For those of us with limited or no hand function, keeping our teeth clean and healthy can be problematic. So, I was intrigued when the Swiss brand Curaprox rolled out its new Samba Robotic Toothbrush, designed specifically for people with limited dexterity.

Over 22 years as a C5-6 quadriplegic, I’ve devised a pretty effective routine to compensate for my limited tenodesis grip, and wondered if the Samba could match or improve on my results. I also wanted to see how good an option the Samba is for users who rely on caregivers or need more assistance than I do.

How It Works

The Samba uses a brush head that is essentially a mouthguard lined with bristles that brush the front and back of the teeth simultaneously. The 12,900 bristles cover the entire surface of the teeth. On the bottom of the brush head are two additional sets of bristles that more resemble traditional manual toothbrush heads. These clean the flat surfaces of the molars opposite of where the mouthguard is brushing. For example, while the mouthguard portion of the brush head cleans the top teeth, the additional bristles clean the upper surfaces of the bottom molars.

Driven by two pistons that push the brush head rapidly back and forth, the Samba runs in 30-second intervals and shuts off automatically, allowing the user to flip the toothbrush over and brush the other set of teeth. Since the Samba cleans the front and back of the teeth at once, it’s recommended you brush for only 30 seconds on a side.

My Trial

I used the Samba as a replacement for my regular electric toothbrush for three weeks. Before I started, I had a number of questions and concerns. My biggest concern was that the motor would be too powerful. Aside from discomfort or possibly damaging my gums, I worried the Samba might create a mess of toothpaste and saliva, complicating my routine instead of making it more efficient.

Thankfully, none of these concerns panned out. Although it took a few days to get used to a gyrating mouthguard brushing my teeth, my gums got irritated only once, and the Samba never made me choke as I feared it could. Using toothpaste in the mouthguard was also much tidier than expected. I squirt some in the front of the mouthguard and on each side near the molars, and the device does a good job preventing and containing messes.

As a replacement for my regular brush, the Samba performs well. My teeth feel as clean after using it as they do with my toothbrush. One shortcoming is that I can’t brush a specific area the way I can with a regular toothbrush. If there is a piece of food stuck and the Samba misses it, I would still need to get it with a regular toothbrush or dental floss. Similarly, if I want to brush my tongue, I’ll need another device.

Ironically, the biggest problem I have with the Samba is that it is difficult to use as a person with limited hand and arm mobility. While the Samba advertises itself as being designed for people with limited dexterity, it doesn’t feel like designers fully considered what would allow people like me to use the toothbrush independently.

Over three weeks of tinkering and trying new approaches, I was never able to complete the process of brushing my teeth independently with the Samba. Holding the Samba in the correct position with my limited grip is difficult but doable, although adding an adaptive grip would likely be better for many users. More problematic is turning the Samba on and off.

To use the Samba properly, you insert the mouthguard in your mouth and press the power button, a small circle on front of the handle. The button is hard to hit — I had to hold the handle with one hand while awkwardly trying to depress the button with the other. When the Samba is upside down and I can’t see or feel the button, pressing it is impossible. If the Samba had a time-delay setting or even a switch that could be activated by biting the mouthguard, it would be much easier for someone of my ability-level to use.

The Verdict

Although the Samba does well cleaning my teeth, I find it to be less accessible than my current toothbrush setup. I can see how the Samba’s unique approach would make brushing easier for some with limited dexterity, but, for the many reasons listed above, it doesn’t feel like a great solution for users with quad hands or similar function who want to brush independently.

If you are able to brush your teeth independently with a regular toothbrush or existing adaptive devices, I don’t think it is worth the effort learning how to effectively use the Samba. In my opinion, the best use for the Samba would be for someone who requires the assistance of a caregiver to brush their teeth. The Samba cleans teeth well, and for someone with a caregiver who does a poor job brushing teeth, the Samba would eliminate human error. With a few design changes, however, the Samba could also be a more practical option for other with limited arm and hand function.

The Curaprox Samba Robotic Toothbrush is available for $299 and comes with a 60-day money-back guarantee. Replacement brush heads are available in packs of two for $79. For more information, visit Curaprox.