Dyson CameraJet: Do I really want a camera in my toothbrush?

I floss every day—I’m a rarity, I know. Dyson knows this too, which is why it created its latest innovation: the CameraJet toothbrush. It tackles brushing and flossing at the same time—with a camera onboard. I’m all for anything that helps people keep their teeth healthier. But a camera in my mouth? That kinda freaks me out and raises a real Dyson CameraJet privacy question before you even get into the specs. I thought I’d take a deep look at the specs, facts on brushing, and what this all means for the future of oral health.

Full disclosure: I haven’t actually tried the toothbrush. But since interest in the product is high now that it’s just been released, I thought I’d take a close look at the specs, facts on brushing, and what this all means for the future of brushing—and oral health.

What the Dyson CameraJet Actually Is

So, what is the Dyson CameraJet? Unveiled by James Dyson himself in Paris, the new electric toothbrush is a svelte piece of engineering that, stylistically, reminds me of the brand’s stick vacs. Those have been wildly successful, so why change a good thing?

The headline feature? A 100k pixel macro lens camera powered by Dyson’s AI machine-learning algorithm, Gap Optical Targeting. It can identify gaps between teeth while you brush, then send a burst of mouthwash to floss the area. Dyson says the system runs on 16 million lines of code and was trained on 470,000 dental images. So it’s seen a lot.

The rest of the hardware focuses on keeping the camera fed and working. There’s a dual-bristle brush head with an RFID tag that tracks use and nags you to replace it every three months. The “anti-gravity” mouthrinse tank works even when you hold the brush upside down. The whole thing is Wi-Fi and Blueooth connected, with an app for live-viewing and coverage tracking.

The Dyson Camerajet Privacy Question, Explained

So, cameras in my mouth. Is that really where we are now? But, looking into the product information, I see that the camera actually works as a sensor. Every jet of mouthrinse the CameraJet fires is a decision the camera makes. Because it sees in real time where your gums and teeth are.

The live-view feature in the MyDyson App—the part that lets you watch inside of your mouth on your phone—is a secondary use case. The camera’s main job happens whether you open the app or not.

That’s important to note because the question becomes: am I comfortable with a camera and a Wi-Fi radio running every time I brush, on a device that’s in my bathroom?

Dyson’s Privacy Claims

To Dyson’s credit, they’ve addressed this question head-on. The company says the camera is only active during live-viewing or auto-jetting and that now images are recorded or stored on the device or in the cloud. All images stay private to the user.

That’s nice to know. But keep in mind that as bathroom products become connected and optimized to record the most minute details of our health, we’re not always aware of the data they collect. As consumers, it’s worth getting some clarity on that before we buy.

Is the Camera Necessary?

I’m gonna weigh both sides of the issue here.

The case for it: This endoscopic-style camera is a real upgrade. Dentists have had the exact view for decades. But you never have. It helps you get a better view of plaque and jets mouthwash right where it should—effectively eliminating the need for manual flossing.

The case against it: If you already floss every day, an electric toothbrush with an onboard camera won’t make a huge difference to you. And, even if you don’t, most of what that camera does happens invisibly, as part of the jetting system. You don’t need to see the footage for the feature to work.

My take: It all depends on your relationship with dental hygiene. If you hate flossing, the onboard camera here is worth it because it cleans between your teeth without that painful plastic string. If you have no problem flossing every day, you probably don’t need an electric toothbrush with AI-driven camera flossing.

Why Skipping Flossing Is a Bigger Deal Than Feels

Regardless of how you feel about a camera in your mouth, it’s worth taking the CameraJet’s Pitch seriously. Gingivitis can start witthin 10 to 21 days of plaque being left on teeth. And if you get it, it’s irreversible. Left alone, it can progress to periodontitis within weeks to a couple of years. It’s a chronic condition where the gums pull away from the teeth and can result in tooth loss.

It goes beyond oral health. A 2024 analysis of nearly 19,000 adults in the Journal of the American Dental Association found that daily flossing was linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular episodes. Meanwhile, flossing 2 or fewer times a week was associated with a higher risk of death from all causes.

Regular flossing, however you do it, is good. If you don’t like the way traditional flossing feels, Dyson’s CameraJet could be the answer you’re looking for.

Does the Flossing Feature Even Work?

That was another question I had about the Dyson CameraJet. Could this thing possibly floss as well as me? To test accuracy, Dyson created a proxy plaque during a 5-year collaboration with the National University of Singapore’s Faculty of Dentistry. It allowed engineers to improve their product without a clinical trial for every change.

I appreciate Dyson’s transparency here, and that they could, theoretically, test more often this way. Traditional water flossers use a “needle-type” jet. It, apparently, didn’t remove as much of the proxy plaque as Dyson’s conical jet, which is promising.

As a consumer, though, I’d like it if Dyson had also run a clinical trial to cross-check its own findings.

Final Verdict

The Dyson CameraJet solves a real problem with pretty serious consequences. But the privacy trade-off is real too: a Wi-Fi-connected camera in the mouth feels very personal. Meanwhile, we don’t have hands-on reviews yet.

I don’t think the trade-off is unreasonable, but it is one you should make with purpose.

Dyson CameraJet FAQs

Does the Dyson CameraJet record or store video?

Dyson says no. The company states the camera is only active during live-viewing or auto-jetting and that no images are recorded or stored on the device or in the cloud. That’s Dyson’s stated policy as of launch.

Is the Dyson CameraJet camera always on?

No. Dyson says it only activates during live-view sessions or during auto-jetting.

How much is the Dyson CameraJet?

$499 for the toothbrush system. Replacement heads are sold separately.

Is the Dyson CameraJet Worth the Privacy Trade Off?

That all depends on how important an automated floss is to you. If you dread flossing the traditional way and don’t want to buy a Waterpik, the CameraJet could really help.