Dyson has admitted its £420 toothbrush was affected by ‘water-seepage’ problems after products vanished from stores worldwide.
The company had initially claimed its new CameraJet would change how we clean our teeth but days after its launch, widespread faults were reported by customers online
The products then disappeared from Dyson’s online stores in the UK and around the world and a spokesperson claimed they were experiencing ‘shortages of supply’.
The company has now issued a statement saying there was a ‘process issue’ in one of its batches which created ‘the potential for water-seepage.’ Dyson added that they were ‘sorry that we have let down our loyal customers’.
Dr Eddie Crouch, chair of the British Dental Association, said the fault was ‘embarrassing’ claiming the product was ‘not fit for purpose.’
The CameraJet has been the subject of critical reports in the press in the past four weeks including in The Times, Bloomberg and Marie Claire. Customers are continuing to report faults on online forums and on the website Reddit, they have nicknamed the product the ‘.’
Although the £419.99 brush is now back on sale in the UK – albeit in only one of the two choices of colour – it remains out of stock in the US, one of its biggest markets, more than six weeks after its launch.
Dr Eddie Crouch, chair of the British Dental Association, told GDPUK: ‘It must be embarrassing, something that’s retailing at more than £400 isn’t fit for purpose at the moment.
‘What sort of trials did they have of it before it was actually launched? It really is quite shocking.
‘To be honest, having a camera and a water picking built into a toothbrush sounds in concept really quite exciting but I sense it’s being marketed at a cohort of people who probably don’t need that.’
Dr Victoria Holden, president-elect of the British Association of Private Dentists added, That's not a great start is it. But I've had 4 iO (Oral B) toothbrushes over the years which have all had to be returned within a month of purchase or first use due to some issue, so maybe it's just a toothbrush thing.’
Dyson claims the CameraJet removes 69% more plaque in hard-to-reach areas compared to other premium brands and says one of its main advantages is being able to target the gaps between the teeth using an AI-powered camera. The brush then blasts the gaps with jets of mouthwash.
But a report by the financial website Bloomberg in mid-October said the product they were sent was still faulty and sprayed mouthwash across the bathroom, before stopping working altogether.
A Dyson spokesperson said, ‘The new Dyson CameraJet technology launched globally on September 1st. We are now in full production and shipping product. Unfortunately, one production batch of jet tubes had experienced a process issue, creating the potential for water seepage which affected the performance of a small number of products early on.
‘We took what we believe to be the right decision to isolate impacted products, which resulted in a temporary out-of-stock position. We are sorry that we have let down our loyal customers and we will do all we can to support them.’