Monday 20 March is World Oral Health Day and dental practices wide and far are pledging to help patients ‘live mouth smart’.
In the 21st century, technology plays an increasingly large role in our lives. So at Number 18, we got to wondering how it can improve your dental hygiene and make your dental routine easier.
If you’re a tech addict, here are some ways you can use technology to improve your teeth:
Take a selfie
The humble selfie can help you keep track of any changes in your mouth. Nowadays most of us have smartphones, and most of those devices have HD cameras. Taking photos of your smile and inside your mouth every month is an easy hack that will let you see any areas of yellowing which might indicate plaque and which need a more thorough brushing.
Download a water reminder app
Drinking water throughout the day isn’t just good for curbing cravings and keeping your complexion clear, it’s also great for cleaning your mouth! But, we know it can be hard to remember. Downloading a handy app like the Hydro Coach or Water Drink Reminder can give you a friendly prompt at convenient intervals.
Monitor your sugar intake
The NHS Sugar Smart app is ideal if you struggle to make head nor tail of food labels. There’s a lot of hidden sugars in food and these can wreak havoc on your teeth. With this smart app, you can easily scan barcodes to find out how much of the white stuff is in your chosen food. How easy is that?!
Improve your cleaning with a brushing app
Ever start brushing your teeth and get bored or lose track of how long you’ve been at it? Downloading a smart app like the QuickBrush Toothbrush Timer app can help you brush for the full two minutes, tell you when to change technique, move to a new area and even offer up great tips!
If you want to engage children, the Aquafresh Brush Time app is made for kids and even allows you to play tunes while you brush!
Choose a smart toothbrush
More and more smart electric toothbrushes are hitting the dental market these days. With Bluetooth technology built in, they can connect to an app, like the Oral-B App, to monitor your brushing habits. This can record how long you brush for, when to apply more or less pressure AND whether you rinsed, flossed and brushed your tongue.
Schedule regular reminders
Whether you have a smart watch, Alexa smart home assistant or just a trusty smartphone, using them to remind you to schedule your 6-monthly dental check-up, hygienist visit or teeth whitening appointment is a cinch!
And did you know we also have our fair share of tech in our friendly Notting Hill dental surgery? Like our EMS Air-Flow system, which can more effectively clean your teeth without contact. Our patients love it!
Prefer to do things the old-fashioned way?
You don’t have to be tech savvy to look after your teeth this World Oral Health Day. And there’s no substitute for a good old-fashioned dental check-up. Book an appointment today and feel confident your teeth are in good hands.
