It's a insanely simple idea, but Amron Experimental really captured a lot of hearts, minds and minty-fresh mouths with its Brush & Rinse toothbrush concept. Sporting the same boring bristles and molded plastic of every other toothbrush produced this century, the Brush & Rinse has a slightly indented back, which lets you redirect water and... well, brush and rinse. Unfortunately, the last time the thing was in the news, it was a prototype selling for $1,750, so we're happy to see it down to the much more reasonable pre-order price of $1.18 a pop -- though they need to presell 50,000 units before they can go into production. Regular people will be able to pick one up for $5 once they get that minimum out of the way. Exciting action video is after the break.
[Via
Gadget Lab]
posted Mar 11th 2009 10:18AM
wow, its ideas like this that just make me smile.
I definitely didn't for two main reasons:
a) I cup my hand under the tap. I will of just had a shower (to appease all you clean freaks).
b) The back of toothbrushes are for the majority, now covered with tongue scrubbers.
Bit of a gimmick. I shall not be buying.
They get an "A" for effort.
tongue scrubbers are the real gimmicks here. just brush your tongue!
wasting excessive amounts of water makes you smile? don't go to Arrakis.
I need one of these! $1.18 a pop, sign me up. Good bye cone cups!
Just to go back to the fluoride debate, the whole point of using tooth paste ( for a dentist) is to have the topical effect of fluoride. It remineralizes your enamel, making it stronger and more resistant to acid erosion. Im a dentist and the official line we give is to not rinse out after brushing just to spit out what is left of the toothpaste......But the brush it kinda awesome! And those who say it causes cancer, there is no evidence to support that, there are research papers however showing that areas which have fluoride in drinking water have 50% less decay than those areas which don't have fluoride. BAM .....regards, your friendly neighborhood dentist.
There is such a thing as too much flouride.
good idea, but i don't think everyone's faucet has the amount of water pressure required to make your water bounce like that.
@ morgym
wtf are u talking about? fluoride doesn't remineralizes your enamel, making it stronger and more resistant to acid erosion. the fact that ur a dentist is kinda scary if u dont know ur shit. fluorine is the most reactive element, even stronger than chlorine (the shit you use to bleach and disinfect) and kills germs in the mouth
if ur toothpaste says "strengthens enamel" , or "whitens teeth" it's other shits in the toothpaste, not fluorine. so before you pretend to be a dentist, know your shits.
if u really are a dentist, by god, i hope someone comes to arrest you
@kangbp.nyc
wtf are YOU talking about?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluoride_therapy
"Fluoride promotes the remineralization of teeth, by enhancing the tooth remineralization process. Fluoride found in saliva will absorb into the surface of a tooth where demineralization has occurred. The presence of this fluoride in turn attracts other minerals (such as calcium), thus resulting in the formation of new tooth mineral"
http://www.colgateprofessional.com/products/Colgate-Phos-Flur-Fluoride-Rinse/details
"Promotes remineralization and strengthens teeth by forming a submicroscopic reservoir of fluoride on the tooth enamel"
The purpose of Fluoride in water is to change the chemical composition of teeth. A tooth is essentially CaO, calcium oxide. The purpose of Fluoride in water/toothpaste/mouthwash is to change your teeth to CaF, a chemical compound that is much more resistant to decay.
Source, college chemistry. My teacher gave us lots of fun facts, lol.
Yeah and there's such thing as too much water. What's your point?
@kangbp.nyc
Fluoride and fluorine are different substances in so many ways. Get it together, dumbass.
garbage
emo girl says it works.
'emo girl says it works.'
it's Hannah fuckin' Beth
who?
@onelove:
Let me google that for you: http://lmgtfy.com/?q=hanna+beth
apparently from those links she appears to be some silly blogger masturbating to herself on the interwebs all day, i dont know, how do people like this get paid, why does she think she is important
Rinsing with water after brushing cancels out any positive effects of fluoride. Which is why dentists tell you not to eat, drink, or rinse 30 minutes after brushing or using a fluoride wash.
