One of the most promising applications of 3D printing is the customization of everyday objects to the most personal and variable thing we possess—our bodies. A new example of this is the Blizzident toothbrush, which is made possible by two intersecting technologies—3D scanning and 3D printing.
The result is a toothbrush shaped exactly like your teeth. You simply bite it, chomp for six seconds, and voila: every single one of your teeth is perfectly brushed in both an up and down and side to side motion. Or so, at least, it’s claimed.
Getting a Blizzident is relatively straightforward. You go to a dentist and get her to take an impression of your teeth, as she would for many everyday dental procedures. Then you send it to a dental laboratory, and they digitize the results, which are uploaded to Blizzident.
Because it’s shaped to your teeth, there’s little danger you’ll find anyone else in your household using your Blizzident.
Currently, Blizzident costs $300. It will probably get cheaper; and if it gets you (or your child) to clean your teeth, it might be worth the investment: How much does poor dental hygiene cost us when we’re sitting in the dentist’s chair, wishing we’d remembered to brush for a full three minutes, twice a day? But then again, you’re also told to change your toothbrush every three months. Unless a Blizzident lasts a lot longer, it might be a hard sell.
