by Kim Miller, RDH, BSDH
Recently my husband ordered a product called Oralive from an online company, ascendedhealth.com. Some of you reading this know my husband and won’t be surprised to learn that this is a “nutritional energy elixir” made to encourage natural healing and detoxification of the oral cavity. When you use this product as toothpaste (as we do), the natural botanical ingredients are absorbed through the mucosa into the bloodstream.
Just for the record, this “toothpaste” is unlike anything you have ever tried. Oralive is a living paste filled with active enzymes, minerals, and probiotics in their raw, natural state. There are no synthetic or artificial ingredients, and the company boasts, “Everything put in it has been harvested ethically and sustainably.”
I don’t use it every day, usually twice a week with my Sonicare. I love the way it makes my teeth feel. Although this sounds really corny, my mouth really does feel fresh and alive after use!
Oralive also comes in an extra strength version that is more concentrated than regular Oralive. It has 10 times more medicinal herbs, essential oils, and marine phytoplankton. It contains extract of elk antler velvet, an ingredient abundant with growth factors that has been shown to encourage rejuvenation of cells and tissue. The extra strength Oralive is made with “super foods,” and the manufacturer claims this formula is designed to “reset the microbial terrain to its natural harmonic balance.” This paste has a “healthy, charcoal earth tone” color due to the mixture of natural high-energy mineral earths, activated herbal extracts, oxygen, and marine phytoplankton. It tastes minty sweet and packs a punch.
The potential benefits of Oralive include:
- Antibacterial — Infused with concentrated oxygen, the essential oils (oregano oil, neem, and tea tree) are designed to help the body inhibit pain and disease-causing anaerobic bacteria.
- Heal bleeding gums — Oralive contains a resin called Sangre de Grado, or “Dragon’s Blood,” made from the sap of a plant found in the Amazon. This resin is known for its curative powers and wound healing ability, in particular bleeding gums.
- Reduce halitosis — The volcanic earth absorbs bad odors from bacteria and foods like garlic.
Oralive is a very intriguing product. Give it a try, or at least check it out at www.ascendedhealth.com.
Earlier this year, Dr. Fresh launched a new product called Orazyme, a complex of seven natural oral enzymes in a bioactive foam delivery system. Orazyme is a tongue-cleansing product designed for use with the Orabrush.
Orabrush clears the tongue of the food particles, debris, and bacteria that cause bad breath. Orabrush’s CEO, Jeff Davis, said, “Customers wanted a tongue wash to use in conjunction with the specialized brush. Neither toothpaste, which is too thick, nor mouthwash, which is too thin and kills both bad and good bacteria, was the answer.” So Orabrush teamed up with Dr. Fresh and created a product with the right consistency to stay on the brush and with the right enzymatic complex to kill the bad breath-causing bacteria.
Orabrush Tongue Foam with Orazyme can be purchased online at Orabrush.com and Amazon.com. The foam sells for $4.99 and comes in a 1.69-ounce bottle (60 uses). It’s also available in stores nationwide where your patients can purchase the Orabrush tongue cleaner and get a free, full-size sample of Orabrush Tongue Foam. For more information, go to www.drfresh.com.
Many patients have asked about alternatives to in-office whitening primarily due to cost and the investment of time. Patients have tried over-the-counter products and have been unhappy with the results or the product itself. Doctor Bright’s Tooth Whitening System — a professional grade, take-home, and affordable alternative, not a substitute — is for your patients who want to whiten but just don’t have the discretionary income for an in-office procedure. I am not suggesting that you replace your in-office whitening with a take-home kit, but rather that you offer both.
The complete at-home LED whitening kit contains one LED activator, one application tray, one 10 ml whitener gel, one tray storage case, and a professional shade guide. The kit is designed for 10 initial treatments over 10 days. Doctor Bright’s 30-second whitening pen, purchased separately, is great for touch-ups and can be used with the LED activator. Refill whitener gel syringes are also available. The whitening gel contains 22% carbamide peroxide as well as a unique proprietary desensitizing agent called DeQuest that contains 50% fluoride and 50% potassium nitrate. Doctor Bright’s products are manufactured, packaged, and boxed in the United States and only available through dental offices.
One hundred different test subjects participated in a clinical study performed by Essex Testing Clinic in New Jersey. “The before and after results were staggering,” said Richard Garofolo, president and CEO of Doctor Bright’s. “We never expected to see the results that we got.” After using the at-home LED whitening kit only three times for 15 minutes per use, some patients were able to get whitening of up to seven shades. Additionally, no one complained of tooth pain or sensitivity. The 30-second “On the Go” whitening pens saw similar results. It’s portable and easy to use anywhere. It can be applied in less than two minutes, with no need to brush or rinse before or after use.
The price points are reasonable for the patient ($25 per pen, $75 per kit), yet still provide a revenue stream for the office. Check it out at DoctorBrights.com or call Rick at (855) 372-7444, ext. 700 for more information.
Oral-B’s Professional Care SmartSeries 5000 power toothbrush with onboard computer and 8,800 oscillations per minute has been upgraded with a few new features. It still includes Bluetooth technology, which synchronizes your toothbrush to the LED Smart Guide timer that tracks brushing progress by quadrant and tells the user when it is time to replace their toothbrush head.
New features include a light sensor on the neck of the brush and on the Smart Guide that illuminates when too much pressure is being used as well as a series of stars across the bottom of the Smart Guide indicating the charge level, making it even more user friendly. The SmartSeries 5000 has five speeds including: two clean modes (two and three minute brushing cycles), sensitive mode for gentle cleaning, massage mode, and a polishing mode for stain removal. The brush is completely waterproof for those who like to brush in the shower.
The brush heads fit all Oral-B brushes and come in several versions: floss action oval head, precision clean round extra soft head, small crown and bridge head, spiral ortho head, and a pedo head. Oral-B also features four different systems to meet all your patients’ needs:
• The Clinical Pro-Health System for Gingivitis is recommended for patients with moderate gingivitis and includes Oral-B Professional Care SmartSeries 5000 electric toothbrush with SmartGuide and three minutes of brushing; Oral-B Glide Pro-Health Clinical Protection Floss; Crest Pro-Health Clinical Gum Protection Toothpaste; and Crest Pro-Health Multi-Protection Rinse.
• The Pro-Health System is recommended to help your patients stay virtually plaque free and includes Oral-B Professional Care SmartSeries 5000 Electric Toothbrush with SmartGuide; Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste; and Crest Pro-Health Multi-Protection Rinse.
• The Sensitivity Solution is recommended for your patients with dentinal hypersensitivity and includes: Oral-B Professional Care SmartSeries 5000 Electric Toothbrush with SmartGuide and Oral-B Sensitive brush head; and Crest Pro-Health Sensitive plus Enamel Shield Toothpaste.
• The Ortho Essentials Program is recommended for your orthodontic patients and includes Oral-B Professional Care SmartSeries 5000 Electric Toothbrush with Oral-B Ortho brush head and Oral-B Power Tip brush head; Crest Pro-Health Toothpaste; and Crest Pro-Health Multi-Protection Rinse.
I really appreciate having options and some direction with home-care systems since every patient is a unique challenge and deserves customized home care. Check out how you can customize your home care recommendations by visiting www.Oral-B.com.
As always, email me at [email protected] and tell me about your favorite products and how you use them.
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