Health Tech · Product Design · 2025

are you
confiDENT
about your
oral health?

A smart at-home dental camera controlled by tongue movement. The product is paired with an app for real-time analysis and easy sharing with your dentist.

Role

Lead Product Designer
3D Modeler

Team

2 members

Duration

11 weeks

01 · The Problem

You can't fix what
you can't see.

Most people inspect their teeth with a bathroom mirror or a phone camera. Back molars, gumlines, and early decay are invisible to the naked eye. This leaves patients anxious, uninformed, and waiting until their dentist visit.

63.2%

of adults have been confused on whether to go for a doctor's visit because they weren't sure how serious the issue is.

75%

of users we interviewed found it difficult to examin teeth at home due to light issues

users were able to confidently assess the problem they felt in their teeth

02 · User Research

Anxiety lives in
the unknown.

Method

Contextual interviews and observational study of at-home oral care routines

Participants

20 adults, ages 18–60, ranging from dental-avoidant to proactive

Focus Question

What stops people from understanding or acting on their oral health at home?

Synthesis

Pain point analysis → user journey map → opportunity framing

"It's hard to check my back teeth — I just can't see back there no matter what I do."

Participant 4 · dental-avoidant, 34

"I never know if I should actually go to the dentist or if I'm overreacting."

Participant 7 · 28

"Even when I do see something that looks off, I have no idea if it's serious. I don't speak dentist."

Participant 2 · 41

Finding 01

Visibility is the first barrier. Users cannot inspect their full mouth with existing tools.

Finding 02

Even when something is visible, users lack the knowledge to interpret what they're seeing.

Design Opportunity

A device that extends reach and interprets findings removes both barriers in one interaction.

Design Principle

Confidence comes from clarity. The product should make dental health legible, not clinical.

03 · The Concept

See every corner.
Understand what it means.

A slim intraoral camera that navigates with tongue-controlled tilt and rotation. This device allows minimal hand movement. The companion app captures, analyzes, and flags anything suspicious.

1920 HD Camera Tongue Navigation AI Analysis Dentist Sharing 3D Modeling

04 · Hardware

Built to reach
where you can't.

Camera Resolution

1920

HD; captures detail invisible to the naked eye

Device Length

9 in

Reaches all posterior molars comfortably

Cable Length

55 in

Full range of motion; no awkward reaching

Tilt Range

45°

Tongue-controlled; full upper and lower coverage

Rotation

±15°

Fine-tuned repositioning without removing the device

Control Method

Tongue

Hands-limited; intuitive after one practice session

05 · Process

Three versions.
One that works.

The device went through significant physical and UX iteration — from an unwieldy first prototype to a slim, ergonomic form that users could actually operate hands-free with confidence.

Proof of Concept

Basic camera on an extendable wand. Users struggled with one-handed control and couldn't navigate to back teeth without gagging.

Ergonomic Rethink

Slimmer profile, angled tip. Added button controls on the handle. Better reach, but hands were still occupied, which limited natural mouth positioning.

Tongue Navigation

Shifted all controls to tongue-activated sensors. Users reported feeling in complete control — and were able to reach every area of the mouth without assistance.

06 · Final Design

The prototype
& the app.

A fully realized physical prototype paired with a companion app — the device handles capture and navigation, the app handles analysis and sharing. Two products, one seamless experience.