Dental Hygiene

Ascension sensors are finding their way into diverse and even surprising applications.

In the UK, Unilever has developed an interactive dental system to motivate patients to improve teeth brushing techniquies. It is available from Oralinsights Ltd. in England and eventually the USA. The new product allows a dental hygienist and a patient to view a patient's tooth brushing in real-time 3D. It consists of a laptop computer, visualization software, and a trakSTAR system with a short-range transmitter and two 8mm sensors. An ultra-lightweight transmitter is mounted on a headset, which also includes a sensor in its chinstrap and another on a toothbrush. The software generates a virtual model of a patient's dentition and the sensors track the location of the brush relative to the oral model.

Dentists describe the Oralinsights system as helpful and motivating in enhancing brushing techniques, reducing plaque hotspots, and improving dental hygiene.