Having problems getting your children to brush their teeth carefully? PA Consulting Group has been working on a possible solution called Brusheads, although it won’t be available for a while.

The idea: brushes taking the form of “a 3D-sculptured cartoon character, designed so that kids can relate to it and grow to love it. The toothbrushes are charged by USB to give flexibility on the go and contain intelligent sensors that recognise brushing patterns and give encouraging words to support better brushing.”

And this relates to Apps Playground… how? Well, there’ll be apps for that of course.

“The Brushead is linked to an app which means children can interact with each Brushead character, whether through their smartphone if they are old enough or on the web. This allows them to check out their brushing performance and compare the achievements of their character with their friends and other children. Parents can also use the app to monitor their child’s progress and keep an eye on patterns and trends.”

Our five year-old has suddenly started getting the hump about having his teeth brushed, while not quite doing a good enough job himself. If Brusheads were available, we’d certainly consider giving them a try. PA says it’s “in discussion with potential partners” to turn them into an actual product.

This is the latest example of “gamification”, where people – children in this case – are encouraged to do something by turning it into a game, complete with achievements and competitive aspects.

What do you think about the idea of apps teaching your children to brush their teeth properly? Post a comment with your views. Here’s PA’s demo video to spark some thoughts: