Dental Tribune South Asia No. 10, 2022

New Zealand researchers conduct successful trial of needle-free dental anaesthesia / News / Interview: OSSTEM Implant: “Our aim is to become a total service provider” / News

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DENTALTRIBUNE
The World’s Dental Newspaper · South Asia Edition

Published in India

www.dental-tribune.com

Antibiotic overuse

ULab Systems

Doctors should
confirm penicillin
allergy claims to
prevent antibiotic
overuse in
dentistry

Clear aligner
company uLab
Systems included
in list of fastestgrowing US
companies

” Page 2

10/22

OSSTEM Implant

Blizz tools

OSSTEM Implant:
“Our aim is to
become a total
service provider”
” Page 4

“Our tools make so
much sense for
anyone who has
teeth”
” Page 5

” Page 7

New Zealand researchers
conduct successful trial of
needle-free dental anaesthesia

Though dental anaesthesia is traditionally delivered with a needle, a new device developed and trialled by researchers in New Zealand provides needle-free anaesthesia delivery.
(Image: hedgehog94/Shutterstock)

By Brendan Day,
Dental Tribune International
DUNEDIN, New Zealand:
Dental anxiety continues to
be a significant impediment
to patients receiving dental
care, and minimally invasive
approaches have grown in
popularity. A new collaboration
between researchers from the
University of Otago, University
of Auckland and the Auckland
University of Technology in
New Zealand has resulted in
the trial of a device that delivers
dental anaesthesia without the
use of a needle, and the results
have been promising.

The proof-of-principle study
included eight participants who
each required bilateral maxillary
tooth extractions as part of their
treatment plan. Their respective
levels of anxiety and discomfort
were recorded before receiving
anaesthesia via the needlefree device and through the
traditional approach. According
to study co-author Prof. Andrew
Taberner of the Auckland
Bioengineering Institute at the
University of Auckland, the
device, which is driven by a silent
motor, is unique in that it has
been designed specifically for
use in dentistry and not adapted
from any other medical purpose.

“All other dental jet injectors
use springs or compressed gas to
power the injection; these have the
drawback of noise, and impact,
when the drug is delivered,”
Prof. Taberner commented in a
press release. “Moreover, this
study was the first time I have
seen anyone jet-inject through a
slender wand that is a bit like a
three-in-one tool, and can easily
be introduced into the back of the
mouth.”
After the extractions had
been conducted, all patients
expressed their preference for the
needle-free anaesthesia delivery,
and six of the eight participants
stated that their extractions with

this device had been free of pain.
The remaining two participants
required additional anaesthesia
delivered through traditional
methods. Over the following
seven days, healing and gingival
tissue response at the extraction
sites was evaluated and deemed
to be uneventful regardless of
the technique used.
Prof. Paul Brunton, lead
author of the study and provice-chancellor of the Division
of Health Sciences at University
of Otago, highlighted that dental
anxiety remains a significant
barrier for accessing dental care
and that a common cause of fear

is “the sight of a needle during
local anaesthetic delivery”.
“Even though this was just
a proof of concept trial, this
device certainly could reduce or
eliminate anxiety due to needle
phobia,” he added.
Given the small size and
limited scope of the study,
clinical trials will be needed to
validate the needle-free device’s
efficacy and confirm whether or
not it could be used during other
dental procedures.
The study, titled “Jet injection
needle-free dental anaesthesia:
Initial findings”, was published
in the July 2022 issue of the
Journal of Dentistry.

