What do you think about apps for brushing your teeth?

The novelty on the market are apps that are designed to help users brush their teeth in order to get better feedback on how good their own oral hygiene is. Particularly noteworthy are the apps that are specially designed for children and are intended to make daily oral care more fun. There are apps such as Playbrush, Brush Heroes or Brush Busters, which combine tooth brushing with an interactive game where children brush their teeth in a playful way by chasing tooth monsters or steering an airplane with brushing movements.

In this way, the child always combines brushing with an experience that he or she enjoys and even develops the desire to brush their teeth more often and for longer periods of time without anyone noticing. The manufacturer has developed many games to keep it exciting for as long as possible. For a successful game there is a special reward system.

The manual toothbrush is connected to the app by an attachment into which any standard manual toothbrush can be inserted. There are also apps for adults that use Bluetooth to detect the position of the toothbrush and help the user to optimize brushing. The toothbrush detects if the user presses too hard while brushing and informs the user about this, the app creates an individual tooth brushing program that is tailored to the user’s personal needs.

In general, tooth brushing apps make daily dental care easier, giving the user feedback on where there are still weak points that can be improved that he or she does not even notice. These apps are especially positive for children, as they combine the tiresome task of brushing teeth with a game or an experience, creating fun, joy and a sense of achievement in both children and parents, to put an end to any aversions. Which app is best for the user or the child should be tested in advance.

Consultation with the dentist can also be helpful. However, you should first try to teach children how to brush their teeth without using apps or cell phones. You should explain to them exactly why you should brush your teeth thoroughly and also point out the consequences of neglect. There are good short stories, e.g. of Karius and Bactus, which guide the children and take them on adventures.