A new toothbrush coming the the Philips Sonicare line could completely change the way you look at your dental health…if you plan on shelling out $200 for a toothbrush, that is. The obnoxiously-named Philips Sonicare FlexCare Platinum Connected is a bit pricey as far as toothbrushes go, but Philips says that the new device could have a big impact on dental care.

“At Philips we’re constantly exploring how we can create meaningful innovations within our oral healthcare portfolio to make people’s lives better,” said Egbert van Acht, CEO, Health & Wellness, Philips. “The mouth is the gateway to the body and as increasingly sophisticated diagnostic technology is built into oral health devices, data captured could help identify wider health issues.”

According to Philips, the new toothbrush creates a 3D mouth map that show users problem areas in their mouths that they might be missing during brushing. This allows users to change their brushing habits to focus more on the areas that need more attention rather than zoning out while they wait for the toothbrush to tell them they can stop brushing. The app can also warn users of areas they might be brushing too hard.

Philips noted that the 3D map and other features on its new toothbrush will not only make brushing more effective, but it will also help teach users better dental hygiene habits.

“Motivating patients to maintain good oral health habits in between checkups has always been difficult,” said Marilyn Ward, DDS and Oral Healthcare Global Director of Clinical Dental Scientific Affairs, Philips. “New innovations like Philips Sonicare FlexCare Platinum Connected, means that advice and guidance shared with patients are now easier to implement with coaching and real-time data supporting them as part of their daily routine.”

Image courtesy of Royal Philips