|
New Articles
 |
October 2008 | Modern Hygienist
What’s hot in homecare Patients have plenty of high-tech options when it comes to homecare, but your input makes the difference.
Brushing, flossing and rinsing—the basics of home oral healthcare—date back to prehistoric times. Sure these tools have been refined over the centuries, but just a few decades ago most homecare products were similar in design and functionality, and consumers really only had a choice between brand names and the color of their next toothbrush. Today, the dental aisle of the local drug store is still filled with brushes, flosses and rinses, but it’s more crowded than ever as technological advancements backed by compelling clinical studies have brought greater variety and more specialization to the increasingly effective consumer products available.
Affordable power brushes and flossers now share shelf space with countless manual brush designs, and a greater variety of natural products allow people to express their preference for non-chemical ingredients in their choice of toothpaste and mouthwash. “We’ve come a long way from the manual toothbrushes that were first introduced. I think it’s made oral healthcare more accessible to more people,” says Gail B. Stoops RDH, BS, senior manager of professional relations at Philips Sonicare. “There’s a tremendous amount of potential for people to become healthier.” Electronic brushes and water jet flossers date back to at least the 1950s, but today they’re more plentiful and more affordable than ever. Whether based around a high-speed motor, sonic technology or high-powered water pumps, clinical studies continue to show that when properly used, these high-tech products are extremely effective at both cleaning teeth and preventing decay.
Deborah M. Lyle, RDH, MS, director of professional and clinical affairs for Water Pik Inc., says the technology behind her company’s water jets, power flossers and power toothbrushes has advanced greatly during the last 45 years, but it’s only now that the clinical studies are catching up to just how effective they’ve always been when it comes to reducing caries infections. The key is the jets’ ability to clean interproximally and sub-gingivally. “The developers probably didn’t realize how long this would last,” she says. “You could almost say it was a product before its time.”
The state of the art today means products that meet overall oral care needs while offering something extra in at least one specialized area. Stoops believes consumers are interested in high technology, but they’re looking for research that backs up claims of the product’s effectiveness. For Philips Sonicare, this means products like the clinically proven HealthyWhite that Stoops says answers the demand from the growing population of consumers looking to whiten their teeth without using chemical treatments. Those same consumers are likely to be among the growing portion of the population interested in using natural products for their oral healthcare.
Toothpaste, mouthwash and floss made without chemical ingredients and created with cruelty-free practices are now widely available. Natural product manufacturers are even branching out to meet the consumer demand for whitening and other specialized areas of care, says Susan Dewhirst, media and public relations manager for Tom’s of Maine. “As people become more interested in what they put in and on their bodies, they’re reading labels more,” she says. “People are clearly asking for these types of products, and they don’t want one, they want choice within those natural products.” Tom’s of Maine has been focusing on what goes into the products and how they’re made since the 1970s. Creating natural dental products often takes longer and is more expensive because the manufacturers must find different ways to achieve the same results consumers find in the conventional brands. Natural products must be effective and accepted by the dental industry if the public is going to adopt them. Dr. Kerry Maguire, DDS, MFPH, Tom’s of Maine’s director of professional advocacy, says having ADA approval on products is key to winning support from dentists and hygienists who are key to winning over consumers who demand more information about the oral care products they use. “I think there are more and more people who are engaged at a different level with the products they use in their daily life. There’s a sense of more individual responsibility,” Maguire says. “I feel like there’s this groundswell that in some ways has caught up with Tom’s of Maine.”
What the future holds for home oral care is not yet known, but the consensus opinion is that proven technologies will be refined and improved, making care more effective. As more and more consumers begin to understand the direct connection between their oral health and their overall health, the demand for these improved products will increase and an educated public will be even more interested in knowing the origins and workings of the products they use. It is in this area where dentists and especially hygienists will continue to play a key role in their patients’ homecare decisions. Stoops believes most consumers place a high value on recommendations from their care providers, and Lyle says it is important for dentists and hygienists to know their patients well enough to recommend products that will work, but more importantly products that the patients will actually use. “You have to value what the patient wants, and what their goals are. They have the devices and the information, but it still gets down to compliance,” she says. “The influence of the dental professional on a consumer is growing. I see dentists and dental hygienists as being pivotal in leading patients to the choices they make,” Stoops says.
|
|
Additional Trends:
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
