By way of the FCC, we learn Philips plans to soon expand their Sonicare line with yet another Bluetooth-enabled toothbrush. The technology had originally been released in a kids brush, as little ones presumably need more coaching as to when and where the cleaning gets done. As it turns out, Philips joins competitor Oral B in determining we adults can also benefit from a smartphone-linked brush:
Follow the Sonicare app’s brushing guidance combined with the BrushPacer and begin brushing. The Philips Sonicare app helps to address any missed spots by guiding you to spend 20 seconds in the areas you missed during brushing.
Does the incoming Sonicare Flexcare Connected solve a problem or merely represent more Internet of Stupid – is my brushing bad enough to justify continual monitoring and remediation (and do I really want my phone next to the sink?) Can I link up with friends, like Fitbit, to see who brushes better (and issue taunts)? Never mind oral hygiene, what happens to one’s stress level should we forgot to compulsively track each session?
Will it track my cavities? Will it tell me if I have halitosis? What can’t it do?
Just get a $75 Braun. I’m a dentist and the literature doesn’t show any significant advantage to getting anything more expensive.
I do assume Oral B is superior to Sonicare given the rotating action, but the last time I tried I felt like my entire head was vibrating while ~and after~ cleaning my teeth. So I’ve stuck with Phiilps. Although I do alternate between manual and eletric. With only one cavity ever, I assume I’m doing mostly OK. :)
True story – I briefly dated a girl in college whose dad was a dentist. During that time, I seemed to require more dental care than I ever had before. He drilled out my filling, said I needed a bigger one. Then did some BS sealing of stuff. Turns out his daughter was just as sketchy as he was. Ah well, hoped she enjoyed that semester I paid for in dental fees. As for me, it was a very educational semester in (er outside) college.
“I do assume Oral B is superior to Sonicare given the rotating action, but the last time I tried I felt like my entire head was vibrating”
Hah! One of the things I love about the Oral B is that I’ve got horrible allergies that give me persistent sinus trouble.
And if I spray a bit of saline solution into my nose, and then use the Oral B on the roof of my mouth to vibrate my sinus cavities, the whole thing works like magic! Huge quantities of horrible phlegm flood out of my nose, leaving my skull blessedly free of unpleasant pressure.
Also, the tooth cleaning effect is pretty superb. The trick is to use very light pressure, which the brush action lets you get away with while getting a great clean. Less skull vibration too with the light pressure. And much better for the gums. My non-Bluetooth model has an (actually useful) red light that goes on whenever you’re using too much pressure. The red light completely re-trained my brushing habits in two weeks.
(Separately, bluetooth toothbrushes are the stupidest IoT thing since the last stupidest IoT thing. In fact, they are the single stupidest IoT thing in existence until the next stupidest IoT thing comes out tomorrow.)
I can’t even count the number of electric toothbrushes I’ve used over the years. But I always go back to the tired and true manual method. I haven’t had a cavity since the late seventies from brushing(and flossing) the old fashioned way. After the last time I used an electric toothbrush( a few years ago) I decided to completely give up on using them ever again. My dentist has typically seen better brushing results with my teeth during periods when I did not use electric toothbrushes.
“My dentist has typically seen better brushing results with my teeth during periods when I did not use electric toothbrushes.”
My dentist reached the opposite conclusion. Saw better results when I switched to Oral-B from manual. Obviously, YMMV.
Ignorance is bliss shall we say? You’re reacting to a yet unannounced product. As a gadget lover and blogger I expect a more in depth article which is fact based. You did you’re research by finding the FCC filing but not on the brush handle itself. I use a Oral-B Pro 7000 and my brushing routines changed overnight. The most common problem of bad brushing behaviour is people don’t know they’re brushing short or have bad technique. Insight is the key thing these brush handles bring. And regarding IoT it’s not a smart brush and it’s not connected with other devices except your mobile phone. IoT is the network of physical objects communicating and anticipating with each other and hopefully to benifical to you as a consumer.
Many of us bemoan the state of tech journalism and I’m sorry to have let you down with my inferior dental care coverage. Might I make it up to you with a pack of floss?
Let’s connect those floss fibers to some IoT devices ;)