PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve a problem of installing a detection part in a conventional toothbrush having a means for detecting a tooth plaque that a position where the tooth plaque is detected is different from a position where a brush bundle comes into contact, causing inefficient tooth plaque removal and preventing accurate detection of the tooth plaque due to erroneous detection of the tooth plaque attached to the brush bundle.SOLUTION: A toothbrush of the present invention 100 is configured to irradiate light onto a tooth, detect a fluorescent or reflective light generated from the tooth, and operate brush bundle on the basis of the result of the detected fluorescent or reflective light. The toothbrush includes: light emitting part for irradiating light onto an irradiation face of the tooth at a perpendicular or inclined angle a detection part for detecting the fluorescent or reflective light generated when the light is irradiated onto the tooth a brush head 7 having a brush bundle 6 a driving part for moving the bush head 7 at a cleaning position or waiting position and a control unit for controlling the diving part on the basis of the information of the fluorescent or reflective light detected by the detection part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1COPYRIGHT: (C)2017,JPO&INPIT【課題】従来の歯垢を検出する手段を備えた歯ブラシにおける検出部の設置方法では、歯垢が検出された位置と毛束が当接する位置が異なっているため、歯垢除去作業の効率が悪く、また毛束に付着した歯垢を誤検出し、正確な歯垢検出を行うことができなかった。【解決手段】本発明の歯ブラシ100は、光を歯に照射して、歯から発生する蛍光又は反射光を検出し、蛍光又は反射光を検出した結果に基づいて、毛束を可動させる歯ブラシであって、光を歯の照射面に対して垂直に又は傾斜した角度で照射する発光部と、歯に光を照射したときに発生する蛍光又は反射光を検出するための検出部と、毛束6を備えたブラシヘッド部7と、ブラシヘッド部7を洗浄位置又は待機位置に可動させる駆動部と、検出部で検出された蛍光又は反射光の情報に基づいて駆動部を制御する制御部とを有することを特徴としている。【選択図】図1
