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23 Show Tribune United Kingdom Edition | 4+5/2016 OPINION Swiss dental company Curaden is one of the few businesses in the industry that adopt a holistic ap- proach to dentistry. The company combines high-quality dental prod- ucts, pioneering training systems and prophylaxis concepts for long- term oral health. In this interview, CEO Ueli Breitschmid talks about new ways and knowledge in den- tistry and optimal preventive care as key to good oral health,as well as prevention programmes that both promote patients’ health and offer practices financial success. Dental Tribune: Mr Breitschmid, Curaden aims to offer more than just dental care products.You advo- cate comprehensive training in the field of dental prevention. Why is this issue so important? Ueli Breitschmid: Curaden is the only company that, in addition to manufacturing products, provides patients with the necessary knowl- edge and skills, in cooperation with trained instructors, to take control of their oral health themselves. We have developed our knowledge and products with the aim of teeth re- maining healthy for a lifetime. Our corporatephilosophycombinesthe innovative CURAPROX products, ourdental educational system iTOP and the practical Prevention-One plan.Ourgoalistoreducethepreva- lenceofgingivitis,periodontitisand tooth loss. Therefore, we support comprehensive soft-tissue prophy- laxis. Finally, gingival problems are stillthemostcommoncauseofpoor oralhealth.Wesupportprophylaxis to this end with our great interden- taltoothbrushes,ouriTOPseminars andotherservices. In any oral health discussion, it is always important to look at the combination of a high-quality product and the trained applica- tion thereof. The product alone without a trained user changes little or nothing. Therefore, 80 per cent of people in developed coun- tries have gingival diseases; be- cause nobody has shown them proper oral hygiene. Only a well- trained person can motivate and instruct someone else. How can control and continued motivation be achieved? Patients and dentists should fol- low a regular schedule concerning bothtreatmentandtraining.Today’s approach of one or two dental visits annually is no longer appropriate. Going to the dentist or the dental hygienist should not be an annual event, but more frequent. Just think how often we enjoy a beauty treat- ment or a pleasant massage. White and well-kept teeth are part of the modern concept of body awareness, muchlikeatriptothefitnesscentre. So, does this mean that most oral health problems can be solved through regular prophylaxis? Dental prophylaxis is only one aspectoforalhealth.Itseemsmuch more important to consider dental training.Foryears,leadingdentists and dental companies have been infavourofachangeindentaledu- cation. Preventive dental therapy should hold at least the same position as restorative dentistry. Every dentist knows how little is taught in dental schools about prevention. There are long-estab- lished and financially attractive prevention concepts for the entire office staff, including Prevention- One. Today’s digital solutions offer a painless and quick prophylactic therapy. The future of dentistry is digital and focused on prevention, and the dentist of the future as a preventivephysicianisresponsible for patients’overall health. Soyouenvisiondentistsanddoctors working more closely? Dentistry and medicine will cer- tainly continue to move closer to- gether, as the interaction between the oral tissue and other organs is now better understood. Slowly but surely, dentists will be recognised for their role in medicine. They are the gatekeepers of health, because the mouth represents the basis of almostallchronicdiseases.Intime, dentists will measure blood pres- sure and take saliva samples or blood samples. It will become pos- sible to decrease the prevalence of chronic diseases, including cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, cardiovascu- lar disease and diabetes, through betteroralhealth.Atthesametime, medicine of the future will be able to detect signs of gingivitis or peri- odontitis. MrBreitschmid,youfocusonholistic oral health prevention rather than restoration. What concepts does Curaden offer in this regard? Wefocusonoptimalprophylaxis for patients and dental profes- sionals. Individually trained oral prevention (iTOP) is our interna- tionally well-known educational system. For this purpose, we have been working together with estab- lished dentist Dr Jiri Sedelmayer. He has revolutionised the ap- proachtoteaching,motivationand control of individual prophylaxis for long-term dental health. This approach includes regular train- ing, the proper tools and a good dose of motivation. First, we begin with the dental professionals, who pass their new knowledge and skills directly to patients. All our iTOP seminars are supervised by independent dentists and dental hygienistswhohavecompletedthe training themselves. iTOP addresses one of the major issuesineverydentalpractice:how to motivate and instruct patients to brush perfectly, with good out- comes. Through iTOP, we offer individual training with regular monitoring and correction of the learnt prophylaxis techniques. We use the latest technologies and modern cleaning techniques; in short, the right mechanical plaque control.Ofcourse,theseminarsare open to those dental staff with years of experience too. There are alwaysnewwaystobrushteethand gaps properly. How long is the iTOP programme? The iTOP programme is struc- turedconsecutively.Weoffermulti- day seminars for both beginners and advanced participants, as well asforprospectiveiTOPtrainers.Our recall seminars enhance knowl- edge and provide additional moti- vation.iTOPalsoteachescommuni- cation strategies. Communication with the patient and with-in the team too are key to dental health. A further advantage of iTOP is the global coverage of our educational programme. Whether in Europe, Asia or North America, dental staff can benefit from the comprehen- sivesolutionsofouriTOPtraining. I would like to recommend our iTOP workshop on 23 June in Basel in Switzerland to all dental hygien- ists. This is being held as part of the 2016 International Symposium on Dental Hygiene. We have invited top speakers from Ireland, South Africa, Canada and Switzerland to talk about their experiences with iTOP in their respective fields and how it has helped them to achieve sustainable oral health in their patients. With iTOP for students, Curaden is targeting students and young dentists. Why does Curaden place so much importance on the early training of students? First, students should maintain their teeth for perfect oral health; only then can they treat their pa- tients. The dentist and patient shouldalwayshavetheregularcare oftheirownteethwithgoodtooth- brushes, toothpaste and interden- talbrushesincommon.Thisallows the aspiring dentist to become fa- miliar with how the damage to be repaired arose. Early on, we convey the principle of touch to teach— the proof is in the pudding. Howcandentalprofessionalsbetter applyyouriTOPconcept for theben- efit of the patient and practice? We offer them a financially at- tractive service package for the long-term dental health of their patients, called Prevention-One. Prevention-One is our innovative treatment approach to prophy- laxis services. The plan includes regular dental cleaning and den- tal procedures, as well as our CURAPROX products. We believe strongly that Prevention-One rep- resents the future of dentistry. No matter the product, whether Prevention-One or CURAPROX, we strivetobeaccessibletopatients.In 2015, we founded the first Curaden Clinic, in the heart of London. The practice offers top facilities and, of course, all the products and concepts of Curaden. Thank you very much for the inter- view. “The future of dentistry is digital and focused on prevention” An interview with Curaden CEO Ueli Breitschmid “There are always new ways to brush teeth and gaps properly.” Ueli Breitschmid DTUK0416_23_Curaden 25.05.16 10:24 Seite 1 DTUK0416_23_Curaden 25.05.1610:24 Seite 1