[2] =>

2

News

10/22

Doctors should confirm penicillin
allergy claims to prevent antibiotic
overuse in dentistry
By Anisha Hall Hoppe,
Dental Tribune International

STOCKHOLM,
Sweden:
Antibiotic resistance as a
result of overprescription is
a topic of great concern for
researchers and activists across
all specialties within medicine,
dentistry not excluded. Dr
Bodil Lund, professor of oral
and maxillofacial surgery and
head of the Department of
Dental Medicine at Karolinska
Institutet in Sweden is a
supporter of rational antibiotic
therapy in dentistry.
“Penicillin works very well
on dental infections. However,
about 10% of patients tell their
dentist that they’re allergic to
penicillin, even though only
about 1% of the population
actually is. The allergic patients
are given clindamycin, which is
a broad-spectrum antibiotic. I
usually urge dentists here to ask
their patients to get checked out

by a doctor,” said Prof. Lund in
an interview conducted by the
Karolinska Institutet.
Prof. Lund cited examples
from Sweden where there has
been a 30% drop in the number of
prescriptions written by Swedish
dentists since 2007. However,
there are still stark differences
in the number of antibiotic
prescriptions
in
different
regions, and there is a greater
reduction in prescriptions in
public dental care than there is
in the private sector.
Dentists the world over have
initiated antibiotic education
campaigns in recent years. In the
UK, a number of organisations,
including the British Dental
Association, the College of
General Dentistry and the
Association of Clinical Oral
Microbiologists, have joined
forces to encourage dental
professionals and patients to
remember the simple message

that “Antibiotics do not cure
toothache”. In addition, recent
studies have indicated that
antibiotic prophylaxis may not
prevent postoperative infections.
According a 2020 study
published in the British Dental
Journal, even prior to the
pandemic, 80% of the antibiotics
prescribed by dentists in the
UK and the US resulted in
unnecessary antibiotic use that
was not in accordance with
general guidelines.
Meanwhile,
in
Sweden,
Prof. Lund is pushing for
more education and research
into antibiotic overuse. She
co-authored a recent study
that indicated that the risk of
endocarditis is not heightened
with
reduced
antibiotic
administration.
The
study
found no significant indications
of increased morbidity in
patients at high risk of infective
endocarditis after Sweden’s

According to Dr Bodil Lund, about 10% of patients tell their dentist
that they’re allergic to penicillin, even though only about 1% of the
population actually is. (Image: rSnapshotPhotos/Shutterstock)

move to reduce antibiotic use—a
move meant to reduce antibiotic
resistance and borne of a lack of
evidence of its necessity.
“Treating infections ‘just to
be on the safe side’ is a thing
of the past,” commented Prof.
Lund on the troubling trend.
“Broad-spectrum antibiotics also
need to be used less,” she added.

Lund and her colleagues at
Karolinska Institutet are striving
to understand where knowledge
is lacking within dentistry in
order to best respond to the
large number of unnecessary
prescriptions.

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[3] =>

News

10/22

Is there still a scientific literature?
towards conscious choices to
prevent experimentation on
unsuspecting
patients
who
honour us with their trust—a
trust which should never be
betrayed.

By Dr. Mauro Labanca
Many years ago, Prof.
Pierluigi Sapelli, having to
organise a meeting on evidencebased dentistry, “forced” me to
give a talk on the subject. This
led me to study in a frenzied way
in order to better understand
what goes behind a scientific
publication and to familiarise
myself with words that at the
time were almost unknown
to those who were not “super
experts”. Thereafter, I better
understood
the
difference
between personal opinions,
published here and there, and
serious research, multicentre
studies, reviews, and metaanalyses.
Those were the days of indepth research, the days when
the same implant remained on
the market for years without

Editorial note: This article was
published in the Italian edition of
implants—international magazine
of oral implantology vol. 2, issue
2/2022.

Author:
According to Dr Mauro Labanca, today’s scientific research is caught in a “vicious circle”. (Image: M-SUR/
Shutterstock)

significant changes and the
follow-up lasted for several years.
Then, as now, I used to
try to explain to those who
attended my conferences how

to read the documentation that
accompanied new products put
on the market. I am now forced
to notice that the situation is
taking a worrying, and perhaps
Ad

