a manual toothbrush couldn’t, and provide a faster, more effective process for brushing our teeth.

References:

Barron Family Dental: The Electric Toothbrush Has Come A Long Way Since 1954 (Dr. Jessica Barron, D.M.D.):

The Electric Toothbrush Has Come A Long Way Since 1954

Bellabathrooms: https://www.bellabathrooms.co.uk/blog/how-do-electric-toothbrushes-work/

Bhandal Dentist Practice: The History and Use of the Electric Toothbrush: https://www.bhandaldentistry.co.uk/news/history-and-use-of-the-electric-toothbrush

Facebook (Howard Farran DDS): https://m.facebook.com/HowardFarran/posts/the-history-of-toothbrushes-tooth-brushing-tools-date-back-to-3500-3000-bc-when-/1572598242782556/

Library of Congress (Science Reference Section): https://www.loc.gov/everyday-mysteries/technology/item/who-invented-the-toothbrush-and-when-was-it-invented/#:~:text=The%20toothbrush%20as%20we%20know,were%20rubbed%20against%20the%20teeth