Forget Toothbrushes—There Are Now Tiny Shapeshifting Bots That Brush Your Teeth

The days of brushing teeth with our own hands could soon be behind us. Microrobots that can brush and floss your teeth are being developed at the University of Pennsylvania.  

The robots take the shape of tiny bristles, and brushing is not all they can do; the robots also emit antimicrobials to get rid of bad bacteria in your mouth. The iron oxide nanoparticles constitute its makeup, triggering hydrogen-peroxide which creates an agent that kills bacteria. 

A major problem with toothbrushes is their inability to get into hard-to-reach areas in your mouth, causing bacteria to fester. The robots solve this problem by shapeshifting to get into the difficult parts of your mouth. The iron oxide also allows the bots to be controlled by magnetic fields. This is what gives them their metamorphosizing qualities, as a magnet gives them the ability to change between operating as a regular toothbrush and a string of floss. 

Iron oxide nanoparticles constitute their makeup, allowing them to be maneuvered through magnetic fields. The microrobots’ flexibility allows for them to be used as normal toothbrushes and even double as thin floss.   

A robotic microswarm may one day automate the routine of rinsing, brushing, and flossing teeth. A team of @PennDentalMed & @PennEngineers researchers developed the technology, which employs shapeshifting microbots to clean teeth. https://t.co/vFkEVRLGvK

— Penn (@Penn) July 6, 2022

The robots were put through rigorous testing on different tooth-like surfaces to gain a better understanding of how they would move in the mouth. Eventually, they were tested on a real human. Before being placed in the mouth, the nano bristles were arranged to comfortably sit in the mouth.   

The engineers at the university published their findings first on ACS Nano, outlining that the robots effectively removed plaque and biofilms to a degree that humans could not when performing regular brushing. The magnetic fields used to power the microbots could also control the stiffness and length of the bristles in the mouth, giving the user the potential to fit them to their needs.   

The robot’s hands-free ability opens the doors for many who suffer from dexterity problems, enabling them to regain independence. The team at the University of Pennsylvania is continuously finding ways to improve the system so that it can be used in clinics and at home.   

[via New Atlas and Phys Org, Photo 193697792 © Konevaelvira | Dreamstime.com]