dramatic, turn. This is certainly
true for all sectors and in all
countries, but our profession,
dentistry, a profession where
most are freelancers, is paying
the price in an amplified manner
for this increasingly emerging
phenomenon.
Understanding the dramatic
vicious circle is quite simple:
research about a product or
procedure, well-conducted and
with intellectual honesty on the
part of researchers, requires a
great deal of time and energy
and, ultimately, a financial
investment. When there is a
potential risk of the results being
unfavourable to what has been
studied, who then wants to spend
money on verifying the scientific
validity of a protocol or a material
that will perhaps be modified
owing to market requirements
within a short time? Moreover,
it is very often enough to comply
with CE regulations, which
certify that a product has met EU
health, safety and environmental
requirements, in order to market
a new product. This says nothing
about its efficacy or real intended
use, and, therefore, supposedly
therapeutic products can be
proposed to us without any
kind of scientific support or
research behind them. There
can sometimes be laughable
documentation which refers to
general concepts and not to the
product in question.
Unfortunately,
all
this
sometimes occurs with the guilty
silence of a plethora of scientific
societies that all too often talk
about the highest systems
instead of making themselves,
as would be good and desirable,
guarantors of the scientific
nature of products and protocols.
Mala tempora currunt [These are
bad times], and it only remains
for us to hope that an individual
capacity for criticism will be
able to guide young colleagues

Dr. Mauro Labanca

In 1986 Mauro Labanca
earned his Medical Doctor
degree from the University of
Milan, where he also qualified
in dentistry and general surgery.
He has practiced oral surgery
and Implantology since 1992 in
his private dental office located
in Milan city center, Italy. He is
an international speaker and key
opinion leader for many leading
dental companies.
He is the regent of the
International College of Dentists
(ICD) Italian section, registrar
of the European Board and
International Councilor.
He is co-author of the atlas
“Anatomy and Surgery in
Dentistry” (Elsevier-Masson), the
book “Clinical Neurochemical
and Experimental Aspects of
Orofacial Pain in Dentistry” and
the DVD “The Dental Anatomy
and Surgery in a Daily Practice”.
He is the author of the DVD
“Sutures in Dentistry: Materials
and
Knotting
Techniques”
(second edition) as well as several
scientific articles published in
impacted reviews. He is the
author of the book “Clinical and
Anatomical Basis of everyday
Dental surgery” (Quintessence).
Director of the course of
“Anatomical
surgery
with
Cadaver lab” at the Institute of
Anatomy at the University of
Wien, Austria and Institute of
Anatomy at the University of
Brescia, Italy since 2001 up to
now.
Consultant
Professor
of
Anatomy in the Department of
Medicine at the University of
Brescia, Italy.

[4] =>

News

10/22

Clear aligner company
uLab Systems included in
list of fastest-growing US
companies

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OFFICER
Torsten R. OEMUS
CHIEF CONTENT OFFICER
Claudia DUSCHEK
DENTAL TRIBUNE SOUTH ASIA
EDITION
PUBLISHER
Ruumi J. DARUWALLA
CHIEF EDITOR
Dr. Meera VERMA
CLINICAL EDITOR
Dr. Dilip DESHPANDE
RESEARCH EDITOR
Dr. Shobha DESHPANDE
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
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EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Dr. Rajeev CHITGUPPI
ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE EDITOR
Dr. Amisha PAREKH
DESIGNER
Anil LAHANE
PRINTER
Mehernosh & Burzin MISTRY
Ampersand, Mumbai, India
Material from Dental Tribune
International GmbH that has been
reprinted or translated and reprinted
in this issue is copyrighted by Dental
Tribune International GmbH. Such
material must be published with
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International GmbH. Dental Tribune
is a trademark of Dental Tribune
International GmbH.

ULab Systems was founded in Memphis in 2015 and has treated more than 600,000 clear aligner cases. (Image: Zanozdrii/Shutterstock)

By Jeremy Booth,
Dental Tribune International
MEMPHIS, Tenn., US: The
young orthodontic company
uLab
Systems
has
been
recognised as one of the fastestgrowing private enterprises in
the US for 2022. The accolade
adds to a sense of gathering
momentum at the company at
a time when competition in the
clear aligner segment is heating
up and when orthodontics—
and dentistry as a whole—is
being recognised as a growth
industry at a time of economic
tribulation.
The Inc. 5000 list compiles
rankings of privately held US
companies from all industries.
The underlying criterion for
inclusion is the speed of overall
company growth, and as such,
the list typically includes
young ventures and start-ups
that present opportunities for
investment.
ULab Systems was the only
orthodontic company to be
ranked in the list for 2022 and
was recognised for the staggering

832% growth rate that it recorded
between 2018 and 2021. Its
ranking of 764th among the 5,000
companies saw it placed within
the top 20% and 12th among
health product companies.

