If you are happy with the performance of chlorhexidine, raise your hand. Even though I can’t see my Oral Health Canada readers, I feel that not many hands are in the air. Chlorhexidine may be a traditional staple in the dental office, but that is probably because, until recently, there was no other choice. Now, there is a more effective way to address a wide variety of oral health issues – OraCare, a mouth rinse different from any of the other professional rinses on the market. Let’s compare rinses and understand why OraCare has been a stand-out product in Cellerant’s Best of Class Hygiene Award for three years.
OraCare was developed by Drs. Robert Martino, Richard Downs, and Berdj Kiladijan shared other clinicians’ frustrations about the side effects of chlorhexidine – it can only be used for a couple of weeks, can cause complications for healing tissue, and can cause staining and calculus build-up. The active ingredient in OraCare, activated chlorine dioxide, is effective in treating bad breath, periodontal disease, cancer-related oral issues, post-op healing, mouth sores, dry mouth, fungal infections, braces issues, and bleeding gums. The easy-to-use two-bottle system creates a chlorine-dioxide gas that can kill bacteria, viruses, and fungi, break up biofilm, and reduce volatile sulphur compounds.
Chlorhexidine interferes with fibroblasts, cells that are important to rebuilding connective tissue. Chlorine dioxide is a selective antimicrobial that promotes tissue response, shortens healing time, and soothes tissue, making it a wise choice after extractions, implants, or scaling/root planing. While chlorhexidine can only be used for two weeks, many procedures take more time to heal, and OraCare has no time limit.
Since dentists often see cancer patients before they start treatment, they can use this rinse to start treatment with the healthiest mouth possible and no active infection in the oral cavity. And they can continue using it throughout treatment and beyond. It’s better to prevent problems from happening rather than dealing with a painful issue in progress.
When stories from thankful cancer patients started to reach the OraCare HQ about how the rinse reduced the oral side effects of chemo and radiation treatments like dry mouth, mouth sores, fungal infections, and burning-mouth syndrome, the company started its OraCare Cares program for offices that carry OraCare. By going to the company website and filling out a form, OraCare will donate a set of products free of charge to the patient, along with a card containing a personalized message from the dental office.
I use OraCare daily, so I know what a remarkable impact it can have on oral health. From a user’s point of view, it tastes good and doesn’t sting like other mouth rinses. Patients can feel a difference because there is a difference. It’s time to move on past chlorhexidine for a product that does more.
About the Author
Lou Shuman is the CEO of Cellerant Consulting Group, dentistry’s leading corporate incubator and accelerator. He is a venturer in-residence at Harvard’s i-Lab, co-founder of LightForce Orthodontics, a member of the Oral Health advisory board and founder of the Cellerant Best of Class Technology Awards. He was selected in 2021 by Global Summits Institute one of the World’s Top 100 Doctors.
