Do you brush your teeth twice daily for a full two minutes, as recommended by the American Dental Association? If so, you’re doing a great job caring for your oral health. Unfortunately, for a lot of people in the US and worldwide, regular brushing for the proper time is an ongoing struggle. At CES 2022, Y-Brush, a global health tech company based in France, unveiled the second generation of its automated, 10-second toothbrush which was designed to make oral hygiene easier and faster.
Sunstar’s 2021 Global Healthy Thinking Report shows that globally, only 53% of adults brush their teeth twice a day and only 35% brush for two minutes every time. A 2019 survey by Unum reveals that almost 17% of US adults brush their teeth for “around one minute.”
Of course, country-specific factors, social determinants of health, and cultural norms influence oral health habits. On the individual level, issues such as hectic lifestyles, time constraints, and forgetfulness interfere with maintaining an optimal oral health care routine. For many adults and children with sensory processing disorder, tooth brushing is an unpleasant sensory experience. Some times the sensation is so intense, people with sensory issues skip the toothbrush altogether.
Y-Brush doesn’t look like a regular toothbrush. Instead, the “brush” is U-shaped dental tray equipped with a bristle array for each individual tooth. The brush attaches to a short, squat handle that houses the battery. Sonic vibration activates the bristles, thoroughly cleaning all of the teeth at the same time. The first-generation Y-Brush includes a separate model for children and adults.
The newest Y-Brush features a more ergonomic handle, six vibration intensity levels, and whitening, polishing, and gum stimulating modes. It also has a new RFID chip to communicate with a mobile app via Bluetooth so users can track their habits and receive digitized recommendations.
Can an automated toothbrush really condense two minutes into 10 seconds and still see the same results? According to the company, clinical tests that assessed 50 people who used the device twice a day for eight days showed that Y-Brush removed 25% more plaque than standard brushing. That’s likely to entice a broad range of people who find regular oral health habits challenging. And shortening the sensory experience of tooth brushing could truly change the oral hygiene game for autistic people and other neurodivergent individuals of all ages.
