Solar power your toothbrush

Greenbang often wishes there was a way to make teeth more green. Not literally – why, that would be unpleasant, reeking of Victorian standards of hygiene or a Dr Seuss cartoon.

No, making the electric toothbrush more green. Thankfully, some wily soul has come up with an answer. Canada.com explains it thus:

University of Saskatchewan dentistry professor emeritus Dr. Kunio Komiyama and his colleague Dr. Gerry Uswak are recruiting 120 teens willing to brush with a prototype light-powered toothbrush and sit in a dentist’s chair for a few extra inspections.

The manufacturer, the Shiken company of Japan, is paying the researchers to investigate whether the brush, which causes a chemical reaction in the mouth, does a better job of eliminating plaque and bacteria than a conventional toothbrush.

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The toothbrush uses titanium dioxide which, when wet and illuminated, react with acids in the mouth to break down plaque, no less.