The popularity of Pokemon with children is being put to good use to help parents encourage them to brush their teeth well and regularly.
Announced today by The Pokemon Company, Pokemon Smile is a free app for iOS and Android devices that uses augmented reality to make toothbrushing more fun. As the app page describes, “Players can partner up with some of their favorite Pokemon to defeat the cavity-causing bacteria and save captured Pokemon. Only by consistently brushing their teeth can they save all the Pokemon, earning the chance to catch them.”
As you’d expect from any Pokemon game, the aim is to catch ’em all, and Pokemon Smile is no exception. There’s over 100 Pokemon included, all of which can be captured through building up a habit of brushing daily. There’s also Pokemon Caps to collect, which are hats you can wear while brushing using the augmented reality feature of the app.
Regular burshing earns Brushing Awards, which eventually leads to your kids becoming Brushing Masters. Along the way, the app will provide tips to improve brushing technique compiled from dental professionals, and there’s a number of supervision features including notifications signaling it’s time to brush, and duration timers that can be set by a guardian.
Pokemon Smile is free to download and use. It will work on any device running Android 6.0 or later, and iOS 11.0 or later.
