Tooth whitening and caries prevention toothbrush based on PTFE electret

Oral health has long been a central topic among public concern, so various products were designed to keep oral health, among these, antibiotic products with whitening effect are of promising prospects. Meanwhile, some products may destroy the enamel structure, resulting in plaque adhesion and mucosal damage. Piezoelectric material is one of the candidates carrying both advantages. This study introduces the application of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) electret with piezoelectric catalytic effect in tooth whitening and antibiosis, and proposes a new toothbrush design. PTFE piezoelectric electret with sonocatalytic activity can be obtained by ultrasonic treatment. Then PTFE was submitted to characterization, including piezoelectric coefficient, piezoelectric catalytic rate, cytotoxicity, antibiosis and tooth whitening effect. PTFE piezoelectric electret was successfully obtained after ultrasonic treatment, and it showed excellent piezoelectric catalytic rate and biocompatibility. After 20 h of action, the stained teeth were successfully bleached, and PTFE showed good antibacterial performance against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria in 30 min. Only a low frequency ultrasonic power is enough to activate PTFE and produce ROS for tooth whitening and anti-bacteria, which produce prominent prospect for its application in electrical toothbrush. Graphical abstract