Demonstrating the Value of Interactive Toothbrushes for Children

Objectives: To measure the impact of an interactive manual toothbrush on children’s toothbrushing frequency and duration
Methods: This was a monadic home use study. 115 subjects were recruited aged between 6 and 10 and split evenly by age into 4 groups(A,B,C,D) . Each group were given identical brushes and brush attachments to use. The brush attachment recorded toothbrushing movements as measured by an accelerometer and could connect and send this data via BTLE to a mobile phone that had the Signal Dance app installed. The Signal Dance app is an interactive game that only works if you are actively brushing your teeth and following the instructions on the mobile phone screen. Groups A&B were asked to use Signal Dance whilst brushing. Each parent in Groups B&D was sent an email summary every week which consisted of a review of the child’s brushing behaviour (when and for how long) during the previous week. Group C brushed their teeth as normal. The duration of the test was 6 weeks.
Results: Data was analysed from 103 subjects that completed the study. The mean brushing time was found to be longer for users of the Signal Dance app (groups A+B) (mean duration = 101 seconds) vs No game (C+D) (mean duration = 50 seconds) (p < 0.001). The percentage of 2x a day brushing also increased with groups A+B achieving 72% vs 56% for groups C+D (p < 0.001). No significant effect was found for the groups receiving the weekly toothbrushing summary.
Conclusions: Playing the game results in more regular (twice daily) brushing in children, with the children brushing for twice as long. This demonstrates that interactive devices, when combined with suitable apps, can significantly improve brushing behaviour in children.