dentalhygiene
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Scrubbing with a toothbrush that knows when you missed a spot
Mobile World Congress is predominantly about smartphones, however look hard enough and you'll find all sorts of other surprises too. Take Oral-B, which chose Barcelona as the place to announce the B-Genius, a new toothbrush that knows exactly where you're scrubbing. A built-in accelerometer clocks the angle, while your phone's front-facing camera tracks its location and your dentures. As you brush, the companion app highlights the places you've cleaned and the spots you might have missed. So of course, we had to try it for ourselves and see if it's worth the hassle.
Amron Experimental 'Rinser Toothbrush' is back, now with more fountain (video)
The original Rinser Toothbrush was a dental delight. Now, Amron Experimental has updated its classic "Brush & Rinse" for the modern mouth. So, what's new in 2012 for the revolutionary chomper-washer? First of all: Power Fountain. No more lowly trickle of water to chase, this time a proud stream of H2O leaps upwards from its center. Secondly, the heads are now replaceable, meaning you can keep your Brush & Rinse in service much longer. Still have the taste of "unconvinced" in your mouth? Watch the tap of awesome flow in the video after the break. Think this is what your morning routine has been missing? Then head to the source where you can pre-order now for a minty-fresh $22.
Philips Sonicare DiamondClean USB toothbrush to stay fresh at your desk
For the modern dental enthusiast, we present to you the Philips Sonicare DiamondClean USB toothbrush -- because keeping your stank breath fresh at your computer is essential for early morning Skype calls. Long since gone are the days where brushing your teeth was limited to the bathroom. Nowadays, you'll need to keep those chompers fresh no matter where you might find yourself, including (but not limited to): the computer lab at school, your home office, your boss' office, or maybe even the Apple Store. Claiming up to 100 percent plaque removal and 44 percent more bristles, some are going so far as to call this £250 ($405) teeth gleamer the "iPod of toothbrushes." Check out the full PR and the so fresh, so clean jam after the break. Update: the folks at Philips emailed to let us know the USB toothbrush will sell for a suggested $219.99 in the US.
Researchers turn brushing your teeth into child's play
Kids -- they hate brushing their teeth. Sure, we try and show them pictures of zombie faces and toothless seniors, but it just doesn't work. Finally, someone has come up with a solution to the problem: make it fun. Researchers at the National Taiwan University have devised a scheme which turns brushing your teeth into a webcam-tracked video game. Using an LED-studded toothbrush, a camera mounted above a mirror, and an LCD display, kids can watch plaque and debris get annihilated from a cartoon mouth while they scrub their choppers. The system is able to track detailed, three-dimensional movement of the child's hand, covering 24 separate areas of the mouth. Kids who tested the system were found to brush twice as well as those who hadn't used it, but were also extremely cocky about their perfect teeth. Check the video after the break to see the magic happen.[Via Gizmo Watch]
Ultreo toothbrush uses ultrasound, but can it clean teeth?
Riveting news from the world of dental hygiene: the Ultreo ultrasonic toothbrush has officially launched, promising what sounds like the ultimate brush session -- oh you know, "ultrasound waveguide technology" and "precisely tuned sonic bristle action" and stuff like that. Unlike traditional sonic units that only use audible frequencies of 20Hz to 20,000Hz, Ultreo uses a tuned sonic / ultrasonic (over 20,000Hz) combo to offer more enamel-rattling power without compromising the user's veneers, bridges, or general safety. There's a programmable replacement indicator that prompts a brush head switch-out every 3 months, and the 2-minute auto shut-off timer makes sure you don't cop out too early. For about $149.00, true tooth-o-philes can sink their chompers into this latest addition to the bourgie toothbrush market.[Thanks, Eric B]
Digital cameras save little kids' teeth
Here at Engadget, we're all for preventive medicine. In fact, we're all about preventive anything, unless it's stopping us from getting our hands on the latest gear. Anyway, it turns out that there's a fairly treatable dental disorder called "early childhood dental caries," known in the biz as ECC. Sometimes when babies or toddlers go to sleep with a bottle of juice in their mouth, the sugars from the juice can cause serious dental problems, including tooth decay, sometimes leading to extraction. Ouch. Or to put it in terms that will make your wallet say "ow," annual treatment costs in the community of Rochester, NY, a town of over 200,000, run into the nabe of $1 million. Fortunately for them (and hopefully soon, the rest of us), University of Rochester Medical Center dental researchers have come up with a way of severly reducing this problem before it starts. By taking digital pictures of these tykes' teeth at health clinics and then zipping them off to pediatric dentists at the Eastman Dental Center across town, the problem can be spotted before it gets out of control. There, dentists check out the photos, can diagnose ECC and recommend treatment as needed. If only all dentistry was this easy. But seriously folks, if you really want to save money, try outsourcing your dental photography to India.[Via medGadget]
