Wi Fi Enabled Tooth Sensors May Track Your Bad Habits

[Vu Le]

It was bound to happen sooner or later. With the way the internet is affecting everything, it was only a matter of time before it started reminding you to take care of your teeth.

Researchers at National Taiwan University have unveiled a new “App” that monitors the bad habits that can lead to tooth decay, gum disease and tooth loss.

Using a tiny sensor that’s connected to a person’s tooth, the researchers were able to keep track of how often the person smoked cigarettes, ate entirely too much candy and drank too much tooth-staining coffee. Because the sensor is so well-refined, it could tell when a person was talking, coughing, laughing or chomping on gummy bears.

It could also track how often or not the study’s subjects were brushing and flossing–looks like your dentist just found a high-tech way to help you stay on track between your regularly scheduled checkups and cleanings.

The data the researchers gathered could someday help dentists understand the best way to treat their patients. For example, it can measure tooth grinding, chewing patterns and other behavior that could inform dentists on how to best help their patients keep their teeth, gums and mouths healthy.

But don’t worry, the final product is still likely years away, so you still have some time to quit smoking and work on cutting down on the amount of sticky, sugary sweets you have in your diet, although the sooner you do both, the better. The researchers still need to figure out how to keep the device powered. Right now it uses a cord that hangs out of the person’s mouth.

Soon, though. Very soon dentists will know exactly what’s going on in your mouth.