I-Corps: Full Arch Device for a Comprehensive Dental Hygiene Routine

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is that the proposed device will disrupt the dental industry. This novel oral hygiene device will ultimately replace the need to brush teeth. The initial market will be dental implants and prosthetics in adult patients in the United States. With epidemiological data projecting an expanding elderly population, this device will be beneficial for geriatric populations that especially lack access to cost-effective and quality oral health care. If successful, the envisioned device will be a high-impact innovation that revolutionizes personalized oral hygiene care and heightens the standards and quality of care. This I-Corps project is based on the development of a novel comprehensive oral hygiene device that capitalizes on the science behind fluid dynamics and sanitization using light therapy. Fluid jet will be used to target high-risk dental areas at once. The envisioned device will significantly enhance the effectiveness of fluid-based plaque debridement. Furthermore, by incorporating a novel light-sensitive fluid, the system will completely disinfect all areas of the mouth to simplify the dental hygiene routine. This device challenges the existing oral health paradigm that mechanical action is the most effective mode of plaque and food debris debridement. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.