FOLLOW
- Follow
Let's do an honesty exercise: nobody brushes their teeth three times a day for two exact minutes without leaving any neglected areas. It is a complicated task to have oral hygiene like the one recommended by nine out of ten dentists, even if it is only for lack of expertise and not of will. But the technology of electric brushes is here to help us become more aware of how we brush our teeth and how we fail. At least, that's what some companies promise.
The Braun Oral B Genius 8,000 toothbrush offers to keep track of the brushing routine, collecting information on duration, daily frequency and more neglected areas. It is not exactly a smart brush because it does not have sensors connected to the internet or use artificial intelligence, but it does connect to the smartphone via Bluetooth. A mobile application designed specifically for this model allows you to consult the information of each brushing.
Time management
The most useful data that can be found in the app is the duration. There are those who lose track of time while brushing tirelessly or who gets impatient and leaves the minute. But perhaps the most difficult thing is to distribute brushing time equally between all parts of the mouth. Doing it right is complicated if we don't have temporary references. This brush gives a very satisfactory solution. The app allows you to configure it to vibrate slightly every 30 seconds: it is the signal that we must change zones. At the end of the total brushing time it vibrates more intensely so that we know that we have already reached two minutes. A smiley congratulates you for having fulfilled your goal or is disappointed and color red in time to remind you that you have not achieved it.
Although it is not intelligent, it does have pressure sensors that detect if the user is brushing too hard, which can contribute to swelling of the gums or spoiling the enamel. In that case, a ring of red light comes on and the vibration changes to alert that the force should be reduced. Another fact that can help to become aware of our cleaning habits is frequency. The app collects the number of daily brushings and orders them in a calendar, to which it adds the duration and seconds of “too much pressure” of each. The messages of encouragement or congratulations chase you on each screen.
Brushing Guidance
Perhaps one of the most promising and attractive utilities is position detection, but it is also one of the most disappointing. The brush does not incorporate sensors that make an automatic reading of what area you are washing at all times, but it is necessary to install a mobile phone holder in the bathroom mirror and give permissions to the camera of the device to observe brushing. The device synchronizes with the app, a denture appears on the screen and becomes colored as you complete areas in your mouth. The use of the camera to monitor cleanliness is an option as long as the intelligent sensors do not arrive, but there is always the question of where the images go.
If the reader is a committed person, the dental care routines section may also be useful. The app offers brushing programs focused on enhancing whitening, gum health or orthodontic care. By establishing a whitening routine, for example, the application proposes several images for the user to choose the one that most closely resembles the current white of his teeth, which allows him to establish a starting point to self-assess the progression over time . Afterwards, the app proposes a series of exercises to increase whitening. However, the improvement or not of the teeth depends on the user's perception, not on an evaluation that the brush can perform.
The battery is one of the strengths of the device. Made of lithium ion, it can last up to two weeks and takes about six hours to charge.