Task 2 Part A - Humming to the sound of dental care

written by Annette

The concept of dental care and dentistry has evolved over the last 30 years, the market for oral care products is ever increasing; there is money to be made jumping on the consumer trend of obtaining the perfect brilliant white smile. Whitening strips, bleaching, porcelain veneers, you name it, if you really want to make an impression you need to show us your pearly-whites! This Hollywood syndrome – Brilliant-White, as I like to label the most recent trend for consumers to do as celebrities do, has lead to the increased awareness towards oral care and dental hygiene. Oral care involves the daily procedure of flossing, brushing then mouth-washing to maintain a healthy fresh mouth, reducing the appearance of stains, plaque and aid in the prevention gum disease.

US Sales in dental home care products are on the increase, with oral care projected to be valued at USD8.5billion[1] in 2007. With the increase in awareness towards oral hygiene and dental care and the analysis of current Australian dental health trends, more consumers of the western world are realising the importance of maintaining the health and appearance of the only set of teeth they will ever have in their lifetime!

2003 welcomed the arrival of the Oral B Hummingbird! Recognising the problems associated with encouraging appropriate oral care procedures this novel interdental device provided a platform to encourage the concept of flossing to the consumer (gadget junkie/sucker).

The Oral-B Hummingbird works to fight tooth decay, plague and gingivitis, providing gentle vibrations to massage your gums and reaching areas where you can’t get to with a toothbrush. With the simple press of a button the single use refill attachments; your choice of a flosser head or soft mint dental pick, gently vibrates reaching between your teeth and below your gum line to remove plaque and freshen your breath. Flossing, involves the polishing off of food, bacteria and plaque with a waxed length of string cleaning of the spaces between teeth and its surface.

The Oral-B Hummingbird is a compact gadget fitting neatly in your hand and is powered by a AAA battery, making the fiddley procedure a breeze. If only this could justify the mass production of a gadget which has only been proven to be as effective as regular floss!

Oral-B is synonymous with leading dental care products on the market including electric toothbrushes, manual toothbrushes, floss, toothpaste and mouthwash, used daily by consumers. Claiming to be the ‘brand that dentists use’ has ensured a murmur of consumer interest and a perceived investment for dentists and Oral B profiteers.

What the Hummingbird does offer, aside from the novelty of a new toy, is if you do not have good finger dexterity, you may find it helpful to use this commercial floss holder. And that’s what it is, a floss holder!

Hummingbirds, in nature are known to include the smallest birds in the world, with flight paths that puts shame to state of the art fighter jets, a hummingbird can manoeuvre up, down, sideways, backwards and can beat its wings up to 200 times per minute. If you need to need to get that crafty in your mouth, the humble flosser my not be enough for you!

In my opinion, it’s just another electric dental care gadget to add my pile of electric tooth brushes, dental care kits and whitening strips after the novelty wears off.

For a complete outline of how to floss effectively check out:

http://www.umanitoba.ca/outreach/wisdomtooth/flossing.htm

For more information on the Oral-B Hummingbird check out:

http://www.oralbprofessional.com/us/products/power/powhbird.asp

For more Oral-B Hummingbird product reviews:

What a cracking little bird! http://www.ciao.co.uk/Oral_B_Hummingbird__Review_5586206
A review by bertie72 on Oral-B Hummingbird on June 20th, 2006

If you want to make your own mind up pick one up for yourself available from most dentists and major retail outlets – Oral-B Hummingbird, is it really something to sing about?


References:

[1] The U.S. Market for Oral Care Products, 4th Edition http://www.marketresearch.com/map/prod/778472.html

Oral-B Hummingbird
http://www.oralb.com/products/product.asp?tid=products⊂=onthego&cid=onthego&pid=hbird

Australian Adult Dental Trends 1995 - 2002
http://www.arcpoh.adelaide.edu.au/publications/adult_trendsb.html