Want to improve your daily dental health and do your teeth a favor? Pick up a smartphone. The rise of dental apps has given kids, adults, and dentists themselves a technological arsenal to defend and improve smiles. If you want a more technical take on tooth care, are worried about a dental condition, or want to encourage your tech-savvy kids to adopt good dental habits, try out apps like these.
1. KidsDental: KidsDental is an educational iOS app designed to help teach your kids about their teeth and how to take care of them. It cannot quite take the place of a parent’s personal instruction, but it can certainly serve as a valuable helper when it comes to explaining dental concepts like tooth loss, cavities, and other issues. There are also interactive and animated sections that help show kids the best ways to floss and brush.
2. DDS Anywhere: On the Android side we have DDS (or Dental) Everywhere, designed to help patients immediately contact their dentists for appointments or more information. For those who have dentists that have signed up for the app, this provides an incredibly valuable resource for getting great, personalized service. The only catch is that not all dentists use such app-based services yet, so you will need to contact your personal dentist to ask if DDS/Dental Everywhere is an app they use or if they have a similar option.
3. Teeth Whitener: The teeth whitener app is a much more casual selection. Upload a photo and it will let you automatically whiten your teeth in the picture. This is handy if you are thinking about getting your teeth whitened either professionally or through an over-the-counter method, but are not sure if it is really worth it.
4. Brush DJ: Here is a brushing app for adults who would appreciate some help with their own brushing activities. This simple timer-based app will play music while you brush and offer a countdown that shows exactly when you can stop – insurance that you are getting in the proper amount of brushing time. Worried about forgetting entirely? The app also comes with daily reminders that you can set.
5. Disney Magic Timer App: This app is designed to work with Oral-B toothbrushes. If your kids use this brand and they have the right toothbrushes, they can scan their brushes and then brush along to animation for a full two minutes. Brush enough times, and the app will also provide more than a thousand different awards that kids can collect. It’s a simple, automatic way to build good habits in your kids. If you want an adult version, try looking into the numerous habit-creator and scheduling apps available to set your own reminders.
6. Dental Symptoms: Serious dental problems should always be checked by a real dentist, but this American Dental Association app can help allay some of the fears or curiosity associated with dental problems. Self-diagnose with a basic symptom quiz and then look through potential problems, described with symptoms, pictures and more. The app also lets you search for nearby dentists if you are not sure where to go for more advice.
7. Cleaning Your Teeth: This app combines entertainment and education. It’s a simple enough game that asks you to properly brush a digital set of teeth. No problem, right? But the app grades you based on the proper position and motions that you choose. Playing through several times will give you an excellent idea of how to brush your teeth the right way and what sort of pattern to use. There is a similar option for flossing, too.
