As Baker explained, consumer testing is currently the most popular method of determining whether a new product will be successful in the market. However, this is costly and unreliable because personal preference varies among consumers.

Discussing the companys inves­tigation into dental care, he said, The U.K. alone spends 6.7 billion a year on dental treatments, and the National Health Service accounts for 60 percent of this expenditure.

Goals of the research were to determine:

How brushing motion cycle affects friction

The effect of toothpaste ingredients on friction

How the amount of water, the speed and load applied affect friction during brushing?

If plaque removal can be measured

In this phase of the program, PCS measured the coefficient of friction of eight different commercially available toothpastes. The test apparatus ran a toothbrush loaded with 0.4 grams of toothpaste and 1.5 milliliters of water across a glass slide for 60 seconds at 35 degrees C.

Baker related that all 8 toothpastes gave a different friction coefficient. Whitening and cavity toothpastes produced the highest friction coefficient, while baking soda gave the lowest. In the next phase of testing, PCS modified the test apparatus by adding an LED under the glass slide and a light emission detector above in an effort to measure the amount of plaque the toothpastes removed. We found that a combination of shellac flakes and blue ink provided the best simulation of a tooth coated with plaque.

The tests showed that sensitive toothpaste removed the simulated plaque quicker than whitening toothpaste. However, Baker emphasized that these are only preliminary results, adding, We intend to investigate the effect of toothbrush head shape and size, as well as the effect of varying motion cycle.

For further information, contact Baker at rich.baker@pcs-instruments.com.