Last night, I shared that I have been trialling the Dyson CameraJet Electric Toothbrush on my Instagram stories – and I don’t think I have ever had so many replies. In an instant, I had at least 40 messages all asking the same question – is it worth it? Dyson will have that effect.
As soon as the latest innovation from the tech brand arrived at my desk, I raced home to take it for a spin. I love my Suri toothbrush for the sheer ease of slipping it into the case and taking it on the go, but with the CameraJet, I have never been so excited to brush my teeth. Dyson is almost synonymous with innovation, and the brand is known and loved for all manner of home and beauty cult buys, but the two categories collide in the form of this hi-tech toothbrush, with technology yet to be seen in the oral care industry.
The dental space is no stranger to advancement. You can find Oral-B toothbrushes fitted with AI to offer feedback on areas you might have missed, but Dyson takes this to the next level. First and foremost, the brush is fitted with a camera and, when paired with the app, allows you to see areas of your mouth that you may only catch a glimpse of during your annual dentist checkup.
There is also a built-in water flosser. While first invented back in 1962, oral irrigation has surged in and out of popularity over the years, with brands like Waterpik leading the market and promising effective plaque removal without manual flossing. But instead of investing in a separate device, this can now be part and parcel of the brushing process. This is perhaps the most obvious point of differentiation between Dyson’s model and its competitors, but there are a whole host of additional features like an RFID-enabled brush head that will tell you when it’s time for a replacement, the sensors that offer instant feedback and the guided cleans.
But are these features actually needed in your twice-daily clean? And is the Dyson toothbrush worth the £419 outlay? Here is what I think.
- Why it’s -approved: When it comes to the Dyson CameraJet, you are getting a lot of tech for the price. That includes the powerful sonic motor and sonic oscillation, which are both said to remove more plaque, but the most impressive features are the ones that have captured the attention of those looking to take their oral health up a few notches. There is both a built-in camera and water flosser. The former is very revealing, so you can see where you are missing, likely for the first time during your own brushing process. The flossing function is more than just a gimmick too, even if it’s fun to use. It does take a minute to get used to the brush positioning to make sure you are not treating your bathroom to a mouthwash shower. I used a manual toothpick flosser after brushing, and while there was some plaque still, it was much better than without its use at all and a great solution if you find manual flossing to be mundane.
- Sonic motor: Oscillates 245 times a second
- Cleaning modes: Three
- Battery life: 10 days
- Charging type: USB-C
I pride myself on setting up all manner of tech without so much as opening the instructions. That is not possible with the Dyson CameraJet Electric Toothbrush. Not only did I have to read the hefty manual that comes alongside the brush, but when I was still none the wiser, I had to go on YouTube and watch the brand’s online tutorial. The gist is this. The toothbrush comes on a stand; this is both the charger with a built-in USB cable and the mouthwash tank, henceforth known as the dock reservoir. Take the lid off the dock reservoir before affixing the toothbrush into the stand (which is done by a slide-in and push-down motion) and then, once the lid is returned to the tank, press the gold button to fill the mini tank on the toothbrush itself.
There is a fun jingle once this is complete. It is also worth downloading the companion app – something I never got round to doing in the years and years that I had the Oral-B toothbrush, rendering its AI insights irrelevant. This is a good idea, as there is guided cleaning and the option of live viewing. There is also a set-up guide if the above sounds like gibberish.
There are three buttons on the front of the toothbrush. As I tried to use the toothbrush without first reading the instructions, when I pressed all three, the mouthwash sprayed all over my bathroom. One is to turn the toothbrush on, the middle gets the water (or mouthwash?) flosser function going and the third has three modes to determine brushing intensity.
For best technique, the app advises holding the CameraJet horizontal and level with your gumline, smiling throughout and regularly spitting so as not to block the camera or sensors, the latter of which is needed to detect gaps. During the clean, the water flosser will automatically fire when it detects gaps – at one point, this was 98 times in one clean. I found the guided cleaning very helpful as it devotes equal time to each sector of the mouth and both the front and back of the teeth which can so often be missed if you’re brushing and multitasking.
While many may look at the price and bristle (pun intended), the CameraJet is comparable to the original RRP of many electric toothbrushes on the market. Oral-B’s top-of-the-range brush is £800 – whether you will ever find it on sale for that price is another story.
But when it comes to the Dyson model, you are getting a lot of tech for the price, particularly that you cannot see, aka the powerful sonic motor and sonic oscillation that is said to remove more plaque. The most impressive features are the ones that have captured the attention of those looking to take their oral health up a few notches – namely the camera and flossing functions. The former is very revealing, so you can see where you are missing, likely for the first time during your own brushing process.
The flossing function is more than just a gimmick too, even if it’s fun to use. It does take a minute to get used to the brush positioning to make sure you are not treating your bathroom to a mouthwash shower. I used a manual toothpick flosser after brushing and while there was some plaque still, it was much better than without its use at all and a great solution if you find manual flossing to be mundane. It’s important too, as Dyson stresses that 80 per cent of plaque can be left behind without flossing and 2 in 3 do not floss daily, leading to the likes of gum disease.
My only gripes are the requirements for a non-foaming toothpaste and low-foaming mouthwash, which means that you will need to top up with the Dyson own-brand toothpaste (£9.99) and mouthwash (£8.49), which while not crazy, is far more than a typical Colgate. The same is true when the brush head needs replacing (£25 for two). That being said, the fresh feel that lasts for hours post-brushing is certainly worth the price tag. Bravo Dyson.
