A Phone App…For Your Toothbrush?

Technology has granted us the ability to better maintain and organize our lives, and this includes the management of our health. Countless applications and programs are available to help count calories, create exercise programs, and even track menstrual cycles. Dental hygiene is a very important part of our daily routine—and get this, there’s an app for that too!

The “Beam Brush,” is the first app-connected toothbrush that keeps track of your good brushing habits and earns you real rewards for a clean bill of health. A sensor embedded in the upper part of the brush tracks your activity and syncs it to the company’s app on your smartphone via Bluetooth. The free app is available for both Android and iPhone devices. The recorded data from the app is a great way to give you a better picture of your overall dental health.

RELATED: Are You Using The Right Toothbrush?

For the most part, dentists and oral hygienists appreciate this technology because rather than issuing patients the standard statement “you need to brush and floss more,” doctors can show Beam users where they’re going wrong and how they can improve their oral hygiene.

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Not only that, to make sure that you spend enough time scrubbing the insides of your mouth, the Beam Brush will playback a couple of minutes of music, while a tracking sensor goes to work to track your brushing habits. Among the rewards that you can pick up include video games, movie tickets, deals on purses, shoes and clothes.

From the makers of the app:

‘Today, the average person brushes their teeth for only 46 seconds, but is 50 percent more likely to brush their teeth for a full two minutes by using just a simple timer.

‘Oral care is considered patient-centered since oral health is impacted significantly by your daily hygiene habits.

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‘Data from the Beam Brush is designed to raise awareness for your oral care.’

Would you use a toothbrush app and do you think it could be useful in maintaining and improving your oral health?

How to properly brush your teeth

In order to properly brush your teeth, remember the following:

• Brush your teeth twice a day with a soft-bristled brush. The size and shape of your brush should fit your mouth allowing you to reach all areas easily.
• Replace your toothbrush every three or four months, or sooner if the bristles are frayed. A worn toothbrush won’t do a good job of cleaning your teeth.
• Make sure to use an ADA-accepted fluoride toothpaste.
• Place your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle to the gums.
• Gently move the brush back and forth in short (tooth-wide) strokes.
• Brush the outer surfaces, the inner surfaces, and the chewing surfaces of the teeth.
• To clean the inside surfaces of the front teeth, tilt the brush vertically and make several up-and-down strokes.