The companies included
in this year’s list had a median
growth rate of 230% and a total
revenue of US$317.8 billion and
694 of them were newly founded
start-up enterprises.

Amir Abolfathi, CEO and cofounder of uLab Systems, said in a
press release: “We are proud that
our goal to provide innovative
products for orthodontists has
enabled our rapid growth and
placement on this prestigious
list of companies.” Abolfathi
pointed towards the company’s
recent product launches of the
uDesign 7 digital treatment
planning software and the
uAssist service, as well as
towards its expansion into the
Australasian market, as evidence
of uLab’s commitment to the
global aligner and orthodontics
markets.

This week, uLab Systems
announced the appointment
of Jeffrey Lord as senior vice
president of sales for the North
America region, and Abolfathi
commented that Lord’s 29 years
of leadership experience would
help the company to gain market
share in the competitive clear
aligner segment.

Scott
Omelianuk,
Inc.
Magazine’s
editor-in-chief,
commented that the challenges
present in the current economic
environment meant that being
included in the list was especially
significant.

ULab was founded in 2015,
and it manufactures the uSmile
clear aligner trays in Memphis
and recycles over 80% of its
mould materials. At the time of
writing, uLab had treated more
than 600,000 clear aligner cases.
It recently launched uAssist, a
treatment planning assistance
service that it says provides
clinicians with flexibility in the
planning of clear aligner therapy.
The company’s clear aligner
system and software products
are available to dental clinics in

the US, Canada, Australia and
New Zealand.
Editor’s note:
Some relevant points from a
September 2022 article in Dental
Tribune South Asia that covered
the growing market of clear
aligners:
Patients prefer clear aligners
to fixed appliances and wires
primarily becaus e of the greater
comfort offered, the aesthetic
appearance of the trays, and the
fact that patients can remove
them before eating. Dentistryled clear aligner treatment and
treatment with fixed appliances
incur a high cost to the patient;
however, an increasing number
of less expensive alternatives
now exist on the market. In
August 2020, Dentsply Sirona,
one of the most prominent names
in orthodontics, announced that
it was exiting the traditional
orthodontics business. This was
an indication of the decline in the
popularity of fixed appliances
and wire treatment in favor of
clear aligners.
Ref: Global clear aligner market:
The stars are aligned
By Dr Kamran Zamanian
Dental Tribune South Asia, Sept
2022

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[5] =>

Interview

10/22

OSSTEM Implant: “Our aim is to
become a total service provider”
live surgical demonstration, and
it has helped dentists throughout
South Korea to competently
perform implant surgery.
We recruited dentists as
faculty members to lecture on
implant-related topics, and we
built an education centre where
dentists could complete their
training. Osstem Implant’s active
promotion of the clinical implant
training programme has been
a decisive factor contributing
to the widespread use of dental
implants in South Korea. Today,
85% of all dentists in the country
can perform implant surgery,
meaning that it is no longer a
special category of treatment
that is performed only by oral
surgeons. As a result, South
Korea has a high ranking in the
number of patients receiving
implant surgery per 100,000
inhabitants.
Dr Kyoo-Ok Choi is the founder of South Korean dental implant manufacturers Osstem Implant. (Image: Osstem Implant)

