Blizzident Toothbrush: 3-D Teeth Cleaning and Flossing In Just Six Seconds?
Is two to three minutes too much time to spend brushing your teeth? Blizzident thinks so, and now the company says that it has created a special toothbrush that can clean your teeth in just six seconds.
According to Blizzident, its toothbrush cleans a user's teeth, gums and tongue while simultaneously flossing. The trick is to first get an impression or direct scan of your teeth created. Next, Blizzident makes a 3-D model of your smile that looks similar to a mouth guard. The only difference is this "mouth guard" contains 400 bristles lining the area where you teeth fit.
To brush your teeth with the Blizzident toothbrush, you bite down on the device and grind your teeth on it 10 to 15 times. The grinding action mimics the "modified bass-technique," which is the circular and up and down movements many dentists recommend one uses when brushing their teeth. The Blizzident toothbrush also mimics the popular "Fones-technique," which is moving the toothbrush backwards and forwards, left and right.
According to Blizzident, a six-second round with its toothbrush is equivalent to a three-minute session with a classic toothbrush.
"The intent was to create a tool that simply cleans perfectly everywhere," Chris Martin, a Blizzident spokesman, said in an interview with ABC News. "The 6-second brushing time was just a side effect of the invention, but that was not even intended."
The piece costs $299 for initial purchase. Replacements are needed every 12 months and cost $89 since Blizzident already has the necessary scans.
The American Dental Association has yet to study the Blizzident toothbrush and its claims of clean teeth.
A spokesman for the Academy of General Dentistry, Dr. John C. Comisi, believes that more studies need to be done on the Blizzident toothbrush.
"This is a fascinating, novel concept, however, without good scientific studies regarding the product, it's difficult to gauge its effectiveness.," Comisi said in an interview with CBSNews.com. "I constantly look for ways to encourage my patients to take better care of themselves, but I want to make sure the products I recommend are safe and effective."
"The complete recommendations are: brush teeth for two minutes twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, floss daily, eat a well-balanced diet and visit your dentist regularly," the ADA said in an interview with CBSNews.com.