Need Help Brushing? There’s an App for That
Several different companies have introduced apps to help support healthy brushing habits
We all know we’re supposed to brush at least twice a day, according to the recommendations of the American Dental Association and dentists everywhere. However, keeping up with this daily oral care routine can be difficult. Sometimes we may forget to brush or not brush long or carefully enough. Fortunately, several companies have developed ways for patients to use smartphone apps to help monitor and encourage proper brushing.
The Beam Brush
The Beam Brush is a Bluetooth-enabled toothbrush that can record brushing data and send it to a user’s smartphone and to their dentist if desired. It also has a timer to help users make sure they brush for the full 2 minutes recommended by dentists. According to the manufacturer, the average person brushes for just 46 seconds but is 50 percent more likely to brush for the full 2 minutes if a timer is used. The Beam Brush has replaceable heads, each of which can link to its own user profile within the app, so that parents can easily monitor children’s brushing without having to stand over them at the sink twice a day.
Brush DJ
The idea behind Brush DJ is that if a simple timer is effective in improving length of brushing sessions, a really cool timer will be even more effective. Each morning and evening, this app picks a song at random from the user’s music library and uses it as background music for a two-minute teeth-brushing countdown. The Brush DJ app was developed by British dentist Ben Underwood as a reaction to the UK Department of Health’s attempts to improve the nation’s oral health by targeting dentists. Underwood felt better results would be achieved by targeting patients directly. The next version of Brush DJ is expected to have instructional videos for brushing and flossing techniques as well as a song timer.
Kolibree
Similar in some ways to the Beam Brush, Kolibree is another toothbrush and smartphone app package designed to help users track and improve their own brushing habits. This electric toothbrush monitors brushing zones as well as brushing frequency and length of brushing sessions, enabling users to make sure they are giving all of their teeth sufficient attention. Though the toothbrush can only record data for one user, multiple family members can link their toothbrushes into one app account, enabling parents to monitor kids’ brushing. The app offers rewards for achieving brushing goals and even has a gameplay feature to help keep kids interested in brushing.