You would not believe how long it took me to understand the point of this water-redirecting thing. The video made things a LOT clearer.
You aren't the only one...
As a non native english speaker I didn't quite catch the meaning of rinse the first time. I though the tooth brush was just for playing around with water and it still seemed a great idea :P.
So I don't lean to lean 2 inches forward and use the faucet? Wow, nice inch saver.
not to mention that the slightest deviation in the hand holding the brush could end up spraying the water all over your face
no thanks...this is where it's at:
http://www.tinyliving.com/store/product/737/faucet-fountain/
"Wow, nice inch saver."
That's what she said.
I wouldn't shove my head in a sink in a public bathroom say when I'm traveling.
I wonder if they've ever heard of cupping your hands under the tap?
I use an electric toothbrush. And even if I wanted to give up my $0.008 paper cones, I would not use anything else but a brand name tooth brush such as Oral-B... IF they wanted the gravey train they should sell the patent to a leading brand for $$$.
Now that we have that out of the way lets get back on topic,
... So yea Apple made a baaaad move with the new shuffle. Now that there are no distinct marking on it, Expect to see clones showing up on the market withing a week... Way too easy to copy.
AHAHAHAH!
Toothbrush elitist, no wonder you mention Apple products in an article that has nothing to do with Apple.
The Apple iBrush! Shiny, thin, white, and only $1,750!
And you need an adapter to use it with non-apple tooth paste.
And slowing down the Mars Volta makes me want to buy a toothbrush... why? Much as I love TMV, that song sounds dreadful slowed down like that.
As far as I know that is the original. The version you're thinking of was most likely sped up by a DJ, or some crap.
The song in the video is actually the leaked Cicatriz demo tape from before their first album came out. Really weird for them to use that...
Thats not a Mars Volta song slowed down. Its a demo for the song recorded before the album.
Are you definitely sure you need to rinse after you brushed? Well I don't. I like the taste of fresh toothpaste in the morning...
You know fluoride is poisonous right?
You would need to eat 10 tubes of toothpaste to have fluoride do any serious damage to you. Plus, the minuscule amounts you ingest from brushing will cause no ill effect in the long run either.
Some places, (Toronto, Ont.) pump fluoride into the drinking water.
Yes Agent and many people the world over argue against floride being put in water since it causes cancer, yes even a small amount over time. Tooth paste should always be rinsed out it is bad for you especially since most people brush twice a day, it all adds up.
Yea, well soon it will be proven that reading Engadget posts causes Cancer.
The fluoride in water debate, has had no real evidence brought forth to prove Cancer is caused by the fluoride. It's a theory, but really, at this point in our existence pretty much anything will cause Cancer, in the long run.
I'm with Agent .25i on this one. Pretty much anything supposedly causes cancer in the long run nowadays: cellphones, radios, computer monitors, junk food, HEALTHY foods, nuclear waste, etc......Seriously give up the argument. LONG LIVE TOOTPASTE!!!
Oh, and this toothbrush kicks ass. I'd buy 2.
Dont spread neo-luddite disinformation about fluoride causing any diseases. If anything its saved your mouth from a lot of pain. Also, get your vaccinations and wash your hands. Thanks.
Maybe if they could direct the wasted water to fill the bath this wouldnt be such a bad idea.
Cause you brush your teeth with hot water? Or like to have cold baths? Just take ur brush with you into the bath. Problem solved.
@agent
hahahha touche'
so you dont mix your water with hot and cold? or you have really hot baths? most people wouldnt takes there brush into the bath. Problem NOT solved.
The idea is good.
The flow is weak.
$16USD to ship? No Thanks...
A friend of mine has a fountain in his bathroom he says is designed just for this very purpose. Works great every time I've been over visiting. He says it's made by Beeday, but I can't find the company online anywhere.
Well I suck. I was gonna reply to wesbos, then decided not to. Can't Engadget read my mind? Sheesh!
