Science: Health: Dental
iontophoretic toothbrushes anesthetizes cavities   (+2, -1)  [vote for, against]
Toothbrush head pushes anesthetic peptides through gum sides to tooth roots; anesthesia (6 months) results and people feel better

1100 toothaches removed per each single iontophoretic electric toothbrush:

A 2-3 cent alibaba toothbrush gets rid of toothaches because it contains peptides delivered iontophoretically that anesthetize the tooth.

I think people are better off getting cavities filled at an actual dentist. For some people at the developing world that may not be an easy option. These people could get or borrow an iontophoretic (electricity pushes drugs through gums to tooth root area) toothbrush that will anesthetize a tooth for 3-6 months or longer with one application

The peptide could be a glutamate receptor antagonist/blocker, or an opiate peptide.

Can be used 1100 times (contains 2-1100 micrograms of peptide)
-- beanangel, Jan 14 2021

oxytoxin, a 7-8 amino acid peptide at $300-500/kilogram https://www.alibaba...itle.28822f8fUbuLVk
[beanangel, Jan 14 2021]

1 Joan Savage & Ken Morris - The Old Bazaar in Cairo https://www.youtube...watch?v=crzmJJj3P-o
[Voice, Jan 14 2021]

[KDF] that's why I suggested it might be of more use at the developing world (fewer dentists to go to)

Also, the actual alibaba ingredients at 2-3 cents: Toothbrush 1 cent; peptide 1/10th of a cent; 1000milliamp hour battery 1 cent; worst case for alibaba is the 8 cent cat toy laserpointer (batteries, plastic tube, semiconductor)
-- beanangel, Jan 14 2021


Look on the bright side, [kdf]; one day, he may not only come up with an idea that's practical, but one which uses components that Alibaba actually pays him to take away... at which point he'll implode, or form a singularity, or something else equally drastic and entertaining.

<Wanders away humming>

" ...Sand bags, wind bags, camels with a hump,
Fat girls, thin girls, some a little plump,
Slave girls sold here, fifty bob a lump,
In the old bazaar in Cairo ..."

</Wanders away humming>
-- 8th of 7, Jan 14 2021


[KDF] the iontophoretic toothache removing toothbrush is a thing that I actually think would work. iontophoresis (10V, 30 milliamps, 10 minutes) is a medical treatment for sweaty palms. I use that to base the batteries on.

I read 700 picograms of an opiate peptide will anesthetize an entire rat; so if the rat weighs 400 grams, then 1 nanogram will cover 100 separate doses of 4g mass of gum/tooth. 1 milligram will cover 100,000 doses. If the peptide is $100/gram then that is 10c/mg, or about a millionth of a cent a dose.

Notably though, the anesthetic system would migrate in 200 gradually rediffusing doses per tooth electrification, so that is 5,000 doses per medicated iontophoretic toothbrush.

oxytocin, an different peptide on alibaba is 30 cents a gram (link), so even if a different better peptide is used it is superaffordable.
-- beanangel, Jan 14 2021


Summary: Use a toothbrush to anaesthetise your teeth.
-- hippo, Jan 14 2021



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