Dyson's CameraJet toothbrush-water flosser gets hands-on at IFA showcase

The device can brush, floss or do both at once. Its "Gap Optical Targeting" system processes 28 images per second from a built-in camera and fires controlled jets of water at the gumline and gaps between teeth, Engadget reported. The approach uses less water than conventional water flossers; the reporter was able to make at least two passes over Dyson's demo dentures without refilling the small tank. While the CameraJet felt unwieldy compared with ordinary toothbrushes, Engadget described it as "frankly portable" as a water flosser.

The flosser only triggers when it detects gaps between teeth, avoiding the immediate spray users often get with existing flossers. However, an accidental switch to manual jetting sent a minty blast into the reporter's face, Engadget wrote.

Engadget also saw the live feed from the device's 100,000-pixel camera running on an iPhone through Dyson's companion app. The view looked like a feed from a medical camera but stayed surprisingly clear despite movement, vibration and water, according to Engadget. Dyson stressed that the video stream is not processed anywhere beyond the user's smartphone and remains entirely private.

Price remains a concern, as with many Dyson products. Engadget wrote that the CameraJet costs roughly a couple of hundred dollars more than the most premium Philips Sonicare or Oral-B IO toothbrushes, while also functioning as a water flosser. Replacement heads, non-foaming toothpaste and special mouthwash are part of the ecosystem, though Engadget noted brands other than Dyson can be used for toothpaste and mouthwash.

Before the device has even shipped, Dyson has published how-to and troubleshooting videos on YouTube, including instructions for a factory reset and a travel mode that prevents the brush from turning on in luggage and draining the battery. Engadget said Dyson did not provide a sample to test that feature on the way back from Berlin.