Click: A Manual Force-Sensing Toothbrush

Rudnik, Katelin; Casserly, Matthew; Smith, Allison; Bailey, Emma

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Click: A Manual Force-Sensing Toothbrush

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Teeth are important features of the body. They aid in many aspects of life including communicating, breaking down nutrients to survive, and even playing a role in overall health. Therefore, having clean, plaque-free teeth is crucial to keeping them healthy to provide these benefits. Our project addresses a global oral health problem. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recorded that about 3.5 billion people were affected by oral diseases in 2020 [1]. Many individuals do not know how to properly brush their teeth and therefore do not practice proper oral hygiene habits. This causes several oral health complications, such as cavities, gum disease, tooth decay, and oral infections, which can spread throughout the body. We propose a solution wherein the user can develop proper oral hygiene habits, resulting in better oral health amongst our target population. Our proposed solution is a toothbrush that enables optimal oral health by including an auditory mechanism that signals to the user when appropriate force is applied to the teeth to remove dental plaque. The outcome of our project is an affordable and recyclable manual toothbrush that ensures proper brushing techniques for users to achieve optimal dental health. This design features a mechanical, auditory mechanism that indicates when proper force is applied to the teeth, and is low-cost to produce, making it accessible to all people.

This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

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