Australasian Dentist Issue 92

CATEGORY 4 AUSTRALASIAN DENTIST new accents with targeted activities that are even more strongly focused on the needs of the customer. The most important change: the “Vivadent” in the brand name and logo has been dropped, as have some additional visual elements, so that in future the company’s clear focus on the essentials will also be reflected in the logo. The brand as a guiding principle With its focus on putting people, partners and customers at the center of its activities, Ivoclar underpins its claim to make the workflows in the daily work of dental technicians and dentists easier and more efficient and likewise to make the patient experience as pleasant and personal as possible. The brand image is and remains a first point of contact with the company. Ivoclar stands for progress through technological innovation. This carries the company’s mission: “Making People Smile”. Innovation, progress and continuous research & development, based on the needs of customers, ensure the success of tomorrow in the long term. With innovative products and services, Ivoclar not only makes dental technicians’ and dentists’ workflows easier and more efficient, but also makes the patient experience shine positively. u Ivoclar’s new look continued from page 2 N WS A smile ismore than a facial expression. A smile is confidence, beauty, happiness, positivity, wonder. A smile is powerful! As oral health professionals we empower people with a smile they can be proud of every day. How lucky we are! A beautiful smile is universal; it is the contagious language of warmth and kindness. A smile can increases endorphins and can even change the way people perceive us, making us appear more likeable, courteous and competent 1 . During the coronavirus pandemic mask wearing has certainly highlighted the huge role our mouth and smile plays in communicating, both verbally and non-verbally. The World Dental Federation’s goal for World Oral Health Day 2022 is to “inspire change by focusing on the importance of oral health for happiness and wellbeing, because good oral health has a positive impact on general health, well-being and quality of life”. As dentists we intrinsically understand the link between good oral health and overall well-being. At the most basic level, a smile that a person can be proud of generally requires good oral health. It is well documented that the psychological effects of poor oral health can affect mental health and general health as well. Oral disease, and a lack of oral pride, can negatively impact people and lead to pain, social isolation, and low self-esteem. 2 Taste and nutrition are also intricately associated with the health and function of the mouth, and is a huge driver in social behaviours. Conversely, mental illness and certain medications can have a negative effect onoral health.This canoccur directly, through medication induced dry World Oral Health Day 2022: “Be proud of your mouth” By Dr Lauren Fowler BDS, DSD Master mouth, mucosal lesions, or acid erosion, or indirectly through chewing difficulty, dental phobia or oral hygiene neglect. 3 As a result, there are many ways oral health professionals can help patients achieve a healthy mouth that they can be proud of, and often this means looking beyond a patient’s basic oral hygiene routine. Although a focus on health is paramount, function and aesthetics also have important roles to play in oral pride, and together these are three foundational pillars of quality dentistry. Function and health without aesthetics might not necessarily meet a patient’s aesthetic goals, and can affect confidence, self-esteem, and self-worth. Equally, aesthetics and function without health don’t provide adequate longevity and can result in pain and eventual tooth loss. If the primary goal is health, the outcome should also be functional and aesthetic. These three goals are inter-related and when appropriately addressed, can empower patients to smile confidently, and proudly. If an individual is proud of their healthy and aesthetically pleasing smile, their self-confidence improves, they have improved psychosocial outcomes, and are more likely to look after their mouth and smile. 4 Aesthetics, in combination with health and function, can therefore lead to improved oral health, general health and psychosocial outcomes. Unquestionably, one of the most important elements of a beautiful smile is tooth colour. 5 White teeth represent a youthful appearance, a lack of disease and signify hygiene and cleanliness. It has been shown that bleaching procedures have a significant effect on oral health related quality of life by improving a person’s satisfaction with their dental appearance. 6 Tooth colour therefore has a significant role to play in oral pride. Philips Zoom Professional Whitening, the gold standard in tooth whitening, is one tool we can use to achieve improved tooth colour in a relatively simple, safe and cost-effective way. It allows us to empower patients a whiter, brighter smile that they can be truly proud of. In supporting World Oral Health Day, Philips has produced several brochures outlining these important links between oral health and general health, which are available to distribute to patients. These can be accessed on the Philips website, www. philips.com.au/oral-and-overall-health Happy World Oral Health Day! u Available upon request lauren.f@nextsmile.com.au Dr Lauren Fowler