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PubMed · 15016029

Does cavitation occur around powered toothbrushes?

S C Lea·G J Price·A D Walmsley
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Abstract

AIMS/OBJECTIVES: The aim of this investigation was to determine if cavitational activity occurred around powered toothbrushes using a chemical dosimeter system based on terephthalic acid (TA). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Five powered toothbrushes were used in this investigation: Braun Plaque Remover D8, Braun Oral-B 3D, Philips Jordan Sensiflex HX2520, Sonicare PS-1 and Sonicare Elite HX 7351/02. Each brush head was inserted into a conical flask containing 50 cm3 of aqueous TA solution. Brushes were operated for 10 and 20 min and a cuvette of the solution was placed in a fluorescence spectrometer (Perkin Elmer 3000). The fluorescence emitted at wavelength 425 nm, which is proportional to *OH radical concentration, was monitored. RESULTS: Any cavitational activity that may have been produced by the powered toothbrushes was below the limit of detection of the system (<10(-8) M) for the timescales investigated. CONCLUSIONS: This work has demonstrated that cavitational activity does not occur around powered toothbrushes. Operating the toothbrushes for periods up to 20 min resulted in no cavitational activity being detected.

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Equipment DesignHumansHydroxyl RadicalMaterials TestingPhthalic AcidsSpectrometry, FluorescenceTime FactorsToothbrushingVacuumJournal ArticleResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

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S C Lea, G J Price, A D Walmsley. 2004. Does cavitation occur around powered toothbrushes?. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0303-6979.2004.00530.x

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