LOL! Beeday...! You have completely overflown everyone's heads on engadget.
man, it wastes lots of water. maybe gargle with a glassful of water. this one would be a total failure.
plus the fact that the back part is used for tongue cleaners. :)
Man this will be a Hit with Kids all over, did any of you think about that. Also I would say that after they get their 50 000 presell units gone then one of the larger companies might pick them up and produce. I like the idea, paper cups are bad I hope you like drinking your own Feces because if you don't close the toilet lid when flushing then micro particulate gets thrown all over your bathroom. Tongue Scrapers are not that great when they're that small on the back of a toothbrush and for the same reason. So yeah good idea if there's a cover for it, oh and for the TROLL above us, go out and do something productive for a change.
"a hit with kids" And the next "hit" comes from Mom or Dad when little Johny and Susan decide to have a water fight with the stupid things.
: ) really nice ...
what about most of the water going straight to the drain. i use my hands when i want to rinse/drink from a faucet.
Man, and to think I just dropped $1,750 on that prototype brush...
People will buy anything, including your old underwear if the stain resembles something.
If I wanted to hit myself in the face with water, I'd stick my head under the tap.
I could buy this to rinse my mouth, or I could use... ummm.... oh yeah! A plastic or ceramic cup! There seem to be plenty of those around that assist in placing water in a person's mouth. (And as far as fecal matter and cups are concerned as sooper pointed out... you'd have that problem with your toothbrush, too. But neither the brush or cup have to be stored out in the open - you can place both in a medicine cabinet).
Either that, or a person could just gather water by scooping with their hand or tipping their head to the side and gathering water straight from the faucet that way, like many people do.
I think this toothbrush is a solution looking for a problem.
yeah. it took me a little while to figure out the point of this product. i've always just used a plastic cup when brushing my teeth.
The answer to the question no one was asking.
what a useless pos...*shakehead*
hmm, im pretty sure it *does* in fact have a use...
I now present the Most Unnecessary Personal Hygiene Invention of 2009. This must be some kind of mistake. The mother of this invention is definitely not necessity. I'm thinking it's the bastard child of a late night drinking and a haphazard attempt to brush ones teeth while extremely drunk. Show me a toothbrush ipod charger combo and we'll talk.
I think this is actually pretty damn clever.
It's not necessarily a huge leap forward, but it doesn't have to be. It's just cool. Video games aren't progressing civilization, but they're still the shit.
Yes a pointless tooth brushes and video games what a load of nonsense.
This would be great if I wanted to spray water all over my pants every time I brushed my teeth. Which I don't.
WOW that will save me 2 seconds, not having to lift a glass to my lips and help spray water all over my clothes.
Well done guys just wait for the design awards to start raining down on you, or bags of flaming dog poo.
There sure are a lot of people being assholes about this :/ I can see this being very useful for travellers, particularly. If you want to brush your teeth in a hostel, or a public restroom, on a train, or even at a friend's house but you don't fancy putting your mouth near the tap to rinse then this is a fantastic little device to have. Certainly more convenient than squeezing a bulky and easily broken ceramic mug into your travel wash bag.
Is there something wrong with using hands? I know mine are clean when I'm brushing my teeth.
I'm finding myself having doubts about you being the supreme form of myself. (Please don't smite me. Us. You. However this works...)
That was a insanely bad typo
("AN insanely simple idea")
honestly wheres the 'for sucker humans only' label? this benefits a martian, how??
What a waste of water. Use a glass you stupid bitches. Who cares around a toothbrush to use in a public restroom? If you do, get a collapsible drinking cup.
Returning home from a long day at work, tired and exhausted. Finding a product that I expect will amuse me, and then, with the music of THE MARS VOLTA! It totally made my day!
Ouch, that holes gonna be full of nasty bacteria from your mouth in no time, will get clogged and yucky :D oh well , another silly idea
This is the sort of thing we need more reviews of!
Well done!
