Team Schein Provides Backpacks, School Supplies, and More to Support Back-to-School Needs

Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSIC) is helping children around the world return to the classroom through its 24th annual “Back to School” program. This year, Team Schein Members at 22 locations in the U.S., Canada, Spain, and Ireland are donating backpacks filled with school supplies to almost 4,500 children.

Since the program’s inception in 1998, the Company has helped more than 60,000 children start a new school year with confidence. At each Henry Schein location, teams work with local social service agencies to pre-identify participating children and their families. The “Back to School” program is a flagship initiative of Henry Schein Cares, the Company’s global corporate social responsibility program.

“Our ‘Back to School’ program has evolved during the COVID-19 pandemic to safely meet the needs of our neighbors, and the spirit of our Team Schein Members is stronger than ever,” said Gerry Benjamin, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of Henry Schein. “We are so pleased to help children in need return to the classroom with confidence and ready to meet the challenges of a new school year.”

To see Team Schein in action and past examples of the program’s benefit to children and their families, please watch this video celebrating 24 years of the “Back to School” program.

“Thanks to initiatives such as Henry Schein’s Back to School program, the children of the socio-educational project that we have developed in Puente Vallecas, Madrid, can have brand new backpacks, school supplies, and clothes with which to face the return to school more easily,” said Beatriz Lopez, Social Worker, ICEAS Asociación (The Association for Cooperation and Social Support for School Integration). “Initiatives of this nature favor equal opportunities for boys and girls since it is possible that they can wear new clothes and bring new material to school just like the rest of their classmates.”

“We’re so very grateful to Henry Schein for all their years of service to us and to our families and children,” said Mark Wenzel, Assistant Director of the Long Island, N.Y.-based YES Community Counseling Center. “There’s nothing more important than a young person starting a school year feeling good about themselves and having the tools that they need. Henry Schein has been providing those tools to our children, so we’re very grateful and we just want to say, ‘thank you.’”

About Henry Schein Cares

Henry Schein Cares stands on five pillars: empowering team Schein to reach their potential, advancing health equity and expanding access to care for underserved communities, accelerating environmental sustainability, strengthening and diversifying our supply chain, and maintaining strong ethical governance. Health care activities supported by Henry Schein Cares focus on four main areas: (1) wellness, treatment, prevention, and education; (2) capacity building; (3) emergency preparedness and disaster response; and (4) health system strengthening.

Rooted in a deep commitment to social responsibility and the philosophy of enlightened self-interest championed by Benjamin Franklin, the purpose-driven vision of Henry Schein Cares is “doing well by doing good.” Our commitment to sustained, long-term economic success while also creating shared value for society is achieved through the work of Henry Schein Cares and our stakeholder model that engages all five constituents of our Mosaic of Success. To learn more about how we are making a difference, please visit: www.henryschein.com/corporatecitizenship.

Opioids, Dentistry and Addiction: The Dentist’s Role in Treating Pain scheduled for Oct. 21

Two past presidents of the Ohio Dental Association are leading a free webinar that features the positive role dentists can play to help mitigate the opioid crisis, as well as a discussion of the relationship between substance use and addiction and treatments available for acute pain.

Sharon Parsons, D.D.S., along with David Kimberly, D.D.S., M.D, are the presenters of Opioids, Dentistry and Addiction: The Dentist’s Role in Treating Pain, which streams live Oct. 21 from noon-1 p.m.

Dr. Parsons, who owns a group practice in Columbus, Ohio, is a recipient of the Lucy Hobbs Humanitarian Award. Her younger son Michael practices with her. After her son Sean died of an opioid overdose in 2015, she decided to educate others about opioid prescribing and addiction.

“After experiencing a tragedy in my family, I realized that while I had a good pharmacology education, I had learned little to nothing about addiction,” Dr. Parsons said. “The more I learned, the more I realized that we, as dentists, had unwittingly been a part of the problem. I needed to help make us part of the solution instead.”

Dr. Kimberly is an oral surgeon in private practice in Akron. As well as a past president of the Ohio Dental Association, he is past chair of the Akron Dental Society, past chair of the Ohio Dental Association’s Council on Dental Care Programs and Dental Practice and the ethics subcommittee. He is a member of the American College of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons, International College of Dentists and American College of Surgeons.

