THEME
The design theme for this project is to create a toothbrush sanitizer kit for children who attend childcare facilities. This will encompass children between the ages of 3-6 who attend childcare and do not have the time to properly learn healthy oral hygiene habits at home due to the busy morning schedule of their parents or guardians. Childcare, encompassing daycares, preschool, and kindergarten, is an active place where children in this age demographic learn and participate in educational activities and can therefore pick up on healthy oral hygiene habits which can allow them to practice such for the rest of their lives.
MARKET
On the market, the oral care market was valued at $53 billion USD, where specifically toothbrush sterilizers were valued at $80 million USD. Toothbrush sterilizers are sold at supermarkets, convenience stores, drug stores, pharmacies, specialty stores, and online retailers.
By age group, oral care products for children have the highest market share followed by-products for the elderly,
and lastly products for adults. Though researching the external market, the group found that low access to oral health professionals is correlated with poor awareness and access to oral hygiene products. Industrialized countries such as Europe and North America dominate the market. The impacts of Coronavirus-19 have heightened awareness of sanitization, hygiene, and healthcare.
and lastly products for adults. Though researching the external market, the group found that low access to oral health professionals is correlated with poor awareness and access to oral hygiene products. Industrialized countries such as Europe and North America dominate the market. The impacts of Coronavirus-19 have heightened awareness of sanitization, hygiene, and healthcare.
RESEARCH
Children between the ages of 3-6 often attend childcare since their parents or guardians go to work during the day. Depending on the morning routine of the children they may skip brushing their teeth as well as properly cleaning their toothbrushes due to their busy morning. Parents and guardians are entrusted to supervise their children; however, this task is easily missed when in a hurry. Similarly, at night, parents and guardians often do not teach their children proper oral hygiene habits. The lack of engagement in establishing positive toothbrushing care leads to long-term effects, such as periodontal disease, skin infections, and heart disease. Promoting healthy oral hygiene from an early age reduces the risk of oral dental-related diseases and illnesses in children and adults.
Toothbrushing practices portrayed at a daycare facility in North Dakota are as follows; children are provided with a toothbrush by the facility which is stored in a cup placed upright to prevent moisture and bacteria growth in the toothbrush head and between the bristles (Child Care Aware, 2017). The children’s toothbrushes are stored together on a bathroom shelf or ledge, or on a table in the open. There are positives and negatives to this, where there is good air circulation in the open space to dry the toothbrushes, they are also subjected to cross-contamination by toilet spray particles which consist of fecal particles, saliva, blood, and dust to name a few contaminants. These particles circulate in the air and can be ingested when the toothbrush is placed back into the child’s mouth during use.
Children have lower immunity to these bacteria since their immune system is less developed. The peak for viral illnesses being severe for youth is in children less than two years of age. Children are most susceptible to the S. aureus bacteria which leads to food poisoning in children.
Additional to following complex instructions, children at this age start developing rituals and routines which contributes to their development. Creating a ritual and possession for the child allows them to develop awareness and engage in the activity of sanitizing their toothbrush, which not only teaches them the importance of the task but helps them establish control and motivate them to continue the task with the supervision of their parent or guardian.
In childcare, toothpaste is placed into the cup which stores the child’s toothbrush to reduce cross-contamination between the lip of the toothpaste container and the bristles of each toothbrush. This leads to an awkward and unintuitive way to scoop the toothpaste and begin brushing one’s teeth. Children eat at their tables and brush their teeth there, leading to many food particles being stuck and lodged between the bristles of the toothbrush. This leads to poor oral hygiene as this is a breeding ground for many bacteria types.
TECHNOLOGY
Sanitizing technologies such as Ultra-Violet sanitization, chemical and antiseptic sanitization, ultrasonic sanitization, and heat and steam sterilization were researched. UV-C sanitization does not effectively kill the S. aureus bacteria linked with food poisoning, instead, chemical sanitization through using vinegar and mouthwash alternatives was effective. By utilizing chemical solutions found in a common household, daycares will spend less money in the long run. By combining chemical and ultrasonic sanitization by shaking the solution with the toothbrush inside of it, it creates a suspension where food particles can be removed from the toothbrush and all cavities can be properly sanitized through an act of “play”. This act is engaging to the child and reinforces them to continue practicing the routine.
PRODUCT TEARDOWN
Below is the teardown of a ShineWave UV Toothbrush Holder. Its pricing is $21.99 on Amazon and its features consist of a mountable toothbrush sterilizer, it can hold up to two toothbrushes either manual or electric, it has a rechargeable USB cable, a detachable adhesive wall mounting plate, and has a 60-second cycle. Below are pictures displaying the teardown and use cycle of the product. There were many positives and negatives found about this product are listed in the table:
EXISTING PRODUCTS
Currently, in the market, there are no existing toothbrush sanitizers targeted at children, especially ones utilizing chemical sanitization. There are UV sanitizing hubs that are targeted for families of four that house different types of toothbrushes, including children. UV sanitizers come in different sizes depending on if they are for an individual or are for multiple users. This sanitization product acts as a hub where the toothbrush(es) can be stored.
At Rexall, a direct competitor to toothbrush sanitizers are toothbrushes that come with their own custom UV light sanitizing kit and travel case. Analyzing toothbrush enclosures helps to develop the form for the solution.
