The weirdest oral hygiene aid I’ve come across to date is the Blizzident™ system, which uses a customized appliance which fits over the teeth in both arches, top and bottom, and incorporates rubbery bristles (800 of them) set at a 45˚ angle to the teeth. It is claimed to clean the teeth completely in 6 seconds and is activated by normal chewing while wearing it. By stringing floss across a set of indentations along the edge of the appliance, the teeth will automatically be flossed (again, presumably, in 6 seconds). A tongue scraper with bristles is also part of the apparatus, so, if you’re in a hurry with your brushing, and believe in this item’s efficacy, you can have one made for your mouth.

I’ve included an image from the Blizzident website to try to clarify what it’s all about. I won’t say what I think of this, since I haven’t tried it and don’t plan to, but I have a personal preference for simplicity in most things. I like the traditional, conventional approach to oral hygiene.

After paying for initial impression fee of about $75 (conventional impressions) or $200 (optical 3D scan) you can have the lab make one for $300, more or less. It should last about 1 year. Replacement after a year costs between $90 (refurbishment) and $160 (brand new) and the delivery time is about 16 weeks (I guess it takes time to position all those bristles just right).

So if you’re in a rush to brush and have only 6 seconds to spare for your oral hygiene, I hope you can wait 4 months to get this item. Maybe you should hurry up and slow down.