Kolibree’s smart toothbrush uses tech to teach good brushing habits

By Drew Prindle January 9, 2014

kolibrees smart toothbrush uses tech teach good brushing habits screen shot 2014 01 08 at 10 15 30 pm — Image used with permission by copyright holder

As a rule, CES is always filled with a litany of gadgets whose names are preceded by the word “smart.” Generally speaking, the vast majority of these devices are completely and utterly ridiculous, and they don’t offer much in the way of practical everyday uses. But amid this glut of smart junk, there’s usually one or two products that are actually worthwhile.

Kolibree’s smart toothbrush is one of those products. It takes sensor tech to a place that it’s never been before – the inside of your mouth. The idea is that with better metrics on the quality of your brushing, you’ll be able to keep your teeth healthier.

As Kolibree founder Loic Cessot puts it, the brush is designed to “outsmart your dentist,” and is outfitted with an array of sensors that track the areas of your mouth that you’re hitting. It’ll measure how long the brushing lasted, how rigorous it was, what teeth you’re cleaning well, and the areas that need a little bit more attention. It’s even got some nifty gamification features that challenge you to do a better job next time you brush, and Kolibree has even developed an API in hopes that third-party developers will devise additional apps that will encourage users to brush more often and more effectively.

To use it, simply download the Kolibree mobile app on your smartphone and sync it with the brush via Bluetooth. After that, every time you tend to your pearly whites, the brush will log data from your session. When you’re done, just pop open the app and it’ll display all the data in a simple visual format. The app can even record data from multiple brushes, so if any of you parents out there have ever wanted a way to make sure your kids are brushing every night (and avoid a massive dentist bill), this thing might be well worth the investment.

Kolibree is planning to release several different models of the toothbrush, ranging in price from $100 to $200, in the third quarter of 2014. Cessot says the company plans to launch a Kickstarter campaign this summer to start things off. We’ll definitely keep up with this one, but for now you can find out more at Kolibree.com.

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Drew Prindle is an award-winning writer, editor, and storyteller who currently serves as Senior Features Editor for Digital…

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