“While we have made substantial progress towards making our profession practically painless, dentistry is still surgery,” Dr. Kimberly said. “Our understanding of pain relief has progressed tremendously over the last decade even as the opioid crisis has continued to plague our nation. Dentists have taken a major role in changing the way we treat acute pain and Dr. Parsons and I are excited to share what we have learned.”

One hour of continuing education credit is available.

eAssist Dental Solutions recently accepted the prestigious award by Utah Business as the state's 29th fastest-growing company. For the fourth year in a row, eAssist has earned a place on this list of Utah's 50 top performers – an especially noteworthy achievement considering the rating period included a three-month suspension of non-emergency dental services nationwide due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Companies are ranked according to their total five-year revenue and compound annual growth rate.

Founded in 2011 by James Anderson, DMD, and Sandy Odle, eAssist uses a combination of technology and human expertise to provide outsourced insurance billing services to dental practices, helping practices to free up resources to focus on patient care and clinical outcomes. By enhancing collections processes, eAssist allows dental practices to simplify operations, reduce stress related to insurance claims, and ultimately enjoy more profitable revenue cycle management.

"We were honored to be recognized in our home state, and will continue to proudly support the great state of Utah by driving forward entrepreneurial growth and innovative business strategies to the dental industry," said Dr. Anderson.

"Well beyond state borders, we're proud to be the nation's #1 dental billing platform – in both reputation and growth. We'll continue offering our signature service alongside other time-saving, profit-building services and products to assist our clients," added Dr. Anderson. "We can now offer almost complete front office support to every type and specialty of dental practice. Even so, we'll continue listening to our clients and our people to stay abreast of systemic and emerging issues; identify innovative solutions that help practices become more efficient, profitable, and patient-focused; and drive advancements and peace of mind throughout the dental industry."

eAssist was founded as a solution to ineffective, inefficient dental billing and collections, essentially creating a new industry. The company has grown into the nation's leading dental billing platform, and continues to invest heavily in technology and innovation that benefits individual practice owners, and the dental industry overall. In addition to being among Utah's 50 fastest growing companies for four consecutive years, eAssist has been named as a fastest growing private company by Inc 5000 six years in a row, and by Financial Times two years in a row; is endorsed by the California Dental Association (the nation's largest); and has received the HIPAA Seal of Compliance issued by the Compliancy Group.

Booth giveaways, trio of sessions part of ADA-endorsed company’s offerings Oct. 11-13

The ADA-endorsed Bento, a technology company that is a modern alternative to traditional dental insurance, will be stationed at Booth C2503 in SmileCon’s Dental Central.

The Bento representatives will visit with dentists and other dental professionals to talk about the ways they are disrupting the dental insurance market through their in-office membership plans and self-funded employer-sponsored groups or individual plans and how this disruption stands to help the dentist’s bottom line.

Dentists who visit Bento’s booth during SmileCon in Las Vegas and sign up to be a network provider for Bento or create an in-office membership plan will receive a free YETI 20-ounce tumbler.

SmileCon logoBento will also host three live sessions over a three-day period to educate dentists on how Bento can help their practices succeed.

All Bento sessions will be located in the theater within the ADA Member Center in Dental Central. Landon Lemoine, Bento’s vice president of growth, will present the trio of sessions.

Each of the sessions will also provide participants a chance to win attendance prizes such as an iPad mini, Apple Watch or a pair of Apple AirPods Pro.

The three Bento educational sessions are:

• Fact & Fiction: Debunking the Myth About Employer Group Dental Plans (1162) on Oct. 11 from 2:30-3:30 p.m.

• Improving Your Bottom Line 101 (2171), on Oct. 12 from 11 a.m.-noon.

• Hitting the Jackpot: Retaining Patients for Life with Recurring Revenue (3153), which is scheduled for Oct. 13 from 9:30-10:30 a.m.

Learn more about Bento at ADA.org/Bento.

There’s no doubt that good oral healthcare can change lives, but accessing that care can be a challenge: Cost, a maldistribution of dentists, age and even dental fear are all barriers to care.* So Carestream Dental has partnered with Local Start Dental, a new clinic in North Carolina that specializes in meeting the needs of the area’s most vulnerable populations — veterans, the elderly and low-income adults — by providing free or discounted care.

Co-founded by Doug Brown, former President of Affordable Care LLC, and Dr. Scott De Rossi, former Dean of UNC’s Adams School of Dentistry, and led by its present interim dean, Dr. Julie Byerley, who has proudly and enthusiastically continued the legacy of Local Start Dental, the clinic meets several needs in the Research Triangle (the area comprising of Durham, Raleigh and Chapel Hill, N.C.) area. It provides care for underserved populations by connecting them with dental students from the Adams School of Dentistry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, who will gain invaluable practice and exposure at the clinic.