Actually, the goofy-cool of this is neat-o there boyo.
Wow, humans are becoming alarmingly lazy.....now we cant even cup our hands under the tap?
Besides, much more water is being wasted this way....
fluoride in large doses can interfere with the binding action of acetylcholine receptor sites in the brain and spine. considering acetylcholines role as the MAIN neurotransmitter in your nerves... judicious use is wise. here is a reference to rat experiments involving the nicotinic acetycholine receptors in the brain, and dementia.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T9X-46VJX2S-1&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=2fe42b777705acbded5681319a08c95e
This is why people suspect foul intentions from municipal water supplies adding it. While this may be paranoid, the fact is fluoride is not an inert substance and we do not fully understand its long term effects.
As far as cancer. According to the National Toxicology Program, "the preponderance of evidence" from laboratory 'in vitro' studies indicates that fluoride is a mutagen (a compound that can cause genetic damage).
It is generally accepted that if a substance can induce genetic damage there is a heightened risk that it could cause cancer as well.
Of particular concern are a series of studies indicating that fluoride can cause osteosarcoma (bone cancer) in both fluoride-treated male rats and boys under the age of 20 living in fluoridated areas. Osteosarcoma is a rare, but deadly, form of cancer that strikes primarily during the teenage years.
Of additional concern are recent studies indicating that:
*
Primates (humans and great apes) are more susceptible to the mutagenic effects of fluoride than rodents (rats);
*
An increased rate of mutagenic damage was detectable in humans exposed to only modestly elevated levels of fluoride; and
*
Workers exposed to fluoride in industry - in the absence of other known carcinogens such as PAH - suffered an increased occurrence of bladder cancer.
Fluoride calcium and phosphorus are indeed used to remineralize your teeth. As plaque, bacteria and the broken down sugars produce acids that demineralize teeth. Before attacking a trained dentist with flames, mayhaps engage your google and research the topic. here, ill help "fluoride remineralization demineralization tooth decay" also try "acetylcholine fluoride neurotransmitters"
@topic I think this brush is silly. I applaud invention but I would never buy it. And ive found tongue scrapers to be useful, but only to gently remove coffee stains from the tongue, otherwise the normal brush works fine.
oh and to everyone who thinks whitening toothpaste does anything, the small amount of peroxide in the paste is neutralized by antioxidants present in your saliva. this is why the tray systems work, they isolate the peroxide from the saliva allowing it to actually oxidise stains. If you want a whitening toothpaste use one with micro polishing elements, such as rembrandt produces.
The good dr.
hail research science!
This is a serious waste of water. Only about 15-20% of the steam from the tap gets redirected so people will probably turn up the flow rate of the faucet to get adequate stream from the toothbrush, so they'll waste even more water. It's irresponsible to market this product with so many places experiencing drought and water usage cutbacks.
Did anybody notice how much water was wasted running down the drain for this stupid ass re-directional toothbrush. If you're too lazy to scoop water in your hand, or bend down to drink directly from the faucet - then you are a fucking failure in life and you deserve to have all of your teeth extracted with no Novocaine and subsequently have a camel shit down your throat.
A slightly indented toothbrush is worthy of appearing of Engadget?
(That's a rhetorical question.)
lol that is amazing. But were they serious about the opening price for the prototype?
this is amazing
Personally, I couldn't use this, as I have the action of bending over and rinsing ingrained in my brain like the OCD maniac I am.
This is one of those great ideas that make you wonder why it hasn't been implemented before.
Wait, what exactly was wrong with rinsing the classic way by getting water using cupped hands?
Great, now I can get water all over the floor while trying to rinse my toothbrush!
A few of you need to read 'Dentures, the Devil, and the Great Cavity Cover-up' by Jay Phillip Higginbottom. If you'd seen what I'd seen, and if you've heard what I've heard, you'd never brush your teeth again!
this is such a dumb idea, how lazy are people? you still have to lean towards the tap to get to the water. God people are so guillable