By Dental Tribune International
South Korea has one of
highest rates in the world of the
number of patients receiving
implant surgery per 100,000
inhabitants, and Dr Kyoo-Ok
Choi has played a significant role
in developing implant dentistry
in South Korea and around

the world. As an experienced
dentist and the founder of
Osstem Implant, Dr Choi
says that increasing training
opportunities for dentists and
keeping
prices
reasonable
are keys to broadening the
reach of implant treatment. Dr
Choi spoke to Dental Tribune
International about dentistry,

the implant business and
Osstem Implant’s plans for the
future.
Dr Choi, does being a
dentist change your approach
to customer relations?
As a dentist and the founder
of Osstem Implant, I understand
better than anyone else the
difficulties that dentists face. I
think that this is the greatest factor
differentiating our company
from others—our understanding
and consideration of the needs of
dentists.
All dentists want to have good
results. We provide excellent

Dr Kyoo-Ok Choi is at the helm of one of the fastest growing implant
companies in the world. (Image: Osstem Implant)

products, including implants
and a series of related products
and services, and we do this to
the best of our ability so that
dental professionals can achieve
good treatment outcomes. We
also provide educational training
to improve dentists’ clinical
competency in implant therapy,
and this is our top priority.
Since the late 1990s, I have
performed
dental
implant
surgery and developed the
curriculum of a clinical training
course that aims to promote the
advantages of implant treatment.
The ten-day, 80-hour clinical
training programme includes a

Osstem Implant’s training
course curriculum has now been
expanded to a 24-day programme
having three parts: basic,
surgery and prosthodontic. This
programme, known as the Master
Course, was officially launched
in 2018 under the slogan “D.I.Y
(do implant yourself)” and is
now being offered by 30 overseas
branches in 26 countries.
Another
factor
that
differentiates Osstem Implants
is the company’s variety of
products. Every person has a
unique oral environment, and
supplying only a few products to
the market can lead to difficulties
in selecting what is required for
an individual case. Therefore,

In October, the Osstem-Hiossen Meeting in Europe will take place in Rome in Italy. (Image: Osstem
Implant)

[6] =>

News

Osstem Implant has diversified
its product line-up to better suit
each clinical case.
Osstem Implant’s value for
money is impressive. Do you
consider yourself a supplier of
value implants?
That is true. However, to be
more precise, Osstem products
meet both premium and value
criteria. The product quality
is premium, but the price is
comparable with prices in the
value category. We believe
that Osstem Implant supplies
the highest quality products
at the best price. Osstem
Implant’s wide-ranging clinical
applications,
osseointegration
performance, long-term stability
and excellent clinical cases are
comparable with—if not superior
to—any other implant product
in the world. Nevertheless,
we set the prices low so that
customer accessibility can be
maximised. As the number of
implant patients and dentists’
incomes have fallen around the
world owing to the pandemic,
more dentists have sought costeffective solutions, and our sales
have increased.
There is no doubt that a
dental implant is the most ideal
treatment option for missing
teeth. However, there are still
not many patients who opt to
receive implant treatment, and
the implant uptake rate around
the world is lower than you
would expect. The two reasons
for this are that the proportion
of dentists who can perform
implant surgery remains low and
the average cost of the treatment
is a burden. Our solution to these
problems is to actively offer
clinical education and to keep
the price of implant materials
low, thereby broadening the
expertise of dentists to include
implant surgery and supplying
the most cost-effective products
on the market.
What are some of the specific
characteristics
of
dentists
in Europe, and how do they
influence your business on the
continent?
I think that dentists in Europe
highly value academic research
and proven data. They tend to
adopt a product only when there
is scientifically and clinically
proven data. We do have data,
mainly from South Korea and
the US; however, that has not
proved to be sufficient. We have,
therefore, been expanding our
research projects in Europe
with the help of our local key
opinion leaders, and we have
furthered our collaboration with
European academic institutes
and universities.

10/22

Moreover,
considering
that awareness of our brand
is relatively low in Europe
compared with the rest of
the world, we are working
to strengthen our marketing
activities with the help of our
media partners.

After a three-year break, our
European academic symposium,
the Osstem-Hiossen Meeting,
will take place in late October this
year in Rome in Italy, and next
year, it will be held in London in
the UK. I am looking forward to
meeting you in Rome!