“Our name stands for: Life-Changing Oral Care and Learning, which describes the benefits that this practice will provide to North Carolina,” Brown said “Untreated dental issues create significant health, societal and economic challenges for thousands of individuals that are missing teeth. We are grateful for partners like Carestream Dental whose generosity is helping us to provide services that will be life-changing for many in our community."

What started as an idea in 2018 has come to fruition as a 5,000 sq. ft. facility that saw its grand opening in late summer 2021. But as with any new clinic, especially a non-profit one, the need for state-of-the-art equipment was top of mind.

Carestream Dental met that need with a donation of a CS 9600 CBCT system, a CS 3700 intraoral scanner and CS ScanFlow software, RVG 6200 sensors and a CS 2400P portable generator. From the first exam when digital bitewings are needed to understand the initial clinical situation to handling the most complicated cases requiring 3D imaging or implant planning, this technology is designed to seamlessly work together to cover the full spectrum of care. Practitioners can make more confident diagnoses and patients see better outcomes sooner.

“Part of Carestream Dental’s mission is ‘Changing Lives,’ so Local Start Dental’s mission really resonated with us,” Jeremy Thomas, general manager of the Americas region, Carestream Dental, said. “As they so rightly point out, society can be prejudiced against edentulous adults, so replacing a tooth isn’t just about giving someone their smile back — it’s giving them their lives back. And if it also means dental students are getting the experience they need, then all the better!”

Local Start Dental features ten operatories, four staffed by faculty-supervised students and six overseen by local volunteer licensed dentists. The clinic is predicted to assist 3,000 patients annually, while 160 third- and fourth-year dental students will gain valuable clinical experience.

To learn more about Local Start Dental and its unique mission, visit localstartdental.org. To learn more about Carestream Dental, or any of its innovative technology, visit carestreamdental.com.

*Bersell, C. (2017). Access to Oral Health Care: A National Crisis and Call for Reform. American Dental Hygienists' Association. 91 (1) 6-14. https://jdh.adha.org/content/91/1/6#ref-2

About Local Start Dental

Local Start Dental’s mission is to restore smiles and confidence for our underserved neighbors while advancing the clinical skills of dental professionals. Local Start Dental will be a state-of-the-art dental treatment and training center focused on high-quality tooth replacement services for veterans, the elderly, and low-income adults throughout the Triangle, and eventually, across North Carolina. Learn more at localstartdental.org.

About Carestream Dental

Carestream Dental is committed to transforming dentistry, simplifying technology and changing lives. In this pursuit, we focus on providing the latest in high-quality scanning technology, the smartest chairside systems, the most intuitive practice management software, incredibly accurate imaging software and the data intelligence that helps continually refine patient outcomes. And we offer these solutions for the full range of dental and oral health professionals. For more information, visit carestreamdental.com. 

Fast, accurate, and esthetic: this is how digital dentistry can be described in just one visit. And it is becoming increasingly popular. Dentsply Sirona is excited to announce our latest step in helping dentists achieve their digital dentistry clinical and practice goals – the launch of a truly esthetic, high-strength zirconia CAD/CAM block in a bold new partnership with VITA Zahnfabrik. CEREC MTL Zirconia will launch at DS World in Las Vegas and brings together a high level of esthetics and ease of processing alongside the strength familiar with zirconium oxide in a multilayer graduated zirconium oxide block. The new material will be available from September 2021.

Dentsply Sirona has helped shape the world of digital dentistry with innovation across multiple imaging and software platforms. This effort has continually sought to respond to the voice of our customers and deliver the tools clinicians need and want to be successful. Specifically, in the CEREC workflow where patients require a restoration, dentists are faced with an important question: Which material fits best in terms of strength, esthetics, and processing simplicity? Until now, material selection has been limited, particularly in delivering across all three of these vital performance areas. Less than one year ago Dentsply Sirona began to shift the conversation from compromise to delivering on what is required with the release of CEREC Tessera. CEREC MTL Zirconia continues this conversation, particularly for posterior restorations where zirconia blocks have been critical to success.

