How optical gap detection turns the electric toothbrush from a motion device into a real-time precision-cleaning system

CameraJet™ uses optical gap detection to trigger a targeted conical jet between teeth.

LONDON — The next generation of electric toothbrushes is moving beyond a single cleaning mode and toward coordinated, hybrid oral care.

Traditional electric toothbrushes are very good at repeating motion. They oscillate, sweep or vibrate at a controlled rate, and premium models can warn about pressure or guide timing. Yet the device generally does not know what it is looking at. A tooth surface, a gumline and an interdental gap are all encountered through the same basic mechanism: moving bristles.

Dyson CameraJet™ changes that relationship by adding vision and a second cleaning action. The device combines variable sonic brushing with a camera-guided liquid jet. Instead of treating every part of the mouth identically, it attempts to recognize the gaps between teeth and precision-floss them as the user brushes. The core upgrade is not simply connectivity; it is perception linked directly to action.

Gap Optical Targeting™ in real time

At the brush head, a 1 mm intraoral camera uses a 100k-pixel macro lens and analyzes 28 images each second. Dyson says its machine-learning algorithm identifies, tracks and predicts interdental gaps in real time. A dome-shaped target lens expands the useful field of view, while stroboscopic illumination helps the system see in a wet, confined environment.

Once the system recognizes a gap, a conical jet delivers up to 0.15 ml of mouthrinse to that location. The anti-gravity tank is engineered to reduce air pockets, allowing the jet to work across different holding angles. That closed loop—image, inference, targeted burst—is what makes CameraJet™ fundamentally different from a standard brush with a separate manual flosser attachment.

Brushing remains part of the system

The camera and jet do not replace mechanical cleaning. CameraJet™ uses a contoured dual-bristle head to clean along the gumline and lift surface stains, supported by variable sonic oscillation. Dyson also describes an anti-stall action that keeps the bristles moving when load increases. Users can choose among three intensity settings, including a gentle mode, while haptic alerts flag excessive pressure or poor technique.

This division of labor is the essence of hybrid design. Bristles continue to clean broad, reachable surfaces. Optical targeting identifies a geometry that is easy to miss. The jet then performs a precision interdental action at the moment the gap is detected. A routine that previously depended on brushing first and remembering to floss later becomes one coordinated workflow.

AirJet™ reaches beyond the bristles without a camera

RANVOO AirJet™ provides an important counterpoint. Instead of observing each gap optically, AirJet™ 2.0 uses a variable-speed air pump and Boosted Bubble Chamber to aerate the wet toothpaste mixture into a dense microbubble stream. A Coandă-inspired brush head is designed to guide that flow along curved tooth surfaces and toward interdental spaces while sonic brushing continues.

The upgrade is physical rather than vision-led. AirJet™ coordinates pump output, bubble generation, channel geometry, controlled oscillation and soft bristles so fluid can contribute beyond direct contact. CameraJet™ sees a gap and triggers a discrete conical jet; AirJet™ creates a guided microbubble flow intended to travel naturally around the tooth. Together they demonstrate that hybrid cleaning can be intelligent through either sensing and software or carefully engineered fluid dynamics.

AirJet™ offers a parallel hybrid architecture built around an internal air pathway and microbubble delivery.

From generic feedback to visible feedback

CameraJet™ also changes what 'smart brushing' can mean. Through the MyDyson™ app, users can view live camera footage, inspect teeth, follow guided cleaning and review coverage information. The promise is more concrete than a timer: the user can see where the brush has been and where technique could improve.

Putting a camera in an oral-care device naturally raises privacy questions. Dyson states that images are processed on the device or in the app, are not accessible to Dyson or third parties, and are deleted immediately after viewing rather than stored. Those safeguards are not peripheral. In a sensing toothbrush, trust becomes part of product performance, alongside cleaning, battery life and reliability.

Evidence, claims and the right comparison

Dyson reports that CameraJet™ removed up to 69% more plaque than market-leading premium electric toothbrushes in a laboratory test focused on hard-to-reach areas. It also cites a six-week clinical study involving 204 participants for improved gum health versus a manual toothbrush when used in Brush and Auto-jet mode. As with any performance claim, the comparison, mode, formulation and protocol define what the number means.

The product is designed around compatible non-foaming oral-care formulations so foam does not obscure the camera. It also introduces a refill dock, mouthrinse reservoir, replaceable heads with RFID wear monitoring and a swappable battery. These dependencies make CameraJet™ more of a system than a standalone handle, which buyers should weigh against its precision and automation benefits.

Why CameraJet™ matters beyond one product

CameraJet™ demonstrates a broader shift in personal care: devices are moving from uniform output to context-aware action. A conventional brush delivers motion everywhere. A hybrid sensing brush interprets local anatomy and adds the appropriate intervention. That is a more ambitious use of intelligence than simply logging minutes in an app.

The first generation of electric toothbrushes automated movement. The next generation is beginning to automate judgment. By connecting a camera, machine learning, sonic motion and a targeted liquid jet, CameraJet™ makes a strong case that the future brush will not only clean. It will perceive where cleaning is needed and respond in real time.

The adoption test

The technology's long-term significance will depend on whether that closed loop stays dependable in everyday conditions. Lenses must resist obscuration, algorithms must recognize gaps across different mouths, jets must fire accurately at varied angles, and users must be able to refill and clean the fluid system without turning a morning routine into equipment maintenance. Software support and replacement-part availability will matter as much as launch-day novelty.

If those details hold, CameraJet™ establishes a new benchmark for relevance: a smart feature should change the cleaning action in the moment. A graph shown after brushing may educate; a detected gap that triggers a precise jet can intervene. That difference—from retrospective data to real-time assistance—is why optical targeting has the potential to reshape the category.

EDITOR'S NOTE Technical specifications and performance figures are manufacturer-reported and depend on the stated product mode, test method and comparison. Hybrid toothbrushes complement—not replace—professional dental advice or individualized interdental-care recommendations.