A big part of our practice at Alma Dental Centre is encouraging our patients to be consistent about daily preventative dental care – your dental health is highly linked to the rest of the health of your body.
Electric toothbrushes have been around for a long time now (Waterpik being one of the biggest marketers), but who predicted that the standard toothbrush would become a smart connected device? At the 2014 CES show in Las Vegas, a little tech company called Kolibree has jumped into the Global spotlight with it’s smart tooth brush prototype.
What is Kolibree?
Kolibree is the future of personal dental care. This innovative toothbrush provides users with real time data about their daily brushing habits and evaluates the effectiveness of their efforts. Just like a some of us need a personal fitness trainer, this device acts as your personal dental hygiene coach who tells you where to work harder, and gives you the recognition you need after a job well done.
How does Kolibree work?
The Kolibree toothbrush employs three unique sensors (a magnetometer, a accelerometer and a gyro) that monitor where you brush, how often you brush, and how long you brush your teeth. All of the information captured by the toothbrush is shared over the internet to an app on your smartphone, or tablet device (Android and iOS compatible).
Why should you use Kolibree?
Kolibree isn’t just another gimmicky tech gadget – it’s designed to improve upon a highly ingrained human behaviour. It’s tough for an adult to be sure that they have been thorough, and getting children to brush their teeth is an uphill battle. The inventors instinctively keyed in on this fact and designed Kolibree to be fun for the family. Kids can get involved and learn how to better care for their teeth in real time through the highly interactive app. The app also encourages users by awarding lifetime achievement badges and high scores when they reach optimal results. Gamification for dental care – we like it!
Kolibree plays nicely with Dentists
Yep, soon you will be able to share your Kolibree dashboard with your Alma Dental hygienist and we can provide any additional recommendations to improve your family’s dental care. This may be a wonderful march towards seeing a dramatic decrease in children with cavities and a host of other problems.
How much does Kolibree cost?
Although the product has not launched yet, the device is expected to start retailing at $100 – 200 USD range, with accessories and customizable options to suit your personalized needs.
Kolibree recently launched its product pitch to raise support on Kick Starter (video below), and it appears that the public is jumping in. We can’t wait for the release of the product and to give it a test drive for our patients.