CEREC MTL Zirconia is a zirconium oxide enriched with yttrium oxide that leaves virtually nothing to be desired. A key factor in the material developed and produced by VITA Zahnfabrik is the special color technology consisting of a multilayer color gradient. This MTL (multi transitional layer) technology, in combination with high translucency, results in very natural esthetics without compromising on strength. This property turns CEREC MTL Zirconia into genuine innovation and an excellent choice for bridges and crowns as well as for inlays, onlays, and veneers.

While this color transition visibly improves the esthetics, the 3-point flexural strength of more than 850 MPa helps ensure very high strength. This enables minimally invasive crown preparation with a wall thickness as low as 0.6 mm. This strength and wall thickness allows for ideal anatomically designed posterior restorations and gives clinicians more flexibility in the CEREC workflow.

Chairside supply with simple and fast workflow

And one of the best parts: Processing is fast and easy. After scanning with CEREC Primescan, which is now twice as fast with the upgrade to CEREC SW 5.2 and creating a finished restoration in five clicks, a crown made of CEREC MTL Zirconia can be milled out in as little as five minutes in the Super Fast mode of CEREC Primemill. Subsequent sintering in CEREC SpeedFire takes around 18-21 minutes, and the optional glaze firing can be completed after just nine minutes [1]. With conventional cementation as the finishing step, CEREC MTL Zirconia will quickly become the CAD/CAM block of choice for posterior restorations.

The first users of CEREC MTL Zirconia expressed great satisfaction with the new material and praised above all the uncompromising path to remarkable esthetics. "It is very rare for a material and workflow to come along that changes the way you practice. There are things that make you more efficient, but the advent of chairside esthetic zirconia has changed the way I do things in my office” reports Dr. Mike Skramstad from Orono (MN). “CEREC MTL is the pinnacle of what I am looking for in a chairside zirconia. High strength, esthetic, cementable, and low minimal thickness design not only make the execution of the restoration easy, but the efficiency, fit, and workflow has simply changed everything for me."

Comprehensive materials portfolio for CEREC restorations

Dentsply Sirona's block portfolio for CEREC restorations includes glass-ceramics (CEREC Tessera) as well as various zirconium oxide blocks (CEREC Zirconia+) and is now completed by a true multi-talent for restoring teeth in different regions of the mouth.

"With CEREC MTL Zirconia, we are rounding off our CAD/CAM block portfolio of glass-ceramic and zirconia blocks with an esthetic zirconium oxide," explains Mathias Kraus, Vice President Restorative Marketing/Single-Unit Crown at Dentsply Sirona. "In this way, the highest demands of patients in terms of strength and esthetics can be met simultaneously."

CEREC MTL Zirconia is the result of a collaboration between VITA and Dentsply Sirona. "With this innovation, we have succeeded in ideally combining the requirements for maximum esthetics, ease of processing, and familiar strength," explains Bernd Schnakenberg, Head of Global Sales & Marketing at VITA.

While VITA is the designer and producer of this new MTL zirconium oxide block, Dentsply Sirona with Degudent GmbH, Hanau, will be responsible for the exclusive global distribution.

Further information on CEREC MTL Zirconia can be found on the website:https://www.dentsplysirona.com/en/explore/restorative/cerec-mtl-zirconia.html

Learn more about CEREC MTL Zirconia and connect with dental industry professionals at Dentsply Sirona World 2021

This year will also have a virtual registration option to access the event virtually, as well as an option to live stream the daily general sessions for free to maximize the opportunities to reconnect.

Clinical education is paramount to empowering dental professionals to provide the best possible care to their patients, and our extended program will combine product demonstrations and experiences from experts from all over the world. Dentsply Sirona World 2021 is the ultimate dental experience, offering engaging and dynamic speakers, educational sessions, networking opportunities, health and wellness sessions and educational webinars and more.

Don’t have time to make your choice of sessions live? Not to worry: those attending virtually who are registered for the CE programming ticket can also continue to access the courses on-demand and earn CE credit using the DS World app and DS Academy platform through October 31.

Interested in joining the health and wellness sessions? Virtual participants can take part in those to and complement their educational training. Dentsply Sirona is even making it possible to engage with others and network through the event’s virtual platform.

Join thousands of dental industry colleagues and register for DS World 2021 today:www.dentsplysirona.com/dsworld

[1] Internal data from Dentsply Sirona

Colorado was one of the states that chose to expand Medicaid adult dental benefits under the Affordable Care Act. As of 2014, adults members could receive up to $1,000 annually toward the cost of dental services. In 2019, the cap was raised to $1,500. The new benefit covered procedures such as dental exams, crowns, partial dentures, and root canals.

