We will’t consider it, however this month we’re celebrating 20 years of CariFree. In honor of this celebratory month, we’ve interviewed CariFree founder and CEO, Dr. Kim Kutsch, to get his ideas on why he developed these merchandise and the place he hopes to go from right here. Get pleasure from!

What impressed you to turn into a dentist?

After a dental go to after I was six years outdated I instructed my mother I wished to be a dentist after I grew up. I used to be fascinated by every little thing within the dental workplace. As I acquired older, that need by no means modified and serving to individuals grew to become a driving motivation in my life and dentistry has allowed me to do exactly that. I’m so grateful I grew to become a dentist and may’t think about my life as having finished the rest.

Dr. Kutsch as a 20-year-old

Why did you determine to start out CariFree?

After 20 years in observe I used to be pissed off that my sufferers continued to get cavities. They have been doing every little thing I used to be asking them to do, however they nonetheless acquired new decay. It was then I noticed that what I had been taught wasn’t working, or let’s say it was treating cavities however it wasn’t addressing what should be blamed for the cavities. So I centered my research on attempting to grasp the illness and sought assist from the perfect exerts on the planet. After I lastly understood the illness, I stored coming again to Dr. Phil Marsh’s analysis about pH within the mouth being a major issue. So I put his idea to observe and knew I want alkaline merchandise for my sufferers, and I found there actually weren’t any. Having began different dental manufacturing firms earlier than, I knew how you can develop merchandise and navigate that course of. I knew my sufferers wanted them, and in the end all people would profit from them. It was principally understanding the science, seeing a niche in merchandise, and creating one thing new.

Merchandise which have substances like nano hydroxyapatite, sodium hypochlorite and elevated pH weren’t on anybody’s radar 20 years in the past within the US. What made you notice that these have been obligatory substances for cavity prevention?

The science was all there. I had used the prevailing gold commonplace strategy and didn’t get the outcomes I used to be in search of. So understanding the science, I labored on combining methods to create merchandise that present as a lot vary of profit as potential. pH is foundational, however including fluoride and nano-HA and xylitol present even higher profit. And sodium hypochlorite mixed with these substances provided nice antimicrobial remedy together with the advantages of the entire different methods mixed. Typically instances by combining a number of methods in a single simple to make use of merchandise, the full profit is bigger than the sum of the components. Why use fluoride alone, once we know that fluoride plus xylitol is even higher. The identical with nano-HA, including fluoride will increase the profit. So combining as many science supported substances as potential simply makes logical sense.

Who was the primary affected person that you simply seen CariFree working effectively for? Or do you bear in mind a selected second the place you realized they’re life altering merchandise?

Within the early days I bear in mind an enormous variety of sufferers who simply all of the sudden stopped getting cavities after utilizing the merchandise for six months or so. And after being wholesome and decay free then for 2 years or longer, I actually started to understand how life altering it was for individuals. And it was immeasurably life altering or me. All of a sudden I used to be actually capable of assist individuals get decay free and wholesome for the primary time in my profession. It was one success story after one other, and it deepened  my dedication to make a distinction and assist individuals.

The place do you hope to see CariFree 20 years from now?

My desires for the corporate are fairly easy. I need to proceed to develop merchandise that work and enhance the standard of life for as many individuals as potential. I proceed to see gaps in our occupation with different ailments and circumstances and I feel we are able to supply hope to individuals. Lots of dental illness is preventable, some very treatable, and a few that’s manageable with the perfect merchandise and techniques. I need to be part of that journey.