March 2009
BROOM, BRUSH & MOP
health products that promote positive dental awareness and attitudes, instilling techniques that will last a lifetime.” Contact: Preventive Dental Specialties, 2115 Edgewood Drive, Schofield, WI, 54476. Phone: 800-352-9669; Fax: 715-359-9581. Web site: www.prevdentspec.com. E-mail: prevdentsp@aol.com.
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when it introduced the SCUBA toothbrush, which featured a flexible, rubber handle. When the SCUBA was first introduced, using rubber in the manufacture of toothbrushes was a new concept. The purpose of the non-slip, flexible rubber material in the SCUBA handle is to let the user know when too much pressure is being applied. The modern version of the SCUBA incorporates updated bristle design and a thinner head. Expanding even further on the theme of helping people brush longer and to have them discard toothbrushes at the appropriate time, Radius introduced the Intelligent Toothbrush. Because dentist recommend brushing for 2 minutes, 2 times a day, the Intelligent Toothbrush is designed with an electronic timer that beeps and blinks every 30 seconds for up to 2 minutes. The Intelligent Toothbrush is made with replaceable heads to help reduce environmental impact. The brush is also equipped with a “180-use wear meter” which lets the user know when a replaceable brush head is needed. The brush head is designed to last 3 months; the time span after which dentists say a brush loses its efficiency. Studies show people use their toothbrushes for an average of 10 months. Studies also indicate worn bristles lose more than 80 percent of their cleaning ability. The Intelligent Toothbrush’s head is made with radial bristling, which makes brushing easier and more effective. According to the company’s Web site, the Intelligent Toothbrush was the first toothbrush in the world to incorporate radial bristling. The Intelligent is available in soft or medium and sports a reversible handle for right or left hand use. The batteries will last for 6 heads worth of regular use. The handle and batteries may be returned to
n July 16, 2008, at about 10 p.m., Kutztown, PA, located northwest of Philadelphia between Reading and Allentown, was struck by a severe storm. Straight-line winds of more than 100 mph toppled trees and ripped siding off of buildings. As fate would have it, some of the most severe damage was in the area of the intersection of Railroad and Peach streets, home of the headquarters and factory of the Radius Corporation, which manufactures some of the most innovative toothbrushes in the industry. The Radius facility suffered extensive structural damage. Following the storm, the company has recovered “surprisingly well,” said co-founder Kevin Foley. He added, “We lost all of our molding equipment. We now have a secondary manufacturing facility in Souderton (PA, about 50 miles southeast of Kutztown). We have moved our molding machines and all of our molds and equipment down there, because we basically had no factory left here, and that has worked out very well. Molding is more art than science and it has the ability to absorb massive quantities of management time. We have a very skilled person there running our molding operation.” Radius’ Kutztown factory building that was “We are taking it month to month. I can’t say what this damaged by the storm was built circa 1863 and was year is going to bring. As a company, we have the home of the Heffnerinstigated tremendous measures in terms of Dietrich Mill. In 1988, the economy. Whatever happens, Foley, who is an architect, we intend to survive.” restored what was at that time a rundown building Kevin Foley, Radius Corporation that had not been used in many years. The restored facility became renowned for its beauty and was considered an Radius for recycling. important historic site in the Kutztown area. Radius also manufactures the Kidz Toothbrush for children, Radius’ history began a long way from eastern Pennsylvania on which it calls a “pint-sized” version of the Original. the island of Tortola in the Caribbean Sea, which is the largest and A standard part of Radius’ process in developing new products most populated of the British Virgin Islands. There, Foley and a is determining a product’s environmental ramifications. fellow architect, James O’Halloran, decided to invent a func- According to the company’s Web site: “Before Radius embarks on tional toothbrush that would be an improvement over the typical making a new product, we put the concept through an evaluation small head, hard-bristled toothbrushes of that time. to make sure that we are not just making some more landfill in the In the early 1980s, keying off research that showed people do name of progress.” not brush their teeth long enough and that they tend to keep their Radius’ criteria for a good design is: toothbrushes too long, Foley and O’Halloran developed the n The design has to work well and enrich the lives of cusRadius Original Toothbrush, which was a radical departure from tomers; typical toothbrush designs prevalent at the time. The Original fean It has to last long enough to amortize the investment of tured a large handle, both right-handed and left-handed versions, resources in its manufacture; and was made with very fine filaments and a large, oval head. n And it has to be based on good science and research. The Original’s larger handle, oval head and the unique and Radius’ toothbrushes are also designed to last two or three times effective alignment of the bristles were revolutionary. The brush longer than regular toothbrushes. The company also reminds users became very popular, and, in 1984, the Radius brush received the that when a toothbrush in no longer effective for brushing, it can prestigious Accent on Design award. be used for other tasks in the kitchen or garage, giving a brush In 1988, Radius again broke new ground in toothbrush design another useful phase before recycling.