Product Update: P&G's new formulation for toothpaste; DA invents a leafy evacuation device

A new version of Pro-Health

At the Yankee Dental Congress, Procter & Gamble introduced a new formulation for its Pro-Health toothpaste. As many dental hygienists recall, the company was challenged for using “microbeads” in Pro-Health. The challenges came from consumers and dental professionals, such as this 2014 article from NBC in 2014.

P&G diligently searched for solutions, and the new Crest Pro-Health offers consumers, according to the company, a smoother texture, more foaming action, and a “re-balanced flavor profile.”

We talked with P&G’s John Scarchilli about the changes with Pro-Health, and he offered some insights that dental hygienists can share with patients.

“We’re constantly soliciting input from dental professionals and patients about our products,” John said. “While many tell us they like Pro-Health the way it is, we hear from others who wish we could improve certain aspects, such as the gritty texture, low foam and occasional sloughing. Our new Crest Pro-Health formula resolves all three of those items we hear about from hygienists and their patients.

“So the new Pro-Health should be confidently recommended to any patient a hygienist wants to realize all the benefits—plaque, gingivitis, tartar, cavities, erosion, sensitivity, fresh breath, whitening—knowing that the usage experience will be closer to what they’d encounter with a traditional toothpaste.

“For patients with a need for advanced tartar control, we have Crest Pro-Health Advanced which uses sodium hexametaphosphate crystals as the anti-tartar agent. The new Crest Pro-Health uses a different, yet effective anti-tartar ingredient called zinc citrate.”

Ultrasonic evacuation system

When a dental assistant claims he started drawing up sketches of new dental products after a near-death experience, the statement caught our attention and prompted us to read his entire letter. Hari Reyes said he almost died in a car crash midway through his career in a dental assistant.

“Like any near death experience it prompted me to reflect on my life,” he wrote. “I began to think of my family, friends, and co-workers. Laying on my desk were drawings, designs, and product concepts.”

The designs up until then were a hobby. “I realized my true calling was to create new innovative dental products,” he said. “Working as an assistant allowed me to see the inefficiencies currently in dentistry.”

So he launched his own company, Innovative Dental Technologies. The company now markets two products. The first is ReLeaf, an ultrasonic evacuation system that provides 280 degrees of suction. The other product is LinguaGuard, a tissue retractor that connects to an HVE straw.

ReLeaf is produced with an FDA-approved polymer and is BPA-free. The company’s intent was to prevent the practitioner from worrying about suction location during a procedure. The 260-degree suctioning is around the edges, which does resemble the shape of a leaf.

Innovative Dental Technologies is based in Vancouver, WA.