84 AUSTRALASIAN DENTIST ORAL HEALTH Whilst products are always evolving in dentistry, Mobile Medical Systems International (MMSI) was created after seeing that some, particularly related to oral health for Special Needs and healthcare environments, were not locally accessible in Australia. Founder of MMSI, Eddi Cohen’s inspiration, passion and understanding about the far-reaching effects of everyday oral care came from her earlier work in healthcare, lecturing and writing on the life-threatening implications of poor oral care and promoting evidenced based practice for vulnerable patients to improve outcomes. MMSI was created to source innovative, evidence-based oral care products for patients with special needs and to assist their dentists, carers, and nurses; this grew later to include unique support devices / positioners creating safe environments for patients and dental teams. Good oral health changes lives, with research showing the often unnoticed but insidious flow-on effects of poor oral care; as a healthcare professional she knew the secrets of oral care particularly in hospitals, aged, long term care and home care, and as such, sought products that could change outcomes in challenging care environments. Some 25 years ago, MMSI partnered with Specialized Care Company who develop, manufacture and market dental products for dentists, hygienists, health care providers and those caring for children, the elderly and those with special needs. She created Mobile Medical Systems International to source exceptional oral care tools plus unique support devices and positioners for patients with special needs to assist the dentists, carers, and nurses who support them. But her passion for oral hygiene is expanding the company’s horizons well beyond the niche that first inspired the business. “Concerning is the often unnoticed but insidious flow-on effects of poor oral hygiene,” she warns. Considering how significant oral care is for vulnerable people such as the elderly, those with special needs, the critically ill and home care, even the simplest of resources that improves oral hygiene becomes more relevant. “Clinical research has shown the link with oral health must be a priority in healthcare”. Over the years Eddi focused on the crucial connection between oral health and overall health as “poor oral hygiene is shown to undermine medical and surgical treatments, leading to infection, decline and complications.” Essentially, “the mouth is the mirror of the body” and as mouth bacteria has been shown to affect overall health, even recovery and mortality, oral hygiene is the critical link. “Take something simple, like the toothbrush,” she says. “There are special needs and difficult situations where the basic brush just doesn’t apply. SCC addressed that with their innovative triple head toothbrush plus a companion product facilitating care for those with aggressive bites or high care needs. Given the general population is also failing to meet basic compliance in oral care, this opens up conversations about everyday dental / oral health education among all age groups. In 2000, Dr C Everett Koop, Surgeon General, USA, said: “You’re not healthy without good oral health” with oral hygiene found to play a significant role in health outcomes, including chronic disease, immunity, critical care complications and orthopaedics. “Poor oral health and periodontal Consequences of poor oral hygiene and solutions to improve compliance Mobile Medical Systems International supplies oral care products for those with special needs and the families, carers, and dental/healthcare clinicians who support them.
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