This Tiny Sensor Sticks To Your Tooth And Monitors Your Diet Through A Smartphone App

There's an old saying among tech nerds that says "Everything is better with Bluetooth". But what if you could have Bluetooth literally in your tooth?

Well, technically on it, anyway. That's the gist of a new device developed by researchers at Tufts University, Massachusetts.

Images courtesy: Tufts University

Just to be clear, we're not talking about a Bluetooth connector implant of some sort, but rather a wearable device that adheres to your tooth. It's a batch of tiny sensors melded together in a flat frame about the size of a pinhead, that sticks to the outside of your tooth. These sensors monitor your food intake and your health in real time.

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The device communicates wirelessly with a mobile device, transmitting data on your glucose levels, blood alcohol level, salt intake and more. And that's just with the first prototype; the researchers say future tweaks could make the devices sensitive to a wide range of chemicals, nutrients, and even the health of your mouth

This tiny 2mm x 2mm sensor sits flat on your enamel, and transmits via an incoming radio frequency signal. It consists of a core bio-responsive layer, sandwiched between two halves of an outer protective shell.

Scientists have experimented with this sort of technology before, but they always faced problems with either bulky wiring or sensors being easily corrupted by exposure. "If you can evolve the sensor and engineer it to have a database of food consumption, then you could think about nutrition management," says lead researcher Fiorenzo Omenetto, a professor of engineering at Tufts. "That could be reminding us that we're indulging in too much sugar or something like that."

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The team believe that diabetics in particular may find this device useful to help monitor their sugar intake. However, they also say it could also come in handy those with high blood pressure or Iodine irregularities, and celiac disease.

And don't worry, that picture there is just for show they say. Ideally you'd mount the sensor on a rear tooth to keep it hidden.