technology and toothbrushing Bristol dentistEverything in our modern lives is eventually touched by technology, thanks to the technical wizards who are hard at work innovating, reinventing and modifying the things that we use on a day to day basis. From our phones to our fridges, our TVs to our heating, everything we use is being pushed to try and make it do more and more clever, useful things.

It was only a matter of time before the consumer dentistry market was the recipient of one of these new innovations, and here at CK Dental Practice in Bristol, we were interested to hear more.

Smart tooth brushes

At the recent Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas, a new type of ‘smart toothbrush’ was unveiled. This new innovation promises to sync with an app to try and help you make your teeth brushing routine as efficient as possible. The logic behind this new tooth brush is that in the long run, the intelligence garnered from its use will save you lots of money in future dentistry work.

Artificial intelligence

These smart tooth brushes even promise that they use the very latest in artificial intelligence (AI), as they will supposedly study the way in which you brush your teeth, learn from this and then make suggestions about how this can be improved. The tooth brush is designed to connect to an app on your phone via Bluetooth, which captures information about your brushing habits, such as how often you brush, how long for and which areas of your mouth you give most attention to.

Interestingly, according to one toothbrush innovator Kolibree, a tech firm specialising in dental products, their new toothbrush has the capability of storing usage data while it is not connected to the app, and then syncing when the connection feature is activated.

Sounds very futuristic, doesn’t it?

Some of the big, well-known brands in toothbrush manufacture are already investigating the potential behind using AI to keep our teeth cleaner and healthier. If you like the sound of this but aren’t in a position to invest in one of these new smart toothbrushes, then there are other dentistry apps available that can help add a bit of sparkle to your normal tooth brushing routine. This is a great idea too if you’re trying to encourage children to find tooth brushing more interesting.

When it comes to dentistry innovations, it sounds like the future’s bright, the future’s pearly-white.

Bristol dental practiceThere are interesting innovations across all industries, and dentistry is no different. Electronic toothbrushes revolutionised the brushing experience when they were first introduced, but now there are so many more things that tooth brushes can offer.

Here at CK Dental practice in Bristol, we decided to take a  look at some of the latest innovations to have changed the humble tooth brush.

Tooth brushes with cameras

These clever electric toothbrushes have a tiny camera embedded within the handle which gives users the chance to film the inside of their mouths. With this knowledge and ability to see areas that are tough to see by looking in the mirror, this can help guide users to target problem areas and to ensure that problems such as plaque do not build up unnoticed.

Brushing for the correct amount of time

Another innovation is a toothbrush that comes with a built-in timer. It is recommended that teeth are brushed twice a day for at least two minutes, and with a timer available inside your toothbrush, there is no simpler way to ensure you’re meeting your daily brushing quota.

Tongue as well as teeth

Some toothbrushes come with special modes for cleaning your tongue, which are softer than modes required for brushing teeth. It is important to maintain a healthy tongue as part of your oral routine; otherwise it can become a breeding ground for bacteria which can be harmful for your teeth.

Applying just the right amount of pressure

There are also toothbrushes that have a pressure sensor to ensure that you’re applying enough – but not too much – pressure to the different areas of your mouth. Getting the pressure right is important, too little and you risk not leaving teeth fully clean, too much and you risk damaging tooth enamel or more sensitive gums.