Development of smart toothbrush monitoring system for ubiquitous healthcare.

The design of an intelligent toothbrush, capable of monitoring brushing motion, orientation through the grip axis, during toothbrushing is described. Inappropriate tooth-brushing styles, even in adults, sometimes cause dental problems, cavities, gingivitis, etc. This smart system provides user to monitor his or her brushing pattern using accelerometer and magnetic sensors for evaluation of toothbrushing style. Directional information of toothbrush with respect to the earth's magnetic field and activity data were measured by a miniaturized low-power micro-controller, MSP430 and transmitted to personal computer by 2.4 GHz radio transmitter, nRF2401. A personal computer provides an on-line display of activity and orientation measurements during toothbrushing. The signal trace is then analyzed to extract clinically relevant information. This preliminary study showed that the proposed monitoring system was conceived to aid dental care personnel in patient education and instruction in oral hygiene regarding brushing style.