Persuading your children that they want to brush their teeth is, let’s face it, not an easy task. Even the most enthusiastic toothbrusher eventually rebels, and no amount of warning that they’ll lose them to tooth decay will deter them. And they’ll insist they’ve done it, even though a bone dry toothbrush will tell you otherwise.
One company thinks they might have the solution though: Grush. The company has developed a gaming toothbrush that will not only make your child actually want to brush their teeth, it will also rat them out when they skip it for a night or two.
Designed to work with both iOS and Android, the toothbrush connects to your smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth. It can sense motion, so using a variety of apps it will detect that teeth have been brushed or even translate that motion into a game.
There’s a monitor app for basic information-tracking, such as how often your child is brushing their teeth, and what rewards they are building up. You start with a parent account and add the family members through the app. Once they are set up, you connect the toothbrush and you’re ready to go.
For the parents, each time you log into the app it will alert you if one of your children hasn’t brushed their teeth this morning.
For the children, there’s the fun element to it. Among the games on Grush’s original Indiegogo campaign were Monster Chase, where brushers track down the baddies hiding in their teeth and brush them away, and Brush a pet, where your toothbrush strokes help you take care of a virtual pet. The one available to download right now is Toothy Castles, where you have to brush your teeth to make your way through the castle and recover a special crystal. Not quite my cup of tea, but then I’ve been brushing my teeth without bribery for years.
It’s not just about connecting the toothbrush and turning it on though; the Grush also measures angle, so to win big, you need to get the brushing angle correct for the strokes to count.
The games encourage children to brush each quadrant of their mouth for 30 seconds without making it obvious that’s what it’s doing. Turning it into game means they are concentrating more on winning the game than the fact that they’re being tricked into brushing their teeth properly.
For kids to get the most out of the toothbrush, you’ll need to leave a tablet or smartphone in the bathroom so they can play the games as they brush. That may be a little beyond what most parents are willing to risk in the name of good dental hygiene – accidents happen and some smartphones and water don’t mix. Tip: choose a waterproof one, or buy a decent case that will keep all moisture out.
The good
If your child can be persuaded to carry out some previously refused task by telling them that you’ll time them/race them, or by putting them in competition with a sibling, the Grush toothbrush will be the answer to your toothbrushing prayers.
The not so good
While Android users can use the apps, those with iOS devices will have to wait a bit longer until the app becomes available in the store. There’s currently only one game available, so some variety would be nice.
The rest
The Grush includes a replacement toothbrush head in the box, but once that has been exhausted, there’s nowhere yet to buy replacement heads.
Verdict
HHH A clever idea that might provide parents with another weapon in the war for good dental hygiene. More apps would be nice.
