Grush Crushes Cavity Creeps with Video Game Toothbrush

Recently, my son’s dentist installed an Xbox in the waiting room. He probably doesn’t need a few extra gaming minutes in his life, but it certainly takes the sting out of going to the dentist. (I wish my dentist did that!)

Now, one company is looking to mesh gaming with everyday dental hygiene. A start-up by the name of Grush is hoping you’ll zap those cavity creeps with the Grush Brush, the video game toothbrush.

At this point, my son has gotten too tall to stand behind him to help and typically, I need a miner’s helmet to get a good glimpse inside that mouth. The Grush Brush is designed to create better brushing habits and make tooth brushing less painful for everyone involved.

The Grush Brush combines an electronic toothbrush with motion sensing technology and an app for iOS and Android devices. The motion sensing can track where kids (and adults, yes me—I want one!) brush and how they brush. Then, all of that information is stored in the app. Parents can then check on those brushing habits, as well as share them with the family dentist via the “Grush Cloud.”

Grush was founded by two dads, who apparently share every single parent’s pain when it comes to taking care of teeth. To get the product out to the masses, the two are turning to the crowdfunding site Indiegogo. Judging by the drool my son had while watching the video below and the four times he asked, “Can we get that?,” I’d say the Grush Brush is going to be a success. To reserve your own Grush Brush, you’ll need to pledge a minimum of $30 before the campaign ends on May 18, 2014.

When the Grush Brush ships, it will come with two standard games. For instance, “Monster Chase” allows kids to brush away all of the monsters in their teeth, while “Toothy Orchestra” transforms that toothbrush into a conductor’s wand. Other games are expected to follow.

The company expects the first Grush Brushes to go out by March 2015. Oh what, you think that your kids will get better brushing habits before then?