Training and education are
key topics for dentists working
in Europe. What does Osstem
offer in this regard?
The number of implantations
in Europe is high but not as high
as in South Korea. There are
dentists who want to perform
implant surgery but apparently
lack the necessary training. We
would like to help all dentists
in Europe to be able to perform
implant surgery.

“Although Osstem
Implant is widely
known as an implants
manufacturer, we will
ultimately supply
software—the driving
force behind digital
dentistry”

To this end, Osstem’s
clinical training programme
concentrates on both theory
and practice, with a particular
focus on practical training. The
goal is that dentists can apply
their newly gained knowledge
in the clinic. Together with our
46 partners and subsidiaries
in 29 European countries, we
provide local clinical training
courses to dentists in all parts
of the continent, and our course
schedule can easily be found on
our website.
Our goal is to introduce the
full Master Course, which I
already mentioned, in Europe.
Currently, modified versions of
the programme are already being
offered in Italy and Hungary.
For those dentists in Europe
who are unable to attend inperson courses, we continue to

Osstem offers more than
implants. Do you believe that
the future will involve total
solutions as workflows, rather
than individual implants?
Yes.
Although
Osstem
Implant is widely known as an
implants manufacturer, we will
ultimately supply software—
the driving force behind digital
dentistry. We will also supply
input equipment, such as CBCT
units and scanners, and output
equipment, such as milling
machines and 3D printers. In
this way, we will assist dentists
in providing better care to their
patients with the help of digital
dentistry.
Regarding our dental unit
chair, which is already available
on the European market, we
will continue to offer prompt
technical support and the timely
supply of related equipment
and parts so that there is no
inconvenience to our customers.

well as the CAD software needed
for designing dental treatment
devices
such
as
surgical
guides, dental prostheses and
orthodontic appliances.
In terms of hardware, we
will build a worldwide service
network that provides the fastest
possible shipment of medical
equipment so that there is no
forced downtime at dental
clinics.
Of particular note is our
intention to provide a total
solution of interior services to
dental offices. Considering our
wide knowledge of the needs
of dentists and their clinics, we
will provide design and floorplan services that guarantee
quality and short construction
periods. If problems occur, we
will provide our services as
quickly as possible so that there
is no effect on clinical operations.
Ultimately, our aim is to become
a total service provider.
Lastly, can you tell us about
the very latest dental implant
products in your portfolio?
Numerous products have
been developed recently, and
we are especially proud of our
successful development of the
BA implant surface treatment
using
the
bio-absorbable
material hydroxyapatite, the SOI
surface treatment and the KS
implant, which features a new
connection. As for a new guided
bone regeneration (GBR) product,
we are excited about TissueMax,
which has been in development
for four years.
Let me give you some
more information about these

In May, Osstem Europe introduced a next-generation implant system, the Key Solution (KS) implant in
Europe. (Osstem Implant)

offer online educational content
together with our European key
opinion leaders. This has been
provided on a monthly basis
since 2020 and is called Osstem
OnDemand.

When it comes to software,
we aim to develop and supply
patient management software
and software for medical
imaging equipment that can
diagnose the patient’s condition
and interpret diagnostic data, as

products. On the BA surface, the
hydroxyapatite
nano-coating
acts as a catalyst and increases
the initial osseointegration speed
of the implant. By promoting
platelet coagulation, blood clot
formation is accelerated and

