<aside> ❗ The MouthPad^ is suitable for people over the age of 18 who have sufficient tongue dexterity and sipping strength, good oral health, no long-term dental or orthodontic treatments, and adequate jaw mobility for the dental scan. Users should also have written communication skills and some speaking ability (see our note below). If you have questions about your ability to use the MouthPad^, email [email protected].
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The MouthPad^ is customized to your mouth using intraoral 3D scanning, done by our local dental partners or your dentist. (This scan is similar to those taken for night guards or aligners and takes approximately 15 minutes.) The process requires you to open your mouth wide enough for a wand-type scanner to navigate inside. Here is a sample photo of the process. To check your jaw range at home, see if you can open your mouth about the width of a ping-pong ball.
Good tongue coordination is needed to control the cursor and perform gestures on the MouthPad^. A simple test is to touch each of your teeth with your tongue. For a more challenging test, try drawing a circle, an X, and a triangle on the roof of your mouth with the tip of your tongue. (Unfortunately, our device is not currently suitable for people with macroglossia, which may interfere with tongue detection.)
To test your tongue dexterity, try drawing shapes on the roof of your mouth in the region shown above.
The MouthPad^ will also require some level of tongue stamina. To test yours, try moving your tongue up and down the length of your palate 5 times in a row. For comfortable MouthPad^ usage, you should be able to do this without the tongue losing speed between laps.
Various MouthPad^ commands are activated by a sipping gesture, similar to sucking through a straw (or making a kissing motion). Some actions require holding this suction for a few seconds. To ensure this will be easy for you, try taking a sip of water rapidly through a straw — held between your lips, not your teeth — as well as a sustained sip for about 3 seconds.
Good oral hygiene is crucial before and during use of the MouthPad^. Plaque and tartar buildup can affect your 3D scan, and pre-existing cavities can worsen with prolonged use of a retainer-like device. Before purchasing a MouthPad^, ****please ensure you’ve had a recent dental cleaning and exam, and plan to have regular checkups. (An oral exam may indicate dental work that would need to be completed before getting your intraoral scan, such as a crown.)
The MouthPad^ should not be used during orthodontic treatments or long-term dental care. Please wait until all major treatments are finished and well healed before ordering.
Note: We are actively improving our technology and plan to remove this limitation later this year.
Individuals who are able to speak verbally — even in a limited capacity — are much more likely to succeed with the MouthPad^. This is because speaking and operating the device require a similar level of precise coordination among the tongue, lips, and palate. With few exceptions (including time-sensitive cases), the MouthPad^ is only recommended for those who can articulate speech.
As a novel, somewhat technical, tongue interface, the MouthPad^ may take some time to master — as well as occasional support from our team. Users should be able to express themselves clearly and directly via email (and optional calls), allowing us to fully understand your experience and support you along your MouthPad^ journey. (Your feedback will be key as we improve this technology!) Please make sure you’re comfortable writing emails independently and following step-by-step instructions — from getting onboarded to installing firmware updates.