Samba Robotic Toothbrush: At last, a fully robotic toothbrush for disabled patients!
Samba empowers independent cleaning
According to WHO data, almost 45 percent of the global population is suffering from oral disease. For people with a disability, this figure almost doubles. To make good oral health accessible to those with limited dexterity, Swiss oral health brand Curaprox introduced the Samba brush, which has since been embraced by thousands of users worldwide.
The fully robotic Samba—hailed by Time Magazine as one of the Best Inventions of 2023—has set a new standard in oral care with its effective, user-friendly design, addressing the challenges individuals with disabilities face in maintaining good brushing habits.
A long-awaited solution
For those dealing with a physical or mental disability, effective brushing can pose a challenge. They are often forced to rely on a caregiver or family member to clean their teeth for them. Or they do the brushing themselves with subpar technique.
Either option ends up compromising the oral health of these patients, exacerbated by a lack of understanding about proper brushing techniques and areas to focus on, such as implants or orthodontic appliances. Exact numbers are hard to come by, but according to one study, an estimated 88 per cent of individuals with a disability suffer from dental problems.* More than anything, this staggering figure reflects the need for a tailored solution.
“Disability should not interfere with oral hygiene”
Curaprox, the main brand of the Swiss oral health care company Curaden, together with oral health professionals, designed the Samba brush specifically to address this health inequality. After eight years of intensive development work, Curaprox launched the brush on the market. “The Samba was developed with the conviction that everyone deserves a healthy mouth, and that disability should not interfere with oral hygiene,” Samba inventor Eran Eyal explains.
The brush’s innovative design means that even without manual dexterity, people with disabilities can take care of their oral health independently. “They no longer need help,” says Swiss dentist and co-developer Dr Michael Keller. “They just need this tool and then they can look after their oral health without effort.”
Perfect cleaning, with or without disability
The Samba’s secret lies in its perfect reproduction of a brushing experience with superior technique. It makes up for the various challenges faced by individuals with disabilities such as fatigue and compromised motoric skills, which impact grip, pressure and control. The Samba employs brush heads with pre-determined pressure, a larger handle, and an ingenious use of mechanics. The bristles em brace the teeth in a U-shape and move along the teeth and gumline in a dynamic brushing motion. Plaque biofilm removal is achieved by a pioneering combination of low- and high frequency oscillations.
A major difference to regular brushing is the short time it takes the Samba to clean all the teeth. It cleans fast: 30 seconds per side. Whereas a traditional toothbrush is only able to clean 1 surface at a time, the Samba can clean 36 surfaces simultaneously. 20’460 soft bristles are arranged in such a way as to clean every tooth surface and groove at once, the majority of which are divided into 17 micro brushes. The resulting deep clean is one that only a few patients are likely to achieve and makes the brush a game-changer for any patients regardless of whether they have a disability or not. For those patients with a disability however, it can be life-changer.
Come see it in action at Abiliites Expo
You can see the Samba in person in the Curaprox booth #730 at Abilities Expo Phoenix on September 5-7 at WestWorld of Scottsdale.
