Austrian start-up aims to revolutionise toothbrushing routine

VIENNA, Austria: Earlier this month, Austrian start-up Amabrush launched an automatic toothbrush on Kickstarter that brushes teeth in just 10 seconds. Amabrush, led by a number of biotechnology engineers and health care visionaries, seeks to revolutionise the toothbrushing routine by saving people time and money through providing them with an effective and easy-to-use device.

The Amabrush consists of three components: the mouthpiece, the handpiece and the toothpaste capsules. The flexible mouthpiece, which is made of antibacterial silicone and features 3-D-arranged bristles on both sides to clean the teeth, has built-in microchannels that transport the toothpaste into the mouth. According to the start-up, these bristles are “soft enough to prevent gum damage but strong enough to clean your teeth precisely”. As with regular manual toothbrushes and electric toothbrush heads, the mouthpiece should be replaced every three to six months. A single mouthpiece will retail for €6.

The handpiece generates strong vibrations with an amplitude of 9.5 G to oscillate the bristles. A built-in algorithm generates different vibrations, producing a coordinated movement of the bristles, which are designed to have different resonant frequencies. Because all teeth are cleaned simultaneously, the Amabrush can brush all teeth in just 10 seconds and this also ensures that every tooth surface is brushed eight times longer than with a regular toothbrush.

“We came up with the idea of an automated toothbrush, simply because we are annoyed by brushing our teeth. Standing in front of the mirror for at least two minutes twice a day was not really satisfying for us. Amabrush is a true game changer since the toothbrush itself,” said founder and CEO Marvin Musialek, who came up with the first prototype in 2015. The project was brought to life with the help of mechanical engineer Martin Forstenpointner, biomedical engineer Alexander Stummer and dentist Dr Hady Haririan.

The Kickstarter campaign goal of €50,000 was reached within 1 hour of the official launch. At present, more than 14,980 supporters have funded the project by donating over €1,759,400 in total. The company aims to start shipping the Amabrush in December already.