What it does
ToothTickler is a dental detection device for children at tooth transition phase. It locates dental plaque through fluorescence imaging and stimulates saliva secretion to enhance the efficiency and enjoyment of caries detection.
Your inspiration
My cousin has a cavity but refuses to visit the dentist due to the clinic’s intimidating atmosphere and slow saliva tests. We learned that children at this age face higher cavity risks because gaps between new teeth trap plaque, and immature enamel is more vulnerable, so timely detection is crucial. Most home dental devices require direct contact with the teeth and are not suitable for those with missing teeth. We therefore want to design a detectation device that operates without direct tooth contact.
How it works
ToothTickler works through three main mechanisms. First, it applies gentle electrical stimulation (60-180 μA current) to the tip of the tongue, creating a sour taste sensation that naturally triggers saliva production. When the tongue presses against the front of the device, the saliva flows through teeth into tiny micro-grooves. Internal micro-channels then collect the saliva automatically for pH analysis. The acidity level indicates cavity risk: a pH below 6.2 suggests moderate risk (similar to orange juice acidity), while a pH below 5.5 signals high risk (comparable to soda acidity). A 405nm blue light causes bacterial plaque to glow red-orange, helping to identify problem areas, while healthy teeth appear blue-green. The entire detection process takes about 3 minutes, and results can be sent to mobile devices for easy monitoring.
Design process
In order to find a detection method that does not contact the tooth surface, we first thought of using a special liquid as a transition between the detector and the teeth. However, this method increases the use time and it is difficult to accurately detect a small amount of saliva. Then we found the electrical taste method, and selected sweetness and sourness. Simulating sweetness may alleviate children's desire for sweets, and simulating the detection action to the action of eating a lollipop. But we found that the conditions for causing sweetness are relatively harsh, and it is difficult to achieve perfect sweetness (it will be mixed with some burning sensation). Sourness can stimulate saliva secretion, and only the outer edge of the tongue needs to be stimulated (the sour taste buds are mainly distributed on the outer edge of the tongue), which coincides with the contact surface between the tongue and the detector. Therefore, stimulating sourness is a better choice. In terms of appearance, we investigated the average dentition width of children in the tooth replacement period (about 35mm) and designed the appropriate size of the front of the device. We all chose food-grade materials to ensure the safety of the detector.
How it is different
We focus on children in the tooth replacement period. First, the size of ToothTickle is suitable for children so it is more comfortable than ordinary products. Secondly, it induces sour taste and can shorten the time to collect enough saliva. And there is no need to touch the tooth surface during the whole process. Compared with some patch-type detection methods, it can collect saliva near the gums at the same time, which is more suitable for children who are missing some teeth in the tooth replacement period.
Future plans
In the future, we aim to develop disposable replacement heads for use in schools, public clinics, and other settings as public detectors for preliminary dental health assessments. We will test more electrode materials to ensure detection results are as accurate as possible. Additionally, we will develop a cleaning function to perform targeted teeth cleaning immediately after detection, further enhancing its effectiveness in protecting teeth.
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