Oral care products offer fresh alternatives for young and old

As Valentine’s Day approaches, your patients’ thoughts will be turning to romance. With hopes of kisses in the offing, can breath fresheners be far behind? But fresh breath isn’t the only reason for customers to care about their oral health. Science has proved that oral health can serve as a harbinger for overall health.

Here’s a look at a variety of products that promise to keep both children and adults healthy and happy.

Toothbrushes

"No disposable cups to buy or throw away. No glass to wash or take up counter space. No changing hands to cup water. And no more putting your head in the sink.”

That’s the way Amron Experimental introduces the Rinser, a toothbrush that also serves as a fountain. The toothbrush features a special reservoir that, when filled with a steady stream of tap water, turns the brush into a product reminiscent of the fountain your patients would find at the dentist.

Amron Experimental also offers GreenerStep Snap Replacement heads to help prolong the life of the Rinser, saying, “Pop out the old bristle section and pop in a new one so your Rinser Brush will last a long time and you won’t have to buy a new toothbrush every three months.”

Tom’s of Maine has introduced a line of toothbrushes it dubs Naturally Clean. The new Naturally Clean toothbrush has a recyclable plant-based handle made from renewable castor oil plants instead of petroleum and is recyclable through Tom’s TerraCycle collection program. An angled neck and dye-free, multi-height bristles are designed for effective cleaning. The product contains no BPA or artificial colors, and is available in both soft and medium brush heads.

For parents with young children, Aquafresh’s Training Toothpaste and Brush provide a way to start healthy dental habits in children as young as 4 months, the age, according to Aquafresh, when babies can start learning new habits. Featuring an apple-banana flavor, the toothpaste has no artificial colors, preservatives, or fluoride, meaning that it’s safe for small children to swallow. Specially designed for young children, the toothbrush features a flexible neck and extra soft brush.

Toothpaste

For older children, Aquafresh has introduced a new Fresh ’N Fruity toothpaste. Using natural calcium for gentle cleansing and fluoride for cavity prevention, the toothpaste has a mild fruit flavor and is safe, with supervision, for use by children over the age of two, making it a “great transition toothpaste” for toddlers, according to the company.

Young girls can start brushing their teeth with a new toothpaste from Orajel, a Church & Dwight brand. My Way toothpaste gives young patients a chance to decorate their toothpaste tubes with over 100 water-safe sticks to make brushing fun. The toothpaste comes in a Berry Blast flavor and in fluoride and non-fluoride formulas. The fluoride-free formula contains no artificial colors, dyes, gluten, or dairy, and is safe if swallowed.

GlaxoSmithKline has introduced a new toothpaste to its Sensodyne Pronamel line. Specially formulated for patients with sensitive teeth, Fresh Wave toothpaste helps protect against the effects of acid erosion and helps harden acid-softened enamel. It contains fluoride to protect against cavities and works to freshen breath, and can be used by adults and children 12 years of age and older.

Crest Pro-Health has added a new toothpaste to its lineup, Crest Pro-Health Clinical Gum Protection in Clean Mint. Using stannous fluoride, the toothpaste helps roll back the clock on gingivitis and can help prevent future ocurrences of the condition. The toothpaste also fights cavities, plaque, and tartar.

Along with its new toothbrushes, Tom’s of Maine is offering Botanically Bright whitening toothpaste. Its natural ingredients are designed to gently remove surface stains on teeth. The paste contains no sodium lauryl sulfate and no fluoride, and is available in spearmint with aloe and chamomile, or peppermint with xylitol and propolis.

For older kids, Tom’s of Maine offers Wicked Cool! toothpaste, featuring a mild mint flavor for kids who have outgrown fruit or bubblegum flavors but don’t like the strong mint flavors in many adult toothpastes. Wicked Cool! toothpaste comes in fluoridated and non-fluoridated formulas. Both formulas contain no artificial dyes, sweeteners, or flavors.

Mouthwash

Dr. Ken’s, one of the Dr. Fresh oral care brands, has introduced three new mouthwashes.

Dr. Ken’s All Natural Kids Fluoride Mouthwash is the only all-natural mouthwash on the market for kids. It comes in a fun bubblegum flavor and contains no alcohol or sugar.

For adults, Dr. Ken’s Neem Mouthwash contains anise, clove buds, and neem leaf, which helps soothe and protect sensitive mouths. The product contains no alcohol, parabens, or gluten, and is vegan-friendly.

Dr. Ken’s Ayurvedic Herbal Extract Mouthwash features a variety of herbal extract and essential oils to promote healthy teeth and gums, and has no saccharine, artificial flavors, alcohol, parabens, or gluten. The product can also be used by vegans.

Under the FireFly brand, Dr. Fresh has released an Angry Birds Squirt ’N’ Brush Tooth Foam, the first of its new line of oral care products to leverage the appeal of the Angry Birds brand. Dental Products Report states, “This exciting, unconventional format creates a new genre within the toothpaste category, and is expected to change the way that children in particular look at the task of toothbrushing, according to the company.” The product comes in a bubblegum flavor and with fluoride to prevent cavities.

Chattem recently released ACT Total Care Sensitive Formula. With an alcohol-free formula made from natural botanicals, the mouthwash kills the germs that cause bad breath and works on rebuilding enamel “for 2x stronger teeth,” a company statement announced. (An accompanying disclaimer indicates that the product “does not relieve or treat sensitive teeth, oral pain, or gum disease.”) The formula comes in Mild Mint and Tropical Breeze flavors.

Listerine has introduced a new mouthwash li for patients who want to prolong that clean feeling they have after a visit to the dentist.

The UltraClean line has the same plaque-destroying power as original Listerine, but contains eucalyptol, menthol, thymol, and methyl salicylate to fight against tartar build-up. The mouthwash is available in Arctic Mint and Cool Mint, as well as Fresh Citrus for those who don’t like mint.

Listerine has also launched Total Care Zero mouthwash, which contains no alcohol and lacks the intensity of regular Listerine. Offered in a Fresh Mint flavor, the mouthwash restores enamel and strengthens teeth, kills germs, protects against cavities, and freshens breath.