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patients | natural products It's only natural The natural product trend doesn’t seem to be going out of style any time soon. Natural oral care products sure are growing up fast. No longer do consumers seeking chemical-free options have to peruse speciality health-food stores to find natural
alternatives. These days, natural oral care products are taking their place among the mainstream names on grocery store shelves and in dental offices. Natural products have come into their own over the years, carving out a piece of the dental market that’s fueled by the growing consumer desire to keep it natural. “One of the things driving this trend into dental offices is patients are asking dental professionals about natural products,” says Nancy Rosenzweig, CEO of The Natural Dentist. “Dentists want to be able to accommodate that and recommend something that they know works.” Over the years, consumers have become increasingly aware of what ingