Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become increasingly available in our daily lives. From smartphones to cars, these intelligent machines are helping make life more efficient than ever before, making it unsurprising that AI toothbrushes have hit the market.

In 2017, the tech firm Kolibree presented the first AI toothbrush at the Consumer Electric Show. Since then, other companies have also released versions of smart toothbrushes. We asked Vancouver dentist Dr. Lunn what we should know about them.

The Standard Electric Toothbrushes

Electric toothbrushes are not new, but instead have been around for decades now. These toothbrushes help clean your teeth by uniformly brushing your teeth at a high speed, resulting in better and more effective brushing of your teeth and gums. Electric toothbrushes often have a timer as well, letting you know when to change quadrants and shutting off at two to three minutes.

Electric toothbrushes have evolved by themselves, coming with Bluetooth features and accompanying apps. While electric toothbrushes are a wonderful tool, they are not the same thing as an AI toothbrush.

Ara

Kolibree introduced its first electric toothbrush several years ago, but last year it came back with Ara. Ara is not just an electric toothbrush, but it contains artificial intelligence. If you are wondering how AI relates to a toothbrush, there is reasonable answer.

Ara was built to provide feedback to its users, giving you constructive criticism on your brushing techniques as well as your effectiveness. Overtime, the AI learns what your habits are and will supply more personalized data. If you have not brushed often or long enough, the toothbrush’s app will let you know. If you have not spent enough time on one area of your mouth over another, it will also report back to you where you need more work.

How it Works


AI toothbrushes are built using algorithms that are placed inside of the toothbrush’s inner processor. The sensors that run through the processor can analyze how well you are brushing and learn what your habits are. The more often that you use the toothbrush, the better and more accurate the results will be.

While it might be giving you personalized feedback, the AI toothbrushes are still electric toothbrushes, meaning they are still going to effectively remove plaque and help clean your gums, just like any other quality electric toothbrush does. The difference is that instead of just having a built-in timer, AI toothbrushes will let you know what you can do to improve your brushing techniques. In some cases, there might not be any negative feedback, so don’t worry that the toothbrush is only going to give a hard time.

Feedback

The data from your brushing is uploaded to the toothbrush’s app on your phone via Bluetooth. From there, the app will compile the data and relay it back to you in the form of weekly reports. The toothbrush can also be used offline, storing the information until it can connect to the app again. This is a great perk if you are traveling or in an area out of service.

The feedback will include the duration of your brushing, the frequency you brush, and the overall quality, letting you know what you can do to have more effective homecare. You can also access this information directly on the app at any time.

The Goal

Ultimately, the goal of intelligent toothbrushes is to improve your dental health says this dentist in Murray Hill. Instead of just cleaning your teeth, they can help you have better and healthier teeth and gums, improving your overall homecare. You will see the positive results of your new brushing skills at your next dental appointment.

Image Source: BigStock.com (licensed)

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