bone formation is promoted
so that bone develops even
in
the
partially
exposed
area of the implant. Also the
osseointegration is improved
even in the area where the bone
is thin, thus increasing the
implant’s success rate.
The SOI surface, which is
coated with a surface energy
protection substance, exhibits
a performance that is similar
to that of the BA surface. The
SOI surface shortens the initial
osseointegration time by over 35%
compared with a conventional
implant surface. The BA and
SOI surfaces, which convert the
sand-blasted with alumina and
acid-etched surface (SA surface)
to hydrophilic, are applied to all
Osstem Implant products, and
both have received favourable
reviews in South Korea.
The KS Implant is a product
that has reduced the diameter of
the screw connecting the implant
and the abutment by a total of
0.4 mm—from 2.0 mm to 1.6 mm.
By reducing the screw diameter,
the thickness of the implant neck
is increased by 0.2 mm, which
significantly improves the fatigue
strength of small diameter
implants.
By
lengthening
the connection between the
abutment and the implant, the
degree of attachment between
the suprastructure and the
implant has been substantially
improved, and this, in turn, has
dramatically reduced screw
loosening and thereby also
reduced the chance of screw and
implant fracture.
Finally, TissueMax is a
product based on technology
that in 2020 featured on the
cover of Clinical Oral Implants
Research. TissueMax is the first
approved self-inflating oral
tissue expander in South Korea,
and the technology is mainly
used in orthopaedics and plastic
surgery. When TissueMax is used
in a patient who cannot receive
implant treatment owing to
gingival recession, it increases the
soft tissue of the exposed gingiva
and improves the success rate of
GBR, a procedure that facilitates
gingival augmentation.
For the information of
readers in Europe, Osstem
Europe launched the SOI line-up
at the end of 2021, the KS implant
was launched in May this year,
and TissueMax is expected to be
launched in Europe soon.

[7] =>

News

10/22

“Our tools make so much sense for
anyone who has teeth”
By Anisha Hall Hoppe,
Dental Tribune International
Toothbrushing
has
not
changed all that much over the
last century, and other than the
advent of individual flossers,
neither has flossing. Inventor
and business owner Chris
Martin decided to change all of
that by attempting to improve
his own oral hygiene habits
by designing an easier method
of getting the job done than a
standard toothbrush and floss.
His goal was to make cleaning
fool proof and save time, and in
doing so, he created two devices
that make oral hygiene a much
easier prospect for people all
over the world. Dental Tribune
International was able to
speak with Martin about the
development of his bestselling
products,
Blizzbrush
and
Blizzflosser.
Mr Martin, could you give
us some information about your
professional background?
I
studied
mechanical
engineering, computer science
and economics. During and
after my studies, I worked
for my family’s engineering
business, where we designed and
manufactured components for
the automotive industry. There
I developed virtual reality CAD
software which enabled Formula
One racing teams and the
automotive industry at large to
design, optimise, rapid prototype
and manufacture complex and
innovative vehicle components.
What was the inspiration
behind the Blizzflosser?
Throughout my life I have
suffered from dental problems,
mainly as a result of bad cleaning
habits, and I observed many
friends and relatives having
the same problems. I had many
discussions with my dentist
friends about possible new
solutions. I believed that, having
a background in engineering,

Creator of the Blizzflosser,
Chris Martin and the results of
years of development, a
Blizzflosser device.

manufacturing
and
CAD
software development, I could be
able to develop a solution.
The main problem is that
most people don’t have the
patience and discipline to brush
long enough and with the correct
techniques. According to studies,
people only brush for about 40
seconds on average instead of the
recommended 2–3 minutes and,
of course, without the correct
techniques. It is often difficult,
if not impossible, to reach every
surface and space that needs
cleaning
using
traditional
toothbrushes. Problems then
develop in those parts of the
oral cavity that cannot be easily
cleaned.
My initial idea was to create a
solution that could ensure perfect
cleaning and only took seconds.
I thought people needed an
innovative tool, tailored to their
individual mouth, that could
provide that cleaning by just
biting and grinding a little.
What was the development
process for your product like?
Were there many prototypes
and much trial and error, or did
you have a clear end product in
mind?
I had an idea of the end
product, but the journey to
achieve that was much longer
and more difficult than I had ever
anticipated. I thought I would be
able to solve the problem in half
a year, but it ultimately took ten
years of constant innovation to
create the perfect solutions we
offer today.
Regarding the Blizzbrush, the
end product I had in mind was
the customised 3D-printed brush
we developed between 2012 and
2019. But through our efforts we
also developed the sponge brush
concept that you can see and buy
now. The current Blizzbrush is a
completely different product that
cleans even better and costs less.
And even this design changed
considerably from the initial

Product creator Chris Martin
with the Blizzbrush, a spongelike brushing device that
thoroughly cleans teeth in far
less time than traditional
brushing.

