LAS VEGAS—Your next toothbrush needs to be smart because apparently you aren’t smart enough to practice proper dental hygiene on your own.
Now, don’t get defensive—because you know it’s true. And now a start-up called Kolibree (that’s a play on the word for hummingbird in several languages) has announced an electric toothbrush that can track your brushing technique and habits, and reveal your deepest, darkest dental secrets in a mobile app.
Announced Sunday at the Consumer Electronics Show, the Kolibree is packed with three different sensors—an accelerometer, compass, and gyroscope—that can assemble an accurate data view of what’s happening inside your mouth as you brush your not-so-pearly off-whites. According to company representatives, the brush can track brushing duration and location to give you a better idea as to whether you’re really hitting those hard-to-reach places.
The toothbrush connects to Android and iOS devices over Bluetooth, and the accompanying apps can support multiple users. This way, if everyone in the house has his or her own Kolibree, the whole family can vie for the title of World’s Most Dedicated Toothbrusher. Because, hey, there are no second place winners when it comes to the heartbreak of periodontitis.
The Kolibree team is aiming to make the brush available via Kickstarter by Spring. Different models will range between $100 and $200. Of course, just like competing electric tooth brushes from Oral-B and Philips Sonicare, you’ll need periodic head replacements, which are projected to cost $20 for a set of three.
So that’s it. The Kolibree. Another connected smart device that reminds us we’re much less wellness-focused than we should be.