Kudos to those among us who love going to the dentist. Statistically, it’s just under 11%; with almost 10% finding it a “relaxing experience”.
Undoubtedly it is, if you’re brilliant at making it a 6-monthly exercise which almost assures you of having no issues at all, and there’s a bit of nitrous oxide involved.
For the rest, it’s not considered a particularly enjoyable experience. One-in-three find it personally invasive. And we’re adults.
Certainly, kids can be easily overwhelmed in the dentist’s chair. It’s unfamiliar. There are sounds that are far from Toca Boca World, and chemical smells that leap straight up your nose and scrub it on the inside. No matter how friendly and how gentle the approach of the dentist and their team, it takes a bit of getting used to when there’s a light in your face, a gloved hand in your gob and you’re wearing a pair of glasses that you’ve only ever seen a lawnmower man wear.
It’s absolutely necessary to get your kid to the dentist. Imperative, actually; and the earlier the better. By their first birthday, and ideally, every six months after that. Sounds challenging for sure – and nowhere near as challenging as emergency dental treatment for a child who’s never been to the dentist before.
So there’s that.
Curiously, there are many routine things in a child’s life that we manage to achieve with monotonous regularity: reading the same book fifty thousand times, waiting every day for them to find their shoe, buying clothes for someone who won’t stop growing, the endless … everything, really.
And yet sticking a regular dental appointment in there doesn’t seem to happen so easily.
Sometimes it’s for financial reasons. Generally, that’s an issue that can be overcome with payment plans that many clinics offer – which is certainly to your benefit and the clinician’s. Both of you get to maintain a healthy mouth, rather than having to deal with a sadly neglected one.
Commonly, getting a child to happily involve themselves in a twice-daily toothbrushing routine is a hard ask. There are the requisite avoidance behaviours, sometimes tantrums thrown in for good measure, and the time-consuming overseeing to make sure that it’s done properly. It’s the first line of defence for good oral health of course; along with nutritious foods and constant junk food battles that need parental medal awards but (unfathomably) don’t.
With all the tech-oriented solutions that are available for a range of things that honestly don’t need them, like the million-dollar space pen (the Russians just use a pencil), the eye-rolling Juicero and a fork that lets you know you’re eating too fast, this one really changes the parameters of how to get children to effectively, efficiently and enthusiastically brush their teeth.
Willo Autoflo+ is a device that’s simply positioned in the mouth, with a button activates the automated brushing process.
It’s available in three sizes because of the presence (or not) of permanent molars: small for 5-to-7-year-olds, medium for kids 8 to 11, and large for ages 12 and above.
Water and toothpaste flow into the brush head that consists of 34,000 (count them!) angled, antibacterial bristles. All teeth are surrounded like a scene from A Fistful of Dollars. Thankfully there’s no shoot out; just a brush that gently moves from side to side, meticulously cleaning every tooth surface, every space between, and the upper and lower gum line.
Equipped with two modes, there’s low speed and daily for a two-minute clean; high speed and super for a longer, more intensive session. And to keep parents involved, there’s a companion app that allows the monitoring of how often, and for how long kids are brushing – with regular reminders as well. Only its specifically formulated toothpaste can be used, with a choice of mint, strawberry and bubblegum flavours, all available in both fluoride and fluoride-free.
As with any other toothbrush, head replacement is recommended every three months.
Streamlined and completely mess-free, toothpaste and water rinse directly into the sink instead of having to be expertly spat from the mouths of babes and anyone else not so coordinated or hygienically minded. It proficiently removes food particles and plaque – seven times more competently than a conventional toothbrush, and able to be used on braces.
As part of the automation, it has a self-cleaning feature to ensure the internal tubing remains free of residue, and disinfected to prevent bacteria growth. Without prompting, it rinses and primes device after each brushing.
Of course there’s no point having technology for kids that doesn’t include an element of fun, so the Willo Autoflo+ has animated countdown timers, and recognition motivators that earn rewards as advances are made.
That’s the compromise for still having to floss and tongue-scrape. That the Willo Autoflo+ can’t do that is simply proof that there’s no such thing as perfection, only excellence.
As the world’s first fully automated toothbrush for children and adolescents, it was developed by a team of oral health specialists on a mission to revolutionise the oral health of children. The Willo company has taken innovative design, advanced technology and decades of oral health expertise to achieve this dental breakthrough for children in caring for their own teeth.
Transforming a previously tedious daily routine into an easy and enjoyable opportunity to instil a lifetime of caring about oral care is an achievement even Bluey couldn’t do.
Currently shipped only in the US and its territories, and at around $US250 per kid (they’re not designed to be shared) there’s no question that this next generation device is an investment in the next generation. It’s an exceptional start to a whole new world of improved dental health from the beginning, where it matters most.
In the meantime, relax into the experience of teaching your children the high value of a lifetime of beautiful teeth and smile to be proud of, and book that dental appointment. For you and them. Decide to have you both become part of that almost 11%.
