Fighting Oral Disease with Smart Floss

Technology has helped make so many daily tasks more convenient and efficient. From mobile banking to ordering your favorite beverage at your local coffee shop, there are thousands of apps that help make your life easier. And of course, the dental industry has jumped on the bandwagon with a number of apps and technologically advanced products to help make achieving good oral health a cinch. Most major  brands have an app, and there are numerous apps to help you brush effectively. There are even toothbrushes and mouth guards that use technology to improve oral health. And now, for the first time ever, a company has introduced a smart floss dispenser, in hopes of addressing the growing oral disease epidemic in America.

The American Dental Association recommends flossing at least once a day to help prevent dental disease, yet only about 25% of people actually do it on a regular basis. It’s this issue that inspired the creation of Flosstime. This patent-pending device can be mounted to the bathroom mirror or wall and will dispense 18 inches of floss with the push of a button. Once the floss has been dispensed, a 90-second timer automatically starts. Once the time is up, the device lights up with a blue smile. If the dispenser isn’t used daily, an orange frown reminds the user that it’s time to floss again.  For convenience sake, Flosstime comes with a single and dual-user mode so it can be shared by two people. And in an effort to appeal more to kids, animal snap-ons are available to individualize the device.

Did you know that when you skip flossing, you miss cleaning about 35% of your teeth surfaces? According to a recent article from The Dental Tribune, insufficient flossing has been associated with an increased risk of cavities and periodontal disease, which has been linked to several serious, chronic health problems, including heart disease and diabetes. By adding flossing to your daily oral hygiene routine, you not only improve your oral health, but can improve your overall health and quality of life. Hopefully by making the simple task a bit more convenient, more people will start reaping the benefits of daily flossing.