Manufacturers of dental products are making their wares smarter, so we thought we’d held guide our customers through their ever-expanding options for maintaining oral hygiene at home. Particularly interesting are efforts by electric toothbrush makers to integrate smart phone and tablet apps into their products. This kind of software is mostly marketed towards parents and people with disabilities.
Electric toothbrushes don’t require as much dexterity as manual toothbrushes and don’t require the brusher to use them for as long during each session (actually, it’s best not to). But some people still don’t reach every surface of every tooth. Some of the new apps provide feedback on which parts of the mouth the user has missed, whether they have brushed for long enough, and whether they need to adjust the toothbrush’s settings. Apps geared toward kids contain reward systems for brushing properly, and likewise provide feedback to adjust their technique. Progression through simple video games is the most common kind of reward, with success meant to instill good habits.
The new apps don’t do much to make electric toothbrushes more affordable, so whether they are worthwhile will depend a lot on each patient’s situation. But for people who haven’t gotten good results with manual toothbrushes, they might provide an extra incentive to give hi-tech home products a try.
Eric M. Meyer, DDS, operates at 2720 North Harbor Blvd, Fullerton, California, 92835. To schedule an appointment, call 714-879-7943 or visit FullertonDental.com and fill out a contact sheet.
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