7 Mobile Apps That Can Aid in Your Oral Health

Mobile apps have taken oral health to an entirely new level. Whether it's a game for kids or access to emergency dental care, your oral health is made far more manageable with these excellent apps.

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Now, apps send reminders when it's time to get a teeth cleaning, teach you proper brushing technique, and keep you brushing for the full recommended two minute time frame. Do you frequently forget to floss? There's an app for that. Kids resisting brushing their teeth at bedtime? There's an app for that, too. 

BrushDJ

Dentists recommend that you brush your teeth for at least two minutes. Unless you set a timer, however, it's hard to determine how long two minutes is, and many people end up brushing for only a fraction of the time they should. With the BrushDJ mobile app (available for iOS and Android) users set the app to play a song of their choosing from their device for two minutes. Instead of just letting a timer run, you get to listen to a favorite song, which will make the tooth brushing time fly by. It's also great for encouraging kids to brush for two minutes.

BrushDJ also reminds you that you have to brush twice a day and encourages you to floss and use mouthwash, too. It also helps you keep track of when your next teeth cleaning or dentist appointment is. It's a fun way to take care of all those oral hygiene things that tend to feel like chores after a while.

MyDentist

The innovative MyDentist app connects patients and dentists in emergency situations and makes both communicating and assessing dental problems much easier and clearer than it would be over the phone or via voicemail. Patients download the MyDentist app, then if a dental problem occurs can use text, pictures, and other resources to tell the dentist exactly what's going on.

The app is excellent because it gives you directions straight to the dentist from wherever you are. You can also use it to make appointments or refer your friends to your dentist. Your dentist may not have the app (yet) but it's still worth a download anyway, because it'll connect you with a dentist who does if you have an emergency, which means you can obtain treatment that much faster.

Text2Floss

While not technically an app but a texting program, Text2Floss is an intriguing way to get oral tips delivered directly to your phone. You register by texting a number, then enter some basic information. After that, it texts you every evening with oral care tips. You text it back by telling it whether or not you flossed that day.

When seven days have passed, you'll receive a text with a coupon in it for an oral health item. It's free to sign up and you don't have to pay the company to receive the texts; the only thing to keep in mind is what your mobile plan's texting rates are like.

Sorriso

The Sorriso app is great for individuals and for parents monitoring the oral health of their children. It focuses on orthodontics, and offers appointment reminders to both patients and to parents, which will sync with the mobile device's calendar. It also has a number of features that make having braces on a little more fun.

Create a countdown to the day your braces come off. Set reminders to wear your retainer or your clear alignment braces. You can even create a smile time lapse video showing the changes to your teeth over the course of your orthodontic treatment.

Sorriso has a number of sharing features available as well. Share information with Facebook, or maybe just with kids and parents. The orthodontist can even record a video on the Sorriso app giving braces and oral care instructions.

Toothsavers

This app is designed specifically for kids ages five and up. It's an educational game that teaches them about oral health and encourages them to develop healthy brushing habits.

The game follows a basic cursed kingdom storyline, and kids have to correctly brush virtual teeth to move forward in the game. Along the way they learn about mouth germs, food stuck between teeth, and the correct way to brush. It unlocks new characters as they play.

It's not just a game, either.

The app also features a video which shows kids exactly how to correctly brush, focusing on each area of the teeth and mouth for the full two minutes of brushing time. Plus, it'll notify you and your kids to brush twice a day if you allow push notifications.

Virtual Dentist

The Virtual Dentist app provides a bit of fun to the oral hygiene routine. Instead of timing your brushing or reminding you of dentist appointments, you take a picture of your teeth and then edit them with the app. You can put on braces, whiten teeth, reposition gums, and even drill out cavities. If you're curious what you'd look like with veneers or with a clear teeth alignment retainer, Virtual Dentist can show you.

It's not specifically designed to get you to the dentist when you need to go, but just try drilling a few fake cavities without thinking about the last time you had your teeth cleaned and whether it's time to go again.

Disney Magic Timer

Here's another one for the kids. Disney Magic Timer is an interactive tooth brushing timer. Over the course of two minutes, a virtual toothbrush reveals a picture of beloved Disney characters.

The app reminds kids to switch to a different part of the mouth every thirty seconds, ensuring the two minutes are thorough. It also shows kids how to brush properly and lets them collect stickers when they do a good job brushing.

Taking care of your teeth is very important, and these apps make oral health simple and more convenient than ever before. Use the clever games and interactive apps to pass on proper oral hygiene habits to kids, and give your entire family a healthier smile.

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