A new report from CareQuest Institute for Oral Health describes a study of the impact of Medicaid expansion in Colorado, focused on one safety-net provider. Key findings include:

After expansion, the total number of adult Medicaid patients seen at the site increased by almost 350%.

Between 2013 and 2016, the site saw a 51% increase in tooth-saving procedures (e.g., restoration, endodontic and periodontal treatments) and a 22% decrease in extractions.

Tooth-saving procedures increased in all ethnicities and all ages above 21 years.

Overall, in Colorado, the dental community has embraced the adult Medicaid benefit, which has improved the oral health of patients who previously lacked adequate access to care.

Read the full report here

Launca Medical, a leading provider of innovative scanning solutions in digital dentistry, today announced its participation at the International Dental Show (IDS) 2021, the largest global trade fair for the dental industry. Launca will showcase its latest innovations, the DL-206 intraoral scanner at booth P-018 in hall 10.2. The event will be held on September 22-25, 2021 in Cologne, Germany.

As the latest addition to Launca DL-200 series, Launca DL-206 is a powder-free intraoral scanner with an ergonomic design, light weight, and fast scan speed, which ensures a comfortable scanning experience for both dental practitioners and patients, and delivers superior treatment outcomes.

With Launca's proprietary 3D scanning technology, DL-206 can quickly tackle down complex dental cases with enhanced accuracy and real-time visualization. The intraoral scanner is available in both cart and portable versions, providing better flexibility to meet the needs of dental practices.

Launca Medical is a fast-growing company in the dental field, winning two awards at the 2021 HCA Medtech Awards - Dentistry Solution Initiative of the Year and Digital Innovation of the Year. With its award-winning DL-206 intraoral scanner, Launca Medical has become a key player in the market and now it is one of the highly anticipated exhibitors in the industry at IDS 2021.

"We are delighted to see that the industry is now getting back to in-person events," said Dr. Jian Lu, Founder & CEO of Launca Medical. "IDS is a key platform for us to connect with dental professionals and showcase the latest digital solutions we are making to help dental practices achieve a smooth and efficient digital transition."

Launca representatives will be available at Hall 10.2 Stand P-018 for one-on-one meetings and product demos throughout the event. Visitors can also access Launca Medical digitally through IDSconnect.

For more information, please visit www.launcadental.com and follow Launca Medical on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Vieworks, a global leader in the X-ray imaging industry, presents its complete dental detector lineups at the International Dental Show (IDS) 2021 (hall 11.2 P/R 28/29) from 22 to 25 September. IDS is the world's biggest trade fair for dentistry and dental technology, which takes place in Cologne, Germany every two years. More than 160,000 visitors from 64 countries visited IDS 2019.

At IDS, Vieworks will present its two dental detector series: VIVIX-D series, dynamic flat panel detectors, and VIVIX-C series, CMOS line sensor detectors. VIVIX-D series is a perfect solution for all-in-one dental CBCT and panoramic imaging. It is offered with both a-Si technology and IGZO technology, the latest TFT panel which has been emerging as a core technology in the dental field. VIVIX-C series is Vieworks' latest series which employs CMOS line sensor for high-precision panoramic imaging.

In the end, based on the novel technology from Vieworks, dentists can enhance their daily workflow and provide high-quality patient care. In addition, Vieworks' network all around the world offers immediate customer service on time.

"Debuting VIVIX-D series based on a-Si TFT technology in IDS 2019 was a huge success. This year, we are excited to introduce our new X-ray detectors employing IGZO technology and launch VIVIX-C series with CMOS line sensor technology." Jinwoo Nam, senior sales manager, explains about Vieworks' complete dental X-ray detector lineups to be presented this year. "We will take this as an opportunity to present Vieworks' unmatched imaging solutions and secure new customers around the world."

VIVIX-D series with IGZO TFT

For dental CBCT and panoramic imaging

Available in 3 sizes (10 * 17 cm, 17 * 17 cm, and 17 * 24 cm)

Supreme image quality with high resolution and SNR, and low image lag

Enhanced workflow with reliable image acquisition and transfer powered by Safe™

VIVIX-C series with CMOS line sensor

For dental panoramic imaging

Available in 2 sizes (15 * 1 cm and 23 * 1 cm)

Sharp panoramic image quality even at a lower dose

Enhanced user convenience with onboard image correction and simple SDK API

About Vieworks Co., Ltd.

