They added three LEDs to the end of a toothbrush, which can be tracked using computer vision technology.
Using a Web cam mounted above the sink, the movements of the "Playful Toothbrush" can be tracked in three dimensions and the data fed into a computer.
The computer distinguishes the orientation of the brush, and can also track its X-axis "roll" and Z-axis "yaw".
The researchers say the data can be used to to determine which teeth the bristles are in contact with. The system can distinguish 24 different areas in the mouth.
They have also added a simple computer game to their toothbrush, which uses sound and vision to encourage children to scrub colourful dirt from a set of virtual teeth shown on a screen.
As the children clean their own teeth, they see an instant impact on the virtual teeth.
Tests found that kindergarten children were twice as effective at cleaning their teeth after five days of trial with the new system.
"I was confident it would work, based on 25 years' clinical experience with children. But the results are beyond my expectations," says Jin-Ling Lo, an occupational therapist on Chu's team.
The researchers are now targeting older children.
"For older children or adults, the design may be a bit different. Users could download their preferred games according to their age and gender," Chu says.
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