First 3D-printed toothbrush

In 2013, Spanish manufacturer Blizzident used a 3D-printing process to produce tailored toothbrushes based upon scans of people’s mouths. The brush, which looks like a gum shield covered in approximately 400 bristles, is customized to fit an individual’s mouth. By clamping the brush and grinding their teeth, the whole mouth can be cleaned at once. The dense clusters of bristles in the brush are angled to align along a person’s gum line and touch the surface of each tooth at a 45-degree angle. The device even includes a tongue cleaner. Just one of the brushes currently costs £250. It can last for up to one year.

Blizzident claim that the brush can clean teeth in just six seconds – a task that takes about three minutes with traditional toothbrushes.