Toothbrush Apps

We at Bayberry Dental Care in Tinley Park have talked before about electric toothbrushes, but manufacturers are always adding new features. In particular, Oral B and Kolibree have recently developed smartphone apps they are in the process of rolling out. The effectiveness of electric toothbrushes is somewhat circumstantial, so we thought we’d provide an overview of them.

If a patient brushes with a manual toothbrush for two full minutes in each session, an electric toothbrush will make little difference. However, children and people with disabilities often struggle with this. Several of the new smartphone apps are intended to make kids more interested in brushing or to distract them so that they’ll do it for longer (although electric toothbrushes shouldn’t require as much time to use as manual ones). These apps include short video games, educational videos, and a rewards system.

Some of the new apps also provide users with feedback on their brushing. These can help people to identify problem areas and adjust the toothbrush’s settings if they are brushing too hard or in the wrong places. Which, if any, of these new toys will prove useful to a child is something only a parent can determine, but there is an ever-expanding pool of options.
Kathleen M. Falsey, D.D.S., operates Bayberry Dental Care at 8014 West 171st St, Tinley Park, Illinois, 60477. To schedule an appointment, call 708-802-8300 or visit BayberryDentalCare.com and fill out a contact sheet.