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C4 HYGIENE TRIBUNE Dental Tribune Middle East & Africa Edition | 1/2018 Curaden believes in prevention like no other company in the world By Ueli Breitschmid, Curaden When Dental Tribune approached us with the idea of a new magazine on the topic of preventive dentistry, I thought: “Well, it’s about time! You should have done this a while ago!” For those who don’t know me, I of- ten like to speak from the heart and the dental industry lies very close to my heart. I’ve been in the busi- ness my entire life and I’ve been the CEO of Curaden AG for 40 years. Curaden produces oral healthcare products, such as the famous CS 5460 toothbrushes, through our brand CURAPROX. We also provide many educational programmes, such as iTOP (individually trained oral prophylaxis). I am so proud to be a part of such a forward-thinking company, since I truly believe that no mouth will ever change without the use of the right instruments and proper education. At Curaden, we are proud to manu- facture all our products in Switzer- land, since the Swiss are known for their high quality, perfection and precision. Yet I was disappointed to hear that one in every three dental students in Switzerland leaves den- tal school before their graduation. There is no other field of study that experiences such a high dropout Educate your patients about the mouth and body connection. #SayAhh #WOHD18 Celebrate World Oral Health Day on 20 March and be part of the global movement SAYSAYSAYTHINK MOUTH THINK HEALTH Organized by Official World Oral Health Day Partners Supporters www.worldoralhealthday.org rate! What’s surprising is that the overwhelming majority of dental students do not simply drop out. The numerus clausus, in Switzerland and many other places in the world, which limits the number of universi- ty applicants, is very high for human medicine. Also, prospective students for both dentistry and medicine have to pass an admission test in order to study. However, admission is not only easier for dentistry, both medical and dental students spend their first semesters in the same classroom, learning the same things. That’s why pre-clinic dental students who are more interested in becom- ing medical doctors, can easily take the available spaces of medical stu- dents who drop out. This situation leaves me with two questions: why do we not start edu- cating dentists as medical doctors of oral health? And, why don’t we consider dentistry as another medi- cal discipline that works closely with cardiology, otolaryngology and oth- er specialist fields? Until now, we have educated den- tists to become “tooth-repairers”. Dentists learn to place implants in the most difficult positions possible, they learn how to perform endo- dontics in the most severely curved canals, but when do they learn how to educate their patients on oral health? When will we understand that a healthy mouth is about more than just clean teeth? And when will we understand that our mission should be to keep patients healthy for a lifetime by providing them with the right products and educa- tion? Of course, as a dental industry, we still need to sell toothbrushes, inter- dental brushes and mouthwashes. Many other companies in the dental industry need to sell implants, endo- dontic files and drills. Essentially, all manufacturers, dealers and dental professionals still need to look at remaining profitable or increasing profits. And there is no doubt that as an industry, we will still need to repair. Fortunately, our restorations have improved and can now last forever, but our preventive care can definitely be improved. Mind the trends The demand for preventive care has rather recent roots. Firstly, the meg- atrend of having a healthy lifestyle has now also moved into oral care. People want better oral prophylaxis, beautiful teeth and fresh breath. Oral care, however, is about so much more than oral hygiene. Healthy teeth and gums go hand-in-hand with self-confidence, a good morale and can also lead to healthy bodies. Essentially, the desire for a healthier lifestyle has created a demand for new products and new approaches to provide the patient with oral healthcare services in dental prac- tices. Secondly, scientists have discovered that oral health conditions have a major impact on people’s general and mental wellbeing. Oral health ÿPage C6