(By Dr. Joseph D. Lim and Dr. Kenneth Lester Lim, BS-MMG, DDM, MSc-OI)
SMARTPHONES? Yes. Smart toothbrushes? Well, yes.
Add that to smart televisions, and smart technology and the Internet of Everything.
Now its Artificial Intelligence with the good old-fashioned bristles.
The electric toothbrush has just gone overdrive. AI technology and Bluetooth connect it to an app that determines the brush head’s position, maps out the teeth terrain, and provides real-time pressure, motion, and brushstrokes. AI also determines when it’s time for the toothbrush to move to another part of the teeth.
With a price tag of $499, or just about P25,000, one wonders if it’s such a smart idea. Then again, that’s just about the price of a medium-range smartphone, so it might just be smart to own one if one loves his or her pearly whites so much.
They have been called the Ferraris of toothbrushes with matching names that put luxury cars to shame: the Oral-B iO 9 and Philips Sonicare Prestige 9900.
Sophie Aubrey of the The Sydney Morning Herald interviewed Dr. James Fernando, a dentist connected with the University of Melbourne, and this is what he had to say about the Ferrari toothbrushes.
Both manual and electric toothbrushes work and at a par with each other in getting rid of germs, food debris and plaque, says Dr. Fernando, adding they are just as effective in preventing cavities and gum diseases.
One advantage of the electric versions, he said, is that they work at the same pace at any given time, so their efficiency is consistent.
“Most people can concentrate less on what they’re doing, and perhaps it can be a little bit easier for them to actually come up with a good result,” he told Ms. Aubrey. “People who start using them tend to really enjoy them.”
Overdoing it with a manual toothbrush – like exerting too much pressure when brushing – may cause gum to recede and expose the tooth root. Or it may compromise the enamel coating (and protection) of the tooth; this is an issue with senior citizens who have less enamel, Dr. Fernando said.
A smart toothbrush will tell its user when the brushing is too hard.
Then there are the areas that people tend to ignore unconsciously. A smart toothbrush will direct the user to these areas.
Dr. Mikaela Chinotti of the Australian Dental Association told The Sydney Morning Herald that “it’s not what you have, it’s how you use it.”
“A smart toothbrush can be valuable but … if someone is going great guns with a manual brush there’s no need to spend more money. But if it’s really going to improve outcomes, it’s a good investment.”
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Dr. Joseph D. Lim is the former Associate Dean of the College of Dentistry, University of the East; former Dean, College of Dentistry, National University; Past President and Honorary Fellow of the Asian Oral Implant Academy; Honorary Fellow of the Japan College of Oral Implantologists; and Honorary Life Member of the Thai Association of Dental Implantology. For questions on dental health, e-mail jdlim2008@gmail.com or text 0917-8591515.
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Dr. Kenneth Lester Lim, BS-MMG, DDM, MSc-OI, graduated Doctor of Dental Medicine, University of the Philippines College of Dentistry, Manila, 2011; Bachelor of Science in Marketing Management, De la Salle University, Manila, 2002; and Master of Science (MSc.) in Oral Implantology, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany, 2019. He is an Associate professor; Fellow, International Congress of Oral Implantologists; Member, American Academy of Implant Dentistry and Philippine College of Oral Implantologists. For questions on dental health, e-mail limdentalcenter@gmail.com/PN