Vieworks debuted its dental detectors based on its established imaging technology with over 20 years of experience in the X-ray imaging field. Since its debut, Vieworks' dental detectors quickly gained market recognition for their superior image quality and stable operation. As a global leader in digital imaging in various applications from medical X-ray imaging to industrial X-ray inspection, Vieworks offers the most advanced flat panel detectors and software as a solution to the world.

For more information, please visit xrayimaging.vieworks.com 

A new worldwide consumer oral health awareness survey across 15 countries has revealed an amazing snapshot of oral health, habits, concerns and desires across the globe.

In the largest survey of its kind totalling 15,000 respondents, findings range from the countries best at brushing teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, to the top worst dental habits and most common dental issues.

The inaugural 2021 Global Healthy Thinking Report by international oral healthcare company, Sunstar, with brands including GUM, Butler and Ora2, also provides insight into which countries have seen the worst oral health impact during the pandemic, which countries are looking after their teeth best, and those who have the best smile satisfaction.

Worldwide findings include:

Most and least oral health issues – Thailand has the most and worst problems with oral health, just 1 in ten have no problems and just 5% are happy with their teeth. The UK ranked the highest, 40%, for not having any problems with their teeth.

Worst habits you would like to give up – Germany and Spain ranked equally the highest at 27% for smoking as the worst habit harmful to their dental health. 22% of Italians, Indonesians and Brazilians said drinking coffee, tea and staining drinks was their worst habit, while China ranks highest for sweets as their worst habit, 31%.

Most forgetful toothbrushers – Indonesians were the most forgetful at brushing their teeth, 45%, while Brazil ranked next highest at 40%. 33% of Italians, Argentinians and Britons said they never forget to brush their teeth. Germans forget the least, 20%.

Best for cleaning between teeth – China leads the way on cleaning between teeth at 21%, followed by Italy, 20% and Spain 18%. Indonesia ranked the lowest at just 7% for those who use an interdental cleaner, electric airflosser or floss.

Smile satisfaction – People in the Netherlands are the happiest with their teeth, and 18% would not want any cosmetic treatment to improve their smile. While just 5% of Thai, Spanish, Italians and Brazilians said they would not choose one cosmetic smile treatment. The US was one of the lowest, only 7% said they would not want any cosmetic treatment and are happy with their teeth.

Understanding of the mouth/body link – 76% of Argentinians understood smoking affected dental health, while just 39% of Singaporeans understood the mouth/body link. While the Japanese have the best understanding that dental health can also affect life expectancy, 38%, just 12% of British do.

Which countries reported most bad breath? Asian countries reported bad breath when describing their oral health more commonly than elsewhere in the world, with the worst in Japan, 34%. Brazil reported the least, just 8%. In Europe, bad breath is most common in Italy, 15% and least in the UK, 10%.

Which countries have seen the worst oral health impact during the pandemic? Argentinians have missed the most dental appointments during the pandemic, 44%. Just 12% of Japan have missed dental appointments, the lowest worldwide. Americans said they have experienced more tooth sensitivity during the pandemic, 25%. Indonesians ranked highest, 45%, for choosing to now clean their teeth more regularly as a result, followed by China at 38%.

Martijn Verhulst, Medical Liaison Manager, Sunstar Scientific Affairs, said about the survey findings: “We are proud to have conducted this largest survey of its kind to further our knowledge into consumer oral health.

“Positive findings included the numbers of people worldwide who are keeping their mouth healthy and fresh by brushing their teeth twice a day, using fluoride toothpaste and tongue brushing.

“But there did seem to be less understanding globally of the overall mouth/health link and the impact oral health has on your overall well-being, or how habits like smoking can impact your oral health. While this link is better known in Japan, for example at Sunstar we say “100 years mouth, 100 years health”, there does seem to be a need for greater understanding of this connection.

“We strongly advise that consumers get their teeth checked twice a year by a qualified professional to assess their oral health and any dental decay or gum disease. Regular dental checks are also important for identifying any issues early and before they can cause wider harm. A reputable dentist is also likely to spot signs of other medical conditions such as oral cancer or even diabetes if they can monitor your oral health frequently.”

A copy of the 2021 Sunstar Global Healthy Thinking report containing all the survey findings and analysis can be downloaded here https://www.sunstar.com/healthy-thinking-report/oral-survey-2021/.