Yui's Website

Group Project

This project aims to design a comfortable, effective in-home oral hygiene device using Penn Dental's innovative magnetic nanoparticle technology. It helps users clean hard-to-reach areas of their mouth in under 2 minutes—ideal for people with gum disease, braces, disabilities, or those skipping dental visits.

Group mates: Hazel Chen, Yui Guo, Mubai Luo, Jasen Lee
Role: User research, product strategy, co-design sessions, prototyping, visual design

Penn Dental In Home - Oral Hygiene Device

Powered by Penn Dental’s magnetic nanoparticle system, the device uses magnet-guided particles to clean deep between teeth and along the gums. It combines brushing and flossing in one fast, effective, and gentle routine—designed for everyday in-home use.

Technology

Over 80% of adults leave more than 40% of plaque after brushing. Existing routines are time-consuming and hard to follow, especially for users with physical or cognitive limitations. Gum disease and skipped prophylaxis are common issues, especially among aging adults and people with braces.

Problem

Research & Key Insights

→ People judge cleanliness based on feel and social cues
→ Simplicity, safety, and comfort are essential

→ Tech must be intuitive for independent use

We explored multiple forms (pebble, puck, pudding) and settled on a U-shaped, flexible silicone mouth tray that conforms to the gumline. It integrates a pump and magnet system to agitate nano-cleaning solution.

30+ survey responses

20+ 1:1 interviews

Observations at Penn Dental clinics

Co-design sessions with elderly, children, and disabled users

Expert interviews with dental professionals

Design Direction

Ideation

Pebble Form

Puck Form

Brick Form

Pudding Form

Prototypes

Testing

Secondary Research Insights

1: People like the round shape as well.

2: Resolved technical challenges and met key engineering benchmarks.

We chose a silicone material that fits comfortably along the gums.

Finalized the magnet shape into U shape for optimal performance.

Final Design

Mouth Tray and Base Combo for in home oral care

U-shaped mouth tray with flexible silicone gum seal

Magnets and pump to move nano-particles through teeth

LED ring, one-button interface, USB-C charging

Soft, safe, adaptable for a range of users

Architecture

TAM (208M):
All adults with ineffective brushing

SAM (140M):
High-need segments (gum disease, skipped cleanings, disabilities)

SOM (25M):
Realistic early adopters (aging adults, caregivers, tech-savvy users)

Watertight Seal

Using Negative Pressure and Silicone to Maintain Seal; Silicone buffer conforms and presses against the gumline. Negative pressure is created when the pump activates

Pull Tube