"Big Tooth" Is Watching You !

Researchers at the National University of Taiwan have developed a “smart” tooth device that monitors an individual ‘s oral habits by recording movement of the jaw and generating data that is fed to a computer via the tooth’s sensor , then paired with an oral action . The device can be used as a detachable fake tooth or inserted in a crown , allowing doctors to track chewing , drinking , eating , coughing and even smoking – and (hopefully) allow them help treating a wide range of problems . In testing the device , the researchers asked 8 volunteers to perform 30 – second tasks such as chewing gum , reading aloud , drinking a bottle of water and coughing . The device was able to determine what action each volunteer performed with 94% accuracy . Because the mouth is “an opening into human health” , the researchers contend the device has the potential to enhance existing healthcare monitoring applications such as dietary tracking.