Ever wondered how astronauts brush their teeth? Often, they end up swallowing their toothpaste, much like children and people with special care needs, which can negatively affect their overall health.
Maxine Strickland, an associate professor of diagnostic sciences at the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine, has a healthier solution: MaxVac.
Maxine Strickland, an associate professor of diagnostic sciences, with her patent plaque at the inaugural 2024 Rutgers Innovation Awards event to celebrate Rutgers patent awardees who translate world-class research into an inventions benefitting the society.
MaxVac is a powered toothbrush created by Strickland. Unlike a regular brush, it has both brushing and suctioning capabilities, allowing it to remove liquids from the mouth. This is especially important for special needs patients, who might otherwise ingest microorganisms during brushing, which could lead to health issues such as pneumonia.
“[MaxVac] removes potentially harmful and infectious materials … and thereby can be very useful for the elderly and disabled, in nursing or hospital settings, in dental clinics, for young children, and for routine home use,” officials at the Rutgers Office for Research noted in a statement.
The toothbrush was a passion project for Strickland, with roots dating back to the late ’90s, when she worked in a pediatric dentistry office and later helped set up a clinic for disabled patients as a faculty member at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, which became part of Rutgers in 2013.
“That was the beginning of my experience thinking about this type of intervention because many of the patients had difficulty swallowing,” said Strickland, adding that many dentists use suction devices while brushing patients’ teeth in their clinics.
Years later, she wondered, “Why not combine these two in one piece of equipment?”
With a Rutgers TechAdvance grant and the help of engineers, she transformed her idea into a handheld product.
The first version of MaxVac was a device that snapped onto an existing toothbrush and received a patent in May. A second version, developed with a National Science Foundation grant, is a standalone powered toothbrush with the capability to remove liquids from the mouth. While the patent for this version is still pending, she has gathered patient feedback, leading to third and fourth versions that are smaller and easier to hold.
“Honestly, I had never really thought about being an inventor,” said Strickland. “It’s been an exciting journey, trying to reduce some of the anxiety and give dignity to the patients.”
She plans to have the brushes first used in a hospital for neurologically impaired patients in 2026 as part of a pilot program. After that, Strickland hopes to collaborate with another hospital, where patients with spinal cord injuries will try MaxVac.
Her ultimate goal is to see MaxVac widely available in stores alongside other dental products, and perhaps even in the backpacks of hikers or the spacecraft of astronauts.
“It’s exciting to think about these applications,” she said. “As a dentist, it’s encouraging and inspiring that this product can make a difference, and I’m hoping various populations can use it.”