The Blizzflosser is the latest creation by Chris Martin, who sought a faster way for anyone to have great
oral hygiene. (All images: Chris Martin, Blizzbrush)

version designed in 2020 to the
final version in 2022.
As for the Blizzflosser, the
first idea and the final product
are very similar, but the journey
of developing the product was
longer because we initially tried
to make it work with widely
available flosses. That lead to
designs that were difficult to
manufacture and use even
after experimenting with many
different variations and flosses.
What ended up bringing the
present product to life was
the idea to use a completely
different innovative floss design
that is actually robust, soft and
washable. Making such drastic
changes usually happens after
considerable experience, after
you have tested everything and
you are confident that you can
take bold decisions, because by
that point you have become an
expert in the field.
The development, testing and
refining processes for hardware
solutions take an enormous
amount of time as well. We
developed
many
different
designs and prototypes over the
years, and whenever we had ideas
for improvements, we developed

them. The final versions of
both the toothbrush-sponge
and the flosser are extremely
simple and efficient tools. We
are still working on optimising
manufacturing, an important
part of product development that
people don’t see.
In both the brush and the
flosser, there are several major
hidden innovations, that each
took weeks or months, sometimes
years of development time and
that people are seldom aware of.

Blizzfloss creator Chris Martin
demonstrating how to use the
device.

The Blizzbrush can easily fit in
any mouth and is
recommended for anybody
who wants to save time while
still thoroughly cleaning their
teeth.

Are there any particular
demographics you are targeting
with your product?
Our tools make so much
sense for anyone who has
teeth—not just for people with
dexterity issues. They solve the
previously mentioned patience
and discipline issues, with which
many people struggle. And even
people who are able to clean their
teeth perfectly are happy to save
time and make life easier. The
advantages these tools provide
are not only marginal or nice to
have but also make the cleaning
process automatic and reduce the
needed time to just a few seconds.

Do you have any advice for
practitioners who have an idea
for a useful dental product but
don’t know where to start in the
process of bringing it to life?
For us, it was fundamental
to have a great deal of expertise
in all the relevant fields. That
made it doable to begin with.
Otherwise, one most likely needs
to consult experts from several
different fields, for example, from
an engineering office. Before you
start the development journey
you will need to determine from
which fields you will need to
source the knowledge to create
your product.
The first idea of a product is
often far removed from the final
product, and just as often, an
enormous amount of expertise,
creativity and time is needed to
bring a product to life.
So, one piece of advice would
be that, whereas it is great to be
an expert in all aspects needed
to solve the problems, it is also
valuable to be a quick learner,
because there will be new fields
you will invariably need to tap
into as well.
More information can be found at
https://blizzbrush.com/

The Blizzbrush is an easy-to-use
alternative to traditional
brushing.

[8] =>

Amelotech
Synahealth Singapore Pte. Ltd.
16 Raffles Quay
#41-01 Hong Leong Building
Singapore 048581

LifeCare Devices Private Limited
New Jubilee Building, Office no. 1, Laxmiben Chheda Road,
Nalasopara West, Palghar 401 203. Mumbai Metropolitan Region,
Maharashtra, INDIA. | E: info@lifecare.in | Website: www.lifecare.in
| Customer Service : +91 99304 50170
| Customer Service WhatsApp : +91 99304 50169
| Management WhatsApp : +91 99304 50163/+91 99997 86275

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[cover] => Dental Tribune South Asia No. 10, 2022

[toc] => Array ( [0] => Array ( [title] => New Zealand researchers conduct successful trial of needle-free dental anaesthesia [page] => 1 ) [1] => Array ( [title] => News [page] => 2 ) [2] => Array ( [title] => Interview: OSSTEM Implant: “Our aim is to become a total service provider” [page] => 5 ) [3] => Array ( [title] => News [page] => 7 ) ) [toc_html] =>

Table of contents

[toc_titles] =>

New Zealand researchers conduct successful trial of needle-free dental anaesthesia / News / Interview: OSSTEM Implant: “Our aim is to become a total service provider” / News

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