You can do away with your electric toothbrushes, floss, and maybe even mouthwash. There’s a new product on the market called ‘Blizzident’ — a 3D printed toothbrush that is tailored to your teeth and mouth.
Ok, we’ll admit, the Blizzident looks a bit overwhelming upon first glance. It’s admittedly much larger than the toothbrush in your medicine cabinet, and looks like a hairy set of dentures. Yet the company website claims that the product can clean and floss your teeth in just 6 seconds, compared to 3 minutes using a manual toothbrush. No trials have been conducted to prove this, however.
So how does the Blizzident work so effortlessly? The amazing toothbrush is ‘printed’ using an impression or dental scan of your mouth. According to LiveScience: “They use the dental scan to create a computer aided design (CAD) model of the brush, which is converted into a 3D object using stereolithography, a method in which liquid plastic is cured into a shape with an ultraviolet laser.”
Using this 3D printing technology, the Blizzident bristles are tailored to your specific teeth. “They are placed on the surface of your teeth in a 45 degree angle. They are also aligned exactly along your gumline in a 45 degree angle. Additionally there are interdental bristles between all your teeth. “
Supposely, this level of accuracy eliminates any user errors that manual and electric toothbrushes incur due to geometry. In brushing by hand, sometimes we brush with too much pressure which damages teeth and gums, or not enough pressure which reduces the effect of cleanliness. By simply biting down a few times on the Blizzident, you clean every crevice of your teeth and gums effectively. Here’s a video of Blizzident in action:
Just in case you haven’t gotten excited enough about the Blizzident, the dental product also offers holes to insert dental floss. The floss can be weaved through these grooves “and it is perfectly positioned in your interdental regions: when you bite and grind, you are flossing at the same time.” So not only are you brushing in 6 seconds — you’re flossing at the same time.
But theres’ more! If you like, a tongue scrubber can be attached to the Blizzident to eliminate any possibility of bad breath-inflicting bacteria.
So what’s the downside? Well, your first Blizzident would cost a hefty sum of $299. The company defends the price in stating that Blizzident contains 400 bristles, “10 times more than an ordinary toothbrush.” Because of this, one 3D printed toothbrush should last you a year. At this time, a replacement would cost you $159 every subsequent year.
Is it worth it? Would you purchase Blizzident? Personally I believe studies need to be conducted before people can see the value.
Dr. Mike Malone and his team practice expert cosmetic dentistry in Lafayette, LA. Dr. Malone is the former president and current accredited member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry. He is also the official Cosmetic Dentist of the Miss Louisiana USA and Miss Louisiana Teen USA pageants. Check out his website for more information.