You must change your toothbrush every few months; this is the device that your dentist, in fact, everyone’s dentist gives out. But do you really have to? Well, not with the Goodwell open-source toothbrush! This toothbrush is best defined as a “technologically modern take on the conventional toothbrush and oral hygiene”. It has been created from materials that are environment friendly and shall last for a lifetime. According to Goodwell, 300 plastic toothbrushes are thrown into trash every year in America alone. With this smart invention, Industrial designer Patrick Triato hopes to reduce the amount of plastic that gets accumulated in the Great Pacific garbage patch.
The most amazing component of this toothbrush is the handle created from aluminum that is medical-grade. The handle can be fixed with a number of attachments that are interchangeable and environment friendly, thus making the whole assembly work as a tooth-kit. The bristles have been created from charcoal fibers that are bio-degradable whereas the tongue scrapper and flossing attachment have been created from polished bamboo composite. You can simply have them in the compost instead of throwing them out in garbage. There is an optional subscription that allows for replacements to be provided to users every month.
The toothbrush can be unscrewed from beneath, allowing users to be able to store aspirin, toothpicks and other such stuff inside the handle. It can also serve as a home for a data tracker while being equipped with a 3-axis accelerometer and a microcontroller to keep check on oral hygiene and maintain records that can be accessed via an app or website. This smart toothbrush will be made available in Northern Hemisphere by spring 2015.
The device has been kept open-source and has also released CAD data to allow the users to reveal more interesting ideas for attachments. The company is also hoping for software engineers to come up with third party apps for the toothbrush. The Goodwell toothbrush has ben launched following a successful fundraising campaign. A single unit can be purchased for $59 and the complete kit with flosser, carry case and a tongue scrapper costs $79. So, who’s up for it?