Dyson has launched the CameraJet, a $499 electric toothbrush fitted with a camera that streams live footage of the inside of the user’s mouth to a smartphone over Wi-Fi.
The device is also designed to floss while it brushes. Dyson says its onboard system identifies gaps between the teeth and directs a spray of mouthwash into them, combining the two stages of a conventional dental routine in a single appliance.
A small camera beneath the brush head captures 100,000-pixel images, assisted by a flashing light. The system analyses 28 images a second using what Dyson calls Gap Optical Targeting, with the company saying the footage is neither stored on the toothbrush nor sent to the cloud.
When a gap is detected, the CameraJet can release a cone-shaped jet of mouthwash within 100 milliseconds. Dyson says the spray is broader and uses less pressure than a typical water flosser, which is intended to make it gentler on the gums and tooth enamel.
The brush head combines softer outer bristles for cleaning around the gumline with firmer inner bristles aimed at removing stains. It oscillates almost 1,000 times a second, while the angle of movement changes continuously during brushing.
Each replaceable head contains an RFID tag, allowing the CameraJet to monitor usage and notify the owner when it needs changing, normally after three months. Dyson has not yet disclosed the price of replacement heads.
The toothbrush comes in ceramic blue and ceramic pink. Its docking station recharges the device and automatically fills its 12.5ml mouthwash reservoir in three seconds.
Dyson says an air bladder inside the reservoir maintains pressure and prevents air pockets, allowing the mouthwash pump to work regardless of how the toothbrush is held, including upside down.
The CameraJet can be used with ordinary toothpaste and mouthwash, although Dyson plans to sell its own non-foaming toothpaste and low-foaming mouthwash. The company says those formulations will make it easier for the camera to see inside the mouth.