Companies like Phillips Sonicare charge $30 and beyond for toothbrushes that come with their own travel case, and beyond $100 for toothbrushes that come with a case and UV light sanitizer. There were no sterilizers specifically for children at this store.
CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT
The first concept was to have a rectangular form where a lid could be opened via a hinge and the toothbrush was to be placed inside. The user would pour the sanitizing solution into the mould of the case either using a cup or a refillable pouch which would be stored in a compartment within the case. This allows for maximum portability since the child can utilize this kit anywhere in their environment with an emphasis on a personal kit.
PROTOTYPING AND DEVELOPMENT, USER TESTING
During the first day of user testing, users stated that they often placed the toothbrush facing up on instinct, leading to their confusion. Additionally, they did not find a purpose in having the chemical sanitization process occurring in the portable kit since it would be easier to place it into a cup even if that was less sanitary overall. With this feedback, the prototype was developed to open more such that what was once the walls of the product became a "mat" that houses the chemical sanitization process, essentially making this area the distinct area where this routine takes place, see Figure 8. When user testing, it was stated that this concept was more engaging and fun and would be more in line with an engaging product for children.
Initially, when developing the product, the materials were going to be a breathable fabric for the mat, and elastic fabric for the straps holding the toothbrush. The fabric was changed to a breathable material used for gaming mouse pads, though this does not dry quickly and would lead to bacteria growth within the kit. When consulting a lab technician on the manufacturing of the product, they suggested having the mat be made of neoprene rubber, which is a corrosion-resistant and water-proof rubber foam. In general, having a mat as the main product brought the issue of paintability as the instructions and graphics would have to be placed on the mat which would have low paintability. Adding “tiles” that would be adhered to the neoprene rubber allowed for a podium display of the instructions, making them clearer and elevated as if they are “popping out of the page”. The folding of the kit determined the size of the tiles since there are 5 steps, therefore 5 tiles that would fold into a triangular prism. The folding of the tiles created straight edges for the kit as well as spaces between them to create hinges to allow for the folding into a triangular prism. The cups were developed to become taller and to have a quarter-turn twist with a gasket to be able to create a water-tight seal.
The microfibre cloth was redeveloped to be placed into a cutout portion of the fifth tile to reduce obstruction when folding the kit closed. The microfibre cloth will have Velcro attached to it so it can be removed and replaced after 1-3 months. This is because it soaks up liquid and can be a breeding ground for bacteria if it is not replaced. The closing of the kit was developed preliminary using magnets like an iPad cover. Through testing, it was found that the magnets ripped through the neoprene rubber, in addition to the rubber reducing the power of the magnetic. Elastic components were prototyped along with a magnetic snap-button, where the latter was preferred due to its versatility and intuitiveness.
FINAL DESIGN
The final design for ZUB: Childcare Toothbrush Sanitizer, consists of two main components, one being the two cups that house the second component, the instructional kit. The cups screw and unscrew using threads like any bottle and cap and are done so using a quarter turn. An O-ring is placed at the side of the bottom cup’s lip to create a liquid-tight seal to prevent spillage during the sanitization process.
The kit folds into a triangular prism which is housed between the cups when the kit is not in use. When removed, children will find that the neoprene rubber backing provides a soft tactile feeling, making it child-friendly. The kit will be placed on the table where the flap from the access material will be on the lower portion of the kit. The user will unbutton the magnetic snap button and unfold the kit vertically in the upwards direction. The snap button is intuitive as it is used for backpacks and purses. Having a magnetic button is easy for a child to use since they do not need to be precise or continually exert force for the button to snap into place. Once the kit is open the user can follow the steps. A breakdown of the use cycle is found in section 4.4.
The design incorporates child anthropometrics by considering a child’s grip diameter and palm-size for the cups as well as the depth of the kit when closed, being at 1.5”. The bottom cup has grooves that act as grips. This allows the user to properly grip the cups while screwing and unscrewing the cups. The bottom cup also has ribs at the base where the toothbrush will be inserted during the sanitization process. There are three ribs that form a triangle, where each rib is 0.25” apart from the other. The triangle is resemblant to the triangular form of the kit, symbolizing that the kit goes into the cup to fit with the ribs. This is like games where children insert a shape into a shape cut out (i.e., fit the triangle into the triangular cut out). The top cup has surface details in the shape of elongated, rounded rectangles which act as “eyes” for the cups when they are closed. The bottom cup’s grooves act as arms, giving a persona to the kit and making it engaging for children. This adds to the individualistic vision for the product by giving options for personalization. The surface details of the top cup are where children can personalize their cup and place stickers for their name and the date, they received their new toothbrush.
The instructional kit is colour coordinated to be coloured like a rainbow, so it is easy for children to follow the steps. Utilizing the large and rounded font Sonorous creates a light and bubbly feeling for the kit, catering it for children. The font is sans serif and is easy to read. The font is 18 pt. which through user testing was thought to be the best size to easily read while not overpowering the layout. Size 25pt font was used for the numbers to be bold but not overpowering as well.
The graphic icons were balanced with the written text such that the user would understand the steps to a high degree. The first tile has written text since it is simple to understand that the toothbrush needs to be removed from its placement. The second tile has written text for scooping the toothpaste and has an icon outlined with a border to signify where the childcare facilitator will place the toothpaste. The arrow adds to the comprehension of the step. The brush icon and written text symbolize the next step in the process. Step three to five has written and graphic instructions to allow for two methods for a child to understand the steps.
