Toothbrushes are getting "smarter" as they become loaded with artificial intelligence, sensors and other cutting-edge technology to help you clean your teeth better and make toothbrushing more fun. I decided to try out some of these new gadgets to see what they offer.
Raising your score
The Braun Oral-B Genius X is an electric toothbrush with AI features that has been sold since October by Kobe-based P&G Japan (see slide 1). Through a dedicated smartphone app, the toothbrush lets users know about toothbrushing aspects such as unbrushed surfaces and how much force to use.
The AI for this toothbrush was fed toothbrushing data from thousands of people. It can detect from how the toothbrush is being held and moved to how much pressure is being applied to the teeth, instantly determining how the user is brushing.
Even though I find brushing my teeth boring, I gave it a try. I started brushing as usual, but right away the handle started glowing red and its movements slowed down. This was a sign I was brushing too hard, a function that is meant to prevent damage to the gums. After that, I stopped pressing so hard with the toothbrush.
Looking at my smartphone as I brushed, I could see an image of teeth changing from blue to white as I brushed those areas. The session ended when all the blue parts had been brushed and turned white.
Then the app graded me on my toothbrushing. In my first experience with the toothbrush, I brushed too hard for 19.6 seconds and my overall brushing score was only 50%.
Fighting monsters
Another product I tried, called Gum Play, required me to only attach a small sensor to a normal toothbrush (see slide 2). Sold by Takatsuki, Osaka Prefecture-based Sunstar Inc., the product's sensor recognizes the speed and range of brushing and transmits the data to a smartphone via Bluetooth.
The sensor helps turn toothbrushing into a game through four apps that score brushing and perform other functions.
One of these apps is a game called "Mouth Monster" (see main photo above). The game features monsters modeled after bacteria found in the mouth who appear on the screen in succession but are defeated if you brush well enough. For example, if a monster appears on the upper-right of the screen, brush your upper-right teeth. The monsters you defeat are entered into an album in the app.
There is also a musical performance app in which the melody changes depending on how you brush.
Analyzing gums
Sunstar also offers a service in which AI helps you choose a toothbrush based on bristle hardness, thickness and other factors. This Gum Oral Care Smart Concierge was launched online in November.
A version for smartphones asks you to answer questions on your gender, age and other information, and take a photo of your face with your teeth visible. The service then analyzes the gaps between teeth and other details to assess the gums. In addition to recommending the best toothbrush, it tells you where you might be neglecting to brush.
The AI learned from data of assessments performed by dentists and dental hygienists looking at 10,000 pictures of gums.
"We want people to be able to easily find the best toothbrush," a company spokesperson said.
Good to know
P&G's Genius X and Sunstar's Gum Play require users to download an app on their smartphones and activate it every time they brush.
Users should be careful not to damage their phones such as by splashing water on them while brushing. The Genius X comes with a suction cup to attach the smartphone to a mirror.
Sunstar recommends using the company's toothbrushes with Gum Play to ensure the sensor functions properly.
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