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Dental Tribune Middle East & Africa Edition | January-February 2016 15 oral health Humble Brush’s bamboo toothbrushes are available in adult and child sizes. For every Humble Brush sold, the company donates a toothbrush or alterna- tive oral care to people in need. (Photograph: Humble Brush) Humble Brush: Charitable and eco-friendly approach to global oral care FDI and Royal Philips sign global agreement to promote the importance of oral health By Kristin Hübner, DTI S TOCKHOLM, Sweden: Considering the more than two billion plastic toothbrushes that end up in landfills every year, wouldn’t anyone rather opt for an eco- friendly and sustainable alter- native toothbrush, provided it has the same durability and brushing properties? Here comes the good news: there is an alternative and it is called Humble Brush. It is an inspiring approach with which Swedish company Humble Brush set out to help improve oral health around the world. For every Humble Brush sold, the company do- nates a toothbrush or alterna- tive oral care to people in need. Furthermore, its range of eco- friendly bamboo toothbrushes are sustainably produced and packaged in all-recycled mate- rials. The charitable Humble Brush approach to making a change does not rely on donations. In- stead, its business model en- ables consumers to help pro- ducers at the beginning of the chain improve lives, simply by purchasing a toothbrush. The brushes’ biodegradable bamboo handles are produced in collaboration with a small family business in China, which is where the bamboo is harvested too. “We are proud of our factory, which only employs adults with good wages and working conditions. The han- dles are then sent to a company that inserts the bristles and By Philips G eneva, Switzerland: FDI World Dental Fed- eration and Royal Phil- ips, the makers of the Philips Sonicare toothbrush, will team up to actively promote the im- portance of oral health and its impact on a person’s over- all health, and together pro- mote World Oral Health Day (WOHD) 2016. World Oral Health Day, cele- brated on March 20, is an inter- packs the brushes,” Humble Brush CEO Dr Noel Abdayem told Dental Tribune Online. Bamboo, which is one of the fastest growing plants, has nat- ural antibacterial properties that eliminate the need for any fertilisers or pesticides during cultivation. The brushes’ co- lourful bristles are free of the toxin bisphenol A and made from nylon, a material that degrades over time and can be processed through regular waste channels. In accordance with the company’s commit- ment to protecting the envi- ronment, all Humble Brushes come in fully compostable packaging. Aside from their eco-friendly approach, Humble Brushes are no different to conventional toothbrushes and have been received enthusiastically by dental professionals and the dental community, Abdayem said. “Once they realise that the head is the same as a regular toothbrush and have tried the Humble Brush they embrace it as an eco-friendly, big-picture alternative for their patients.” Complementing the company’s mission to improve oral health is the Humble Smile Founda- tion. “The donated toothbrush- es go to children in need as part of a comprehensive preventive school programme. It is im- perative that children living in underprivileged areas where there is no option for dental treatment receive the means to prevent oral disease,” Abdayem stressed. national day to raise awareness of the connection between oral health and overall health. FDI member national dental asso- ciations, dental student associ- ations and other groups, orga- nize a variety of global events. “I’d like to welcome Philips to our group of sponsors and congratulate them for demon- strating their commitment to the cause of global oral health awareness,” said FDI President, Dr. Patrick Hescot. “World Oral Together with partner or- ganisations, the foundation currently operates at 15 sites around the world. With a help- to-help-themselves approach, its projects aim to raise oral health awareness and imple- ment behavioural changes in order to address the critical lack of access to dental care in many of the world’s poorer and remote areas. This involves Health Day is an opportunity to position oral health where it be- longs: at the heart of wellbeing and quality of life.” “For Philips, the FDI World Dental Federation is a great partner,” said Egbert van Acht, CEO, Philips Health & Well- ness. “Increasing education around the importance of look- ing after oral health is one of our key goals. We are commit- ted to bringing meaningful in- novation to address global soci- oral hygiene interventions, such as monitored toothbrush- ing and dietary adjustments, as well as general oral health edu- cation for caretakers and reno- vations to dental clinics. Founded in 2014, the company now has local offices around the world, including Finland, Latvia, the UK, Greece, Turkey and the US. “We are planning to open up in 25 new markets etal needs. WOHD allows us to engage and encourage people to commit not only to their oral health, but also understand the positive impact on their over- all health. At Philips, we are actively promoting the link be- tween oral and systemic health to help improve people’s lives.” Activities for WOHD include poster, billboard and media campaigns, free dental screen- ing, oral health camps, literacy sessions and workshops, book- in 2016, making Humble Brush the world’s fastest growing brand in the oral care indus- try,” Abdayem said. Humble Brushes are available in adult and child sizes, start- ing from US$4.99 (€4.60). More information about the compa- ny and the foundation can be found at www.humblebrush. com and www.humblesmile. org. lets and kits, cultural activities, debates, and festivities such as flashmobs, walkathons and charitysportingevents.Insome countries, groups have made attempts on world records such as greatest number of people attending an oral health lit- eracy session or brushing their teeth at one time. For more information, visit www.worldoralhealthday.org. World Oral Health Day, 20 March 2016 Dental Tribune Middle East & Africa Edition | January-February 201615