Brushalyze - Understanding the tooth brushing process all along: New research device for multi-sensorial detection and intelligent analysis of tooth brushing

• Applicants: Professorin Dr. Renate Deinzer; Professor Dr. Bernhard Sick; Professor Dr. Keywan Sohrabi
• Subject Area: Dentistry, Oral Surgery ; Image and Language Processing, Computer Graphics and Visualisation, Human Computer Interaction, Ubiquitous and Wearable Computing ; Personality Psychology, Clinical and Medical Psychology, Methodology
• Term: since 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 448034414

The process of tooth brushing is still poorly understood, as there is no proper research equipment for detailed description and analysis of this. Tooth brushing is a highly complex and automated activity and hence is of great health relevance. Furthermore, a large part of the population is unable to obtain plaque-free teeth and thereby suffer from plaque-associated diseases; regardless of whether they use electronic or manual tooth brush. In line with this, there exists a necessity for a precise scientific understanding of the tooth brushing process. This scientific understanding needs to incorporate various aspects. Indeed the aspects of dentistry are important, psychology and the movement sciences are also of particular interest. Currently available research methods have certain limitations. To date, the most precise analysis of the tooth brushing process has been provided by video analysis. Though video analysis is extremely time consuming, it does not provide a detailed description of the tooth-brushing process. Hence, a research device that automatically carries out a detailed analysis of the tooth brushing process is being developed. This device is designed to enable the tooth brushing process to be studied more precisely. A manual toothbrush is equipped with appropriate sensors. The sensors enable physical quantities that characterize the tooth brushing process to be labelled. These physical quantities include force, inertia, acceleration, direction and amplitude of the movements. An exact position of the movements is made available with the help of external reference systems. Further, algorithms are being developed and researched using machine learning methods. This methodology allows the recorded physical quantities with the help of sensors to be mapped with the behavioral parameters and clinical data. For this purpose, studies are carried out to collect sample data. There is a continuous evaluation of this research device for future application in basic dental and behavioral research. At the end of this project, a device validated by corresponding studies in terms of differentiated automated recordings of the tooth brushing process would be made available. This device will provide important insights not only for basic research in dentistry, but also in other disciplines such as psychology and the movement sciences.

• DFG Programme: New Instrumentation for Research