I Tested the $299 Feno Smartbrush: Is It Worth the Hype for Your Teeth?
I couldn’t help but burst into laughter—a bubbly, carefree giggle. As I brushed my teeth, I was wielding something that transcended the mundane realm of toothbrushes.
Meet the Feno Smartbrush—a game-changer with an astonishing 18,000 bristles working in harmony to tackle my dental needs, both top and bottom, simultaneously. The vibrations? Totally unique and exhilarating.
My entire lower face was a symphony of gentle shaking, from my gumline to the base of my jaw, creating a sensation akin to a luxurious massage for my teeth, cheeks, and those often-neglected craniofacial muscles. As the foam danced onto my chin and chest, I couldn’t help but feel delightfully silly.
The Feno Smartbrush: A mouthful of innovation.
And let me tell you, it was quite the mouthful—in the best way possible.
As someone who tends to grind their teeth, the whimsical sight of my mouth vibrating in the mirror for a mere 20 seconds felt utterly worth it. Goodbye, resistant goji berry bits that my regular electric toothbrush could never quite reach!
The Smartbrush boasts a U-shaped design, reminiscent of an athletic mouthguard, paired with a handle that’s about the size of your fist, housing both the power source and a camera. It’s the flagship creation of a fresh player in the oral health game—Feno, a company that’s on the brink of revolutionizing the way we think about oral hygiene.
Crafted by Dr. Kenny Brown, an oral and maxillofacial surgeon who also serves as Feno’s CEO and co-founder, the Smartbrush aims to resolve the issues he frequently encountered with his patients.
“Oral health is your overall health,” Dr. Brown passionately stated during our chat at BioscienceLA, which doubles as Feno’s headquarters and a nonprofit hub for health tech innovators. “Patients often struggle with two things: time and technique.”
Let’s be real—how many of us dedicate the recommended two-plus minutes to our brushing routine? And are we truly brushing effectively? With Feno, those two minutes shrink to an astonishing 20 seconds, while the Smartbrush does all the heavy lifting.
Unlike typical at-home oral care tools, this innovative device comes with a price tag of $299 for a three-month starter kit. Sure, there are other high-tech competitors, like Curaprox’s U-shaped Samba robotic toothbrush and the Philips Sonicare Prestige 9900 with AI capabilities.
But neither can match Feno’s customizable features, which include six variations of its U-shaped mouthpieces. Plus, Feno’s capability to track and analyze your brushing habits, combined with a $10 monthly Feno Plus membership, opens doors to personalized reports that support long-term preventive care.
Brown’s unique background as an oral surgeon sets Feno apart from the rest.
What’s Included with the Feno Smartbrush
During my trial of the $299 Founder’s Edition bundle, I received the Smartbrush (which includes the Feno Smarthandle and SnapCharger), a TrueFit Mouthpiece, three tubes of minty XyFoam toothpaste, a tongue scraper, and three months of Feno Plus for tailored health insights and virtual coaching.
First, I snapped selfies of my mouth using Feno’s FitKit app, which maps and sizes my mouth, pairing it with one of the six designed mouthpieces. A week later, my kit arrived in a beautifully crafted box.
After unboxing, I downloaded the Feno app and paired it with my newly charged Smartbrush. (The MagSafe-like charger connects seamlessly to the back of the Smarthandle, resembling a stethoscope.)
Here, the customization truly began. I could tweak the brush’s speed and duration while AI monitored my brushing cadence. The brush’s vibrations made navigating around my mouth a breeze, and it felt like a rewarding jaw massage in the process.
Using the Smarthandle to scan your mouth has never been easier.
Over the next two weeks, I used the Smartbrush twice daily, each time for just 20 seconds. Once connected to Feno’s Wi-Fi (which won’t interfere with your home network), I could link my Smartbrush to the app that monitored my brushing and scanning routines.
After brushing, I positioned the Smartbrush about 10 inches from my face and pressed a button, sending data about my oral health to Feno’s team for analysis. Regular use brings insightful reports every two weeks detailing the condition of my teeth, gums, tongue, and soft tissues, alongside a digital health score and actionable insights for improvement. With consistency, the scanner learns about my mouth, adapting to changes over time.
“With time, you’ll gather the most extensive longitudinal dataset on oral health, making actionable data as effortless as a daily routine,” Brown explained. “This insight reveals what’s happening inside your mouth.”
Regular reports keep you in the loop about your oral health.
The Evolution of Feno
Following my trial with the Smartbrush, I visited Feno’s facilities—the heart of innovation where testing, packaging, and shipping come together—to chat with Dr. Brown about the device, its AI features, and the broader oral health landscape.
Their creative space, fulfillment center, and office all reside within the sleek, contemporary walls of a health tech hub, boldly branded “BioscienceLA”.
Stepping inside, the bright, spotless environment reflects the team’s dedication to excellence—an oasis of innovation.
Meet Dr. Kenny Brown, the visionary behind Feno.
Here, I found a dedicated team—eight passionate individuals, including three dentists—working tirelessly to reshape oral care. Dr. Brown often engages with customers directly, gathering invaluable feedback that fuels their innovation.
During our discussion in the prototyping space, a soothing hum of 3D printers filled the air, their warm orange glow illuminating the workflow of progress. Physical iterations of the TrueFit Mouthpiece surrounded us, a testament to their commitment to excellence.
Dr. Brown, a Black oral surgeon in a field where this demographic represents less than 4%, stands as a trailblazer. He’s committed to enhancing oral health for all through the innovative design of the AI-powered Smartbrush. His enthusiasm for oral care and humanity shines through.
(And let’s take a moment to appreciate another trailblazer in the industry, the Big Mouth electric toothbrush creator who captured hearts on Shark Tank, Dr. Bobbi Peterson.)
Dr. Brown acknowledges that nearly half of American adults suffer from some form of gum disease. Feno aims to tackle this with its “full mouth” U-shaped devices.
“Our mission is simple: better, faster, easier solutions that are accessible for all,” Brown said. “Technology can level the playing field, showing that these solutions are meant for everyone. Ultimately, it’s all about serving others.”
The TrueFit Mouthpiece Journey
The TrueFit Mouthpiece began with over 20,000 digital impressions to develop a precise mouth-sizing algorithm, resulting in more than 100,000 designs catering to various shapes and sizes.
“Creating thousands of prototypes can be risky and costly. We combined clinical expertise, digital impressions, generative AI tech, and 3D printing to pinpoint our design,” Brown explained. “Efficacy is paramount—if it doesn’t work, it’s irrelevant.”
A glimpse into the evolution of the Feno mouthpiece.
Using generative AI, custom algorithms developed with design software helped optimize the mouthpiece, ensuring bristle contact with tooth surfaces and gum lines. This process led to several hundred 3D-printed prototypes, each carefully tested to meet clinical standards.
Today, Feno offers six variations of the TrueFit Mouthpiece, tailored to customers’ dental arches, jawlines, and oral cavity dimensions. With 18,000 bristles aiming for a perfect touch on each of your teeth—250 strokes per tooth—your dental routine can now be accomplished in just 20 seconds. The Smartbrush gently pauses and alerts you if you need to ease up on the pressure.
The TrueFit Mouthpiece connects to the Feno Smarthandle, which features a camera and artificial intelligence that can analyze visual data. Each scan captures details about your oral health, compiling it into a comprehensive report.
While these insights aren’t diagnostic, Feno ensures quality by having a dentist review the information for accuracy.
“We’re intentional about the data we provide our customers,” Brown shares. “True care comes from engaging with people and understanding their needs—something that technology alone can’t accomplish.”
My Feno Smartbrush Experience
During my two-week trial, the Smartbrush truly delivered.
Initially, my gums were a bit sore (a common occurrence noted by Feno), but my teeth felt utterly rejuvenated, like all 18,000 bristles had purged every plaque particle lurking around.
Though Feno is a newcomer to the market, the potential of the Smartbrush and the insights it offers are intriguing. Priced at $299 up front plus a $10 monthly fee, it’s an investment. Yet, this innovative approach captivates my interest.
Post-trial, I made the decision to keep my Smartbrush. I’ve been warned by multiple dentists that veneers may be in my future by 40, and as a 29-year-old who has had braces twice, that’s a daunting thought. Each six-month checkup leaves me more anxious about the state of my mouth. Perhaps, this is the pivotal moment for a more proactive approach.
As a savvy consumer, you owe it to yourself to do your homework—consult your dentist and weigh your comfort level with investing in cutting-edge technology.
And always remember to brush your teeth twice a day!
