Want to be a better brusher? Grab your mobile device, because you now have a legitimate reason to take bathroom selfies.
Researchers from Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine found that capturing smartphone video selfies while brushing your teeth could help you learn better techniques that lead to improved oral health care.
Those who took part in the study received instruction on proper brushing techniques and were evaluated and corrected until their technique was correct, according to researchers. Then they used smartphones placed on stands to video themselves brushing their teeth at home. Researchers saw an increase in brush stroke accuracy, as well as an increase in the total number of brushing strokes. Overall, they witnessed an 8 percent improvement in tooth brushing skill. The amount of time a person spent brushing their teeth went unchanged.
Video and picture selfies are finding professional uses in a variety of medical fields to evaluate and keep tabs on all sorts of treatments, according to one of the study’s co-authors.
Here at THE SCIENCE OF SMILES®, we often use photos to demonstrate treatments or to show patients what their treatment progression may look like. I feel it’s an effective way to convey important information.
Researchers believe that those who participated in the study improved their techniques because videoing themselves prompted them to pay closer attention to what they were doing. This study could pave the way for a video-based monitoring app. in which oral health professionals can give feedback on brushing techniques.
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