More and more patients are looking for recommendations for natural products. Our patients ask us about a lot of products that, although most don’t seem like they would be harmful, they also don’t seem to have any benefits. As clinicians, we want to recommend products that will have as many additional benefits as possible, such as remineralization.
Here at the Dental Advisor, we recently received RiseWell natural oral healthcare products (RiseWell). These natural products were developed by Dentists and do not contain fluoride, parabens, artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, or SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate). Rather, they contain hydroxyapatitie and xylitol. According to the manufacturer:
Mineral Toothpaste: is made with naturally-derived hydroxyapatite, a mineral that makes up 90% of our tooth enamel and has been shown in studies to strengthen and protect your teeth without fluoride.
Balancing Mouthwash: is made to work with your oral ecosystem. This naturally alkaline mouthwash inhibits the growth of bad bacteria and leaves your mouth feeling healthy and fresh.
Adult’s Wild Mint Flavored Toothpaste – Creamy Consistency
Scrubby Floss
Texture of Scrubby Floss
Texture of Scrubby Floss
What were the Initial Insights of the Dental Advisor team and our editorial board? – Okay… we just have to say that the Cake Batter Flavored Toothpaste tastes amazing! – We really like the texture of the “Scrubby Floss” could this be good for perio. patients? – The toothpaste is more of a creamy consistency. – We love that their company put hydroxyapatite research on their website. – We read all the science behind their hydroxyapatite claims; however, we would love to see a study showing their particular product has hydroxyapatite uptake into enamel… a future DA lab project?
What do our Clinical Evaluators and their patients think about this product once it’s used in their offices? Look for a possible clinical evaluation in an upcoming issue!
Fluoride has come a long way. I was in the generation of the fluoride trays with the foam. I remember it dribbling down my chin while I anxiously watched the hygienist for that glorious moment of reprieve when she would take the variety of contraptions out of my mouth. When I started practicing we were in the age of fluoride varnish; however, you had to try and dry the teeth to get it on, it was still thick and it left a very noticeable coating on your teeth. Now fluoride varnishes have evolved to the point where kids ALMOST don’t even complain about it! Almost.
Here at the Dental advisor, we recently received Profluorid Varnish (VOCO). This is the evolution of their previous version with: enhanced flow-ability, better translucency and fluoride releasing properties. According to the manufacturer this product:
Comes in an easy, non-messy SingleDose delivery system
Tooth-shaded color without yellow discoloration of teeth
In five flavors without the unpleasant aftertaste of some other brands
Adheres well to moist surface and sets quickly in seconds after contact with saliva
High immediate fluoride release to relieve hypersensitivity
Enhanced flow characteristics allow Profluorid Varnish to reach areas traditional varnishes may miss
Contains Xylitol
Does not contain: tree nuts, peanuts, corn, shellfish, eggs, milk protein, soy, gluten, triclosan, petrolium, red dye/artificial coloring, saccharin or aspartame
Profluorid Varnish
Profluorid individually wrapped packages with instructions printed right on them
Opening package
Profluorid consistency
Our awesome new research assistant volunteering for a fluoride treatment… thanks Delaney!
What were the Initial Insights of the Dental Advisor team and our editorial board? – Great flavors including Melon, Cherry, Bubblegum, Caramel (my favorite), and Mint. – Bonus being able to place on moist surfaces. – Packaging seems a bit excessive. – Nice and thin allowing for a better flow
What do our Clinical Evaluators and their patients think about this product once it’s used in their offices? Look for our clinical evaluation in an upcoming issue!
Have you had this happen to you? If you are the assistant or hygienist, you bring the patient back, or if you are the Doctor, you walk in the room and the patient has this giant, like, 2 L water bottle. You ask them if you can set it on the counter for them and they look at you like you are insane and insist on holding on to it. They tell you their mouth is always dry and they need to drink water constantly (hopefully it’s water! I’ve had it be Crystal Light many times and cringed). They also need at least two bathroom breaks during the appointment. At my public health clinic, where it seemed like every other patient that walked through the door was diabetic, this was not an unusual happening. Medications, increased age, and conditions like diabetes or Sjögren, all can cause patients to experience dry mouth.
Here at the Dental Advisor, we recently received Xerostomia Relief Spray (3M). According to the manufacturer it provides up to 4 hours of relief from dry mouth symptoms. The chemistry is lipid-based oxygenated glycerol triester (OGT) technology. This is a prescription spray that patients can only get from a dental professional.
Xerostomia Relief Spray packaging
Small size perfect for on the go
We noticed it comes out in a unique stream
Spraying
What were the Initial Insights of the Dental Advisor team? – 4 hours of relief is huge to our xerostomia patients. I can’t wait to evaluate this and see what our patients think! – I was kind of expecting more of a mist, but it is more of a squirt of the product that you then move around your mouth with your tongue. – Being lipid-based it has a different feel than other dry-mouth products, but also is very coating. – The size of the vial is perfect to put in your purse or pocket and take with you. I think when we recommend rinses to patients we don’t always think about the fact that they have dry mouth all day and need something that can travel with them wherever they go. – It was an acquired taste to some of us. Dr. Bunek loved it.
What do our Clinical Evaluators and their patients think about this product once it’s used in their offices? Look for a possible clinical evaluation in an upcoming issue!
When I was practicing I had a patient who was recovering from a terrible closed head injury as well as a slew of other injuries from a car accident. One day he asked an interesting favor of me. He asked me to write a letter to his insurance company confirming that the medications he was on were a likely source of his dry mouth and hence his continued dental treatment should be covered (he had horrible xerostomia and was riddled with class V and recurrent caries at every visit).
A stretch right? Well, maybe not. This young man was on over 30 medications from his extensive injuries! As I got out the pharmacology books and read the side effects of each medication, around 11 of them had a confirmed side effect of xerostomia. 30 medications may be extreme, but when you think of your patients, how many of them are on medications? Many of those medications likely have a side effect of xerostomia… enter MOISYN.
We recently received MOISYN (Prisyna) dry mouth mouthwash and spray here at the Dental Advisor. These dry mouth products have an interesting chemistry compared to other dry mouth products. It uses shellfish shell derivatives! What if you are allergic to shellfish? Well, you are likely not going to have any allergy issues with this because the allergen is in the muscle of the shellfish, not the shell… however, a allergy test would be a good idea.
Want to know more about this interesting chemistry? Well, according to the manufacturer, these naturally derived ingredients attract, hold, and retain moisture from its surroundings. They feel MOISYN creates an oral environment that is richly hydrated, pH balanced, and ideal for relieving mouth surfaces with moisture-loving, moisture-rich molecules.
According to the manufacturer, MOISYN:
Attracts, holds, and retains moisture in your mouth
Reduces dry mouth symptoms that can affect sleep, speech, and lifestyle
Is clinically proven to reduce oral pain and discomfort
Cleans your mouth and freshens breath
Uses naturally derived ingredients, free from harsh chemicals
pH balanced formula that’s gentle on your mouth
Moisyn spray
Moisyn mouthwash
Moisyn mouthwash in cup
Jim from our graphics team trying Moisyn spray
What were the Initial Insights of the Dental Advisor team? – Nice product, good flavor. – Spray does a good job of coating tissues. – We like that the mouthwash not only is a dry mouth solution, but also neutralizes pH and disinfects. – The “can use up to 6 times per day” statement makes us wonder how long it will last. What do our Clinical Evaluators and their patients think about this product once it’s used in their offices? Look for a possible clinical evaluation in an upcoming issue!
It’s interesting how much plaque people leave on their teeth, yet think they are doing a great job! We as dental professionals then have to be the bad guys and tell them what a bad job they are doing of brushing. We send them home with the disclosing tablets, but they make a mess of your entire mouth and we know they don’t use them for long. What if there was another option that is more fun?
Here at the Dental Advisor, we recently received Plaque Glo™ (Piksters™). I know you think this is intended for kids, but I would like to send all my patients home with this, LOL, and they have and adult and kid version! To use, the patient brushes as normal and then shines the “torch” onto their teeth. Areas of remaining plaque glow under the blue light (shown below). This toothpaste does contain fluoride and is available in mild mint and tropical flavors.
Plaque Glo package
Plaque Glo torch
Teenager with braces who used Plaque Glo… I think he missed a few spots, LOL
What were the Initial Insights of the Dental Advisor team? – Fun idea! – We can see patients being more compliant with this than disclosing tablets. – Small tube of toothpaste. – Hard to see in the back of the mouth (which is true for anything), where areas are missed the most. – Great idea for people with braces (like shown above)
What do our Clinical Evaluators and their patients think about this product once it’s used in their offices? Look for a possible clinical evaluation in an upcoming issue!
Getting kids to brush is like pulling teeth (sorry, I couldn’t help myself). I always had parents in my practice struggling to get their children to brush their teeth. They would bring them in to me looking to me for a magical answer. Unfortunately I never did come up with that magical answer. How can we make brushing easier and more fun?
We recently received the Babahu®X1 toothbrush (BABAHU) at the Dental Advisor. The Babahu® is a hands-free smart toothbrush. We received one of their cartoon design for kids; however, they also make an adult version. According to the manufacturer, this toothbrush has a patented U-shape mouth design featuring bristles at a 45 degree angle with the teeth. The bristles can fit perfectly on the surface of teeth, cleaning them sonically at 360 degrees. They claim to efficiently clean in just 20 seconds! Besides the cute design, the children’s version has a voice reminder that gives them encouragement while brushing.
BABAHU Toothbrush
BABAHU Toothbrush and Foam Toothpaste
Holding BABAHU Toothbrush in Editorial Meeting
What were the Initial Insights of the Dental Advisor team and our editorial board? – Super cute design – One of the editorial board has a young child who is a struggle to get to brush. We gave her this toothbrush to try and she says her daughter absolutely loves it! – We are curious how efficiently they actually clean teeth.
What do our Clinical Evaluators and their patients think about this product once it’s used in their offices? Look for a possible clinical evaluation in an upcoming issue!
