Open wide for the toothbrushes of the future

The American Dental Association recommends spending two full minutes brushing your teeth and flossing twice daily. But the time-pressed amongst us need not fear: Those recommendations were made with measly traditional toothbrushes in mind. Here's the next wave of inventions that may change the face of dental care (or scare you into taking care of your teeth).

Feeling Bluetooth?

Imagine a toothbrush that could record the minute details of your brushing habits and let you know what you are doing wrong. The Kolibree toothbrush, which debuted at this past International Consumer Electrics Show in Las Vegas, has the ability to know how long you're brushing, if you brushed all four corners of your mouth and whether you are brushing with the proper up-and-down motion.

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Kolibree spokesperson Renee Blodgett told CNN that their Bluetooth toothbrush works like a normal toothbrush but "the only difference is that all the data is stored on your phone so you can see how you're brushing." Whether or not you want to see that information is another question. The toothbrush is expected to retail for $99 to $200, and will tentatively be available for order this summer through a crowdfunding site.

For those who love lasers

In 2008, Smart Miracles (which no longer seems to be in business) created a laser toothbrush that supposedly helped decrease tooth sensitivity, tooth pain, gum inflammation, and bad breath — all without the use of toothpaste. Perhaps the lack of that minty fresh feeling left people sour on the product even if it just cost $70. Or, as Gizmodo pointed out, maybe consumers couldn't wrap their head around the fact that the laser was strong enough to "burn" all the nasty gunk in your mouth but leave everything else healthy and clean. Admittedly, this device may have been ahead of its time.

Bristle me this

Blizzident's 3-D printed toothbrush may look like a mold of Venom's mouth, but the creators guarantee that it can brush a person's teeth in just six seconds. As I previously reported for CBS News, users simply have to grind down on the device 10 to 15 times, and voila, your teeth are pearly white. The copious amounts of bristles clean the teeth in an up, down, left, right, forward and backward motion all at the same time, shaving minutes from your day. That is, if you're willing to spend $299 for the product, which is molded specifically for your mouth — and then $89 per additional toothbrush.

Tongue the tooth decay away

Speaking of wasting time, why not put your tongue to work while you're at work? The Tongue 2 Teeth is a one-time use product that looks like a clear shield for your tongue, complete with bristles and holes. Slip it on and just scrub away at your teeth. You also get to clean your tongue itself thanks to the antibacterial coating on the inside of the device. Supposedly, it's more hygienic because you don't have to hold it while brushing your teeth, and it doesn't sit around collecting germs since you toss it after use. No word, however, on how many germs get transferred to your mouth when you spend hours trying to fit the brush on your tongue in the first place.