A Bupa Dental Care dentist has been awarded over £80,000 in funding to help fund Brush DJ – an innovative toothbrush timer app, designed to tackle the growing problem of tooth decay in children.
Ben Underwood is a dentist at Bupa Dental Care Eckington, which has been a leading provider of NHS and private dental care in the town for more than 20 years. He created the free app to help children learn how to look after their teeth and to make the mundane task of brushing for two minutes more enjoyable.
The latest round of funding comes from the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI), which has pledged £83,330 after the app was recognised as “an innovative new product with the potential to improve patient outcomes.”
The money will be used to explore the opportunity of adding enhanced features to the Brush DJ app, to help further engagement – and ultimately improve children’s oral health.
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All potential features will be co-designed with children at highest risk of tooth decay and developed in collaboration with the SBRI. Mr Underwood will then apply for phase two of the programme, and if successful could secure funding of up to £1 million.
The 43-year-old father-of-one from North Nottinghamshire knows only too well the importance of making tooth brushing part of the daily routine from early childhood, in order to achieve good oral health and help prevent tooth decay.
“That’s why I wanted to create something to help make brushing more enjoyable. With Brush DJ children can practice their favourite floss dance moves whilst maintaining a superstar smile.”
“It’s amazing not only to have this financial support and recognition, but also access to the expertise of SBRI and its partners. This award will allow us to take Brush DJ to the next level by recruiting a team of experts so that we can reach and help more children at risk of tooth decay.”
“I’ve been practicing at Bupa Dental Care in Eckingon for more than a year, so have seen first-hand why we need to educate our children on oral health. On the flipside though, as a parent I also know how hard it can be to get children to brush their teeth!”
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