“Clean your teeth and you can rescue a Pokémon.” That seems like a pretty good deal, right? And here you were wondering how to entice your children into brushing before bedtime.
Pokémon Smile is inspired by the stupendously popular Pokémon Go game and encourages children to develop good brushing habits while amassing a personal hoard of cute creatures.
The app uses the iPhone’s front-facing camera to monitor brushing speed and positioning, guiding children to ensure all gnashers receive the requisite polish.
Following the on-screen instructions will vanquish virtual bacteria and spring a Pokémon from its cavity-causing clutches. The game itself isn’t too easy (we failed often), so kids must do a good job if they're to add to their Pokédex (a sort-of sanctuary for free Pokémon) each time.
Good brushing practice will also earn kids interchangeable augmented reality hats, which they can “wear” on screen each time they brush.
Don’t worry, if you have more than one child, they can each have a profile and their own Pokédex – thus saving countless rows. And, there’s a limit on how often you can play, just in case the app works so well children are pleading to brush every seven minutes.