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Microrobots can brush and floss teeth in a proof-of-concept study

penntoday.upenn.edu

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Re: Microrobots can brush and floss teeth in a proof-of-concept study

#141

Post by NikolaNovak »

throwamon wrote: post #101
NikolaNovak wrote: post #91

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've used regular $10-$25 electric tooth brush for a decade and assumed they're good enough. I've gotten Phillips Sonicare for holiday, and understanding that this is anecdotal evidence, I am shocked at its increased ability to dislodge food from the crevices. I could swear that sometimes the vibration it puts on the tooth, dislodges food from places it's not yet directly touching, just through the vibration through…

> Phillips Sonicare Which of them? There are many models, right?

It appears to me that they they are all "basically good enough" and very different to the $10-$25 electric brushes. My wife has fancy, I have basic model, and honestly we can't really tell the difference.

I don't really find value in timers, beeps, bluetooth, etc.

Re: Microrobots can brush and floss teeth in a proof-of-concept study

#142

Post by dubswithus »

LeonM wrote: post #119
kwanbix wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Where do you get them for 90? I only see them at 190 in Germany. https://www.idealo.de/preisvergleich/ProductCategory/3233.ht...

You can get it here for 99 euro in the Netherlands: https://www.bol.com/nl/nl/p/silk-n-toothwave-elektrische-tan...

https://silkn.eu/toothwave

This site has them for 250 euro. I assume that's the cheapest for a US customer that is ordering?

Oh, they don't ship to the US. How do US customers buy this?

Re: Microrobots can brush and floss teeth in a proof-of-concept study

#143

Post by doublerabbit »

linsomniac wrote: post #135

ProTip: I went from rarely flossing to basically every day with "this one weird trick": I now floss my teeth in the shower. I like staying in the shower a little longer, so the 2 minutes went from chore to luxury. And the amount of food I remove on a daily basis is astonishing!

You can brush your teeth in the shower too.

Re: Microrobots can brush and floss teeth in a proof-of-concept study

#144

Post by klipt »

Retric wrote: post #122
throwaway4837 wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wouldn't the mouthwash need abrasive particles as well? Part of why Listerine doesn't replace brushing and flossing is because it has a much smaller mechanical component in the washing process. The physical rubbing of bristles and wire through and around the teeth creates the physical abrasion that is necessary to remove large films of plaque. I imagine without any sort of abrasive, the liquid would need to be danger…

Preventing plaque formation avoids the need to remove it. Actually accomplishing that seems unlikely, but not impossible.

A keto diet without sugar or starch should prevent most plaque formation, shouldn't it?

Re: Microrobots can brush and floss teeth in a proof-of-concept study

#145

Post by rhinoceraptor »

bmau5 wrote: post #60

This is very interesting and has a lot of potential, especially for people who struggle to brush their teeth, but I think there's another future where brushing and flossing largely become obsolete. If we could develop a more effective mouthwash tailored to restoring each persons oral microbiome we could likely reduce the need for brushing and flossing and instead replace it with a daily mouth rinse that clears out fo…

Why not just continue the work that's already been done in developing GM strains of S. mutans that don't produce biofilms?

Re: Microrobots can brush and floss teeth in a proof-of-concept study

#146

Post by decebalus1 »

linsomniac wrote: post #135

ProTip: I went from rarely flossing to basically every day with "this one weird trick": I now floss my teeth in the shower. I like staying in the shower a little longer, so the 2 minutes went from chore to luxury. And the amount of food I remove on a daily basis is astonishing!

Your comment reminded me of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMQTg4Y0YT0

Re: Microrobots can brush and floss teeth in a proof-of-concept study

#147

Post by nso »

2Gkashmiri wrote: post #37
macinjosh wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you are in the US, like me, you might not be aware of Novamin toothpastes. They are available in other countries. It is my understanding that it can enclose dentin tubules exposed by enamel loss. This article provides some background: https://medium.com/@ravenstine/the-curious-history-of-novami...

I have, after years of deliberatng, decided to use an electric toothbrush. Its been 2 years and I want to know what I should be expecting. Maybe I am sleepy when I a brushing so I don't notice but asking still. Novamin sounds interesting. Its available here on amazon so I might splurge on it but again, what I am to expect out of it as opposed to regular Colgate ?

For me it removed that icy feeling.

Re: Microrobots can brush and floss teeth in a proof-of-concept study

#148

Post by rhinoceraptor »

Retric wrote: post #122
throwaway4837 wrote: post #111

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wouldn't the mouthwash need abrasive particles as well? Part of why Listerine doesn't replace brushing and flossing is because it has a much smaller mechanical component in the washing process. The physical rubbing of bristles and wire through and around the teeth creates the physical abrasion that is necessary to remove large films of plaque. I imagine without any sort of abrasive, the liquid would need to be danger…

Preventing plaque formation avoids the need to remove it. Actually accomplishing that seems unlikely, but not impossible.

There has been work done is creating GM S. mutans that don't produce biofilms, and that would replace your native S. mutans. It could be done by just brushing your teeth with a toothbrush treated with the bacteria so it would cost pennies per treatment.

Re: Microrobots can brush and floss teeth in a proof-of-concept study

#149

Post by Retric »

klipt wrote: post #144
Retric wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Preventing plaque formation avoids the need to remove it. Actually accomplishing that seems unlikely, but not impossible.

A keto diet without sugar or starch should prevent most plaque formation, shouldn't it?

No, a balanced keto diet might be moderately better than a normal diet in terms of plaque, but even wild cats living on a nearly 100% meat diet still get dental plaque.

Re: Microrobots can brush and floss teeth in a proof-of-concept study

#150

Post by jrootabega »

comeondude wrote: post #117
bmau5 wrote: post #98

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's it exactly. Some beneficial species play an active role in suppressing the pathogenic species (those that release acid or cause gum disease) and have other benefits including helping us break down dietary nitrate into nitric oxide, which is critical for heart/brain health. My company tests/researches the oral microbiome and we're starting to discover the signatures of what puts people in one group vs. the othe…

This is very cool. What’s your take on xytiol gums? Think they’re effective in changing our oral microdiome for the better?

I'm also curious about this, but unfortunately I think that's where it will end for me in practice. Even if xylitol is effective, it seems the xylitol you'll get in any products (at least in the US) is going to be industrial byproduct from sketchy unregulated sources, just with greenwashed packaging. If there is a gum or rinse out there that is transparent and credible about their source of xylitol, and it's a source you can trust with your health, I'd love to try it out.

(I admit that you can probably say the same thing about any toothpaste you can buy in the US. But those have at least some additional benefits from regulation.)

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