Forget Toothpaste. This Nifty Toothbrush Scrubs Teeth Clean With Nanotech.

If you think about it, toothpaste is pretty gnarly stuff. It’s ooey, gooey and sticks to everything but your teeth. How sweet would it be if we could eliminate the minty glop from the whole toothbrushing routine once and for all?

Now, thanks to the wonders of nanotechnology, we can. A group of Japanese techies have designed a toothbrush that uses super skinny nylon bristles wrapped in nano-size mineral ions to scrub teeth squeaky clean. Stains are lifted, plaque and other unwanted materials are fended off, and the enamel that defends your teeth from decay is protected.

Same old circular brushing pattern. Zero toothpaste required. No gross frothing at the mouth.

The clear, plastic-handled brush is called Misoka. The Japanese name translates in English to “the last day of the month,” the suggested day to switch out the bristles on it on a regular basis. To activate the toothbrush, users need only dip it into a cup filled with plain, old water before brushing.

Here’s a look at how it works. (If you speak Japanese, maybe you can tell us what the super-enthused actors are saying…)

Misoka’s creators -- consumer electronics designer Kosho Ueshima, working in collaboration with the tech firm Yume Shokunin -- claim you need only one typical brushing session with the futuristic toothbrush in the morning and you’re good to go. Your pearly whites will stay clean all day long, they say.

"Even without toothpaste, your teeth stay as shiny and clean as though you just walked out of a teeth-cleaning session at the dentist's,” Misoka’s designers said in a recent interview.

Some two million Misoka brushes have already been sold in Japan and in other parts of Asia. A redesigned version of the nifty cleaning tool just launched in Milan. If you live stateside, you’ll have to shop online to get one for now. We found the toothbrush for as low as $35 on eBay and for only $14 on Amazon. Not bad, considering what you get.

Without traditional toothpaste, we wonder what groups like the American Dental Association think of the overall safety and efficacy of this nano-newfangled toothbrush. The organization did not immediately respond to our request for comment.