A retired dentist has used his 30-year experience of staring into people’s mouths to develop an innovative toothbrush – shaped like a screwdriver.

Tony Hodgkison, who ran his own practice in Witney before retiring in 2002, has come up with a prototype for a toothbrush that encourages users to brush their teeth gently in a circular motion.

Mr Hodgkison, 63, of Burford, said: “The idea came out of thin air.

“When I was working, I wasbrushing my teeth all the time. But I got a bit lazy and realised I wasn’t brushing them all that well.”

The problem, he decided, was the long-handled brush, which, he said, makes it difficult to use the dentist-recommended motion.

He said: “Nearly everybody tends to overbrush, using it like a shoebrush to scrub away.

“It occurred to me that if you could do it more accurately and gently it would be beneficial.”

Mr Hodgkison came up with a freestanding brush with a short, handle which allowed users to change grip and easily twist the brush – like a screwdriver.

He said: “I use one myself and it does seem to work pretty well.”

A trial was carried out at King’s College Dental Institute, and a third of those who tried the brush said it was a good idea.

Mr Hodgkison is now working with Coventry University’s Health, Design and Technology Institute to develop the product ahead of clinical trials.

But he added: “Manufacturing and marketing is going to be a huge hurdle.”

tshepherd@oxfordmail.co.uk