Oral hygiene apps to help establish a good home routine
Oral hygiene has just gotten a little easier thanks to new technology.
Nowadays it seems like there is an app for everything. Most are just for entertainment, but the market for apps which are designed to make our lives easier is growing. From grammar and spelling checkers to apps which remind us to drink water, it seems we have become reliant on this new technology.
We have discovered there are several dentistry apps on the market, which have different purposes. So, we road-tested three apps intended to ease the pain of home dental care with children. Each of the apps is free and available for Apple and Android devices. Here are our reviews:
Disney Magic Timer
Age demographic: 5-15 – or any Disney lover
Oral B and Disney have teamed up to tackle a common parenting qualm with this app: getting your child to brush for longer. Their solution is to use popular Disney characters to demonstrate correct brushing technique. These characters also time the length of each brush and reward correct length with stickers. Many of your child’s favourite Disney, Disney XD, Disney Channel, Marvel and Star Wars characters are on board. Naturally, there is a degree of marketing involved with this app: because if you buy specially marked Oral B products and scan the barcode into the app, you can access extra sticker books.
Brush DJ
Age demographic: 3+ years
This app approaches the brushing length conundrum from a different angle: with music. Brush DJ uses a toothbrush timer and 2 minutes of music to ensure correct brushing time. The app can connect to your Spotify or Deezer account, or play music directly from your device, meaning any family member’s favourite music can be played while they brush.
But Brush DJ doesn’t just stop there; this app also has an array of reminders inbuilt which are designed to help reduce the risk of tooth decay. Some of these reminders include when to change your toothbrush, when to floss, and of course, when to schedule your next dental check-up.
Chomper Chums
Age demographic: 4 – 11 years
This app targets children when they are establishing their dental hygiene routine. Chomper Chums features three avatars: a blue lion, green alligator and pink horse, which teach children how to brush correctly, ensuring they reach all quadrants of the mouth. It also has a unique way to ensure brushing is timed correctly, by allowing children to chase a ‘sugar bug’ around each quadrant of the mouth for 30 seconds. This app also features timers for flossing and rinsing.
Similarly to the others, this app also has a wider focus: overall health. Chomper Chums use the interactive nature of the app to teach children about healthy food choices. Users will have to care for the avatar (who they get to name) by feeding it healthy food. If they choose unhealthy options, their avatar loses health. Avatars are also rewarded with ‘adventures’ if the child brushes for a number of consecutive days.
While some parents aren’t fans of technology substituting good ol’ fashioned human interaction, we are fans of technology which promote good oral hygiene. And with each of these apps, we are sure that your family will be establishing great dental hygiene routines in no time.
For more information about oral health and establishing good oral hygiene routines, please do not hesitate to contact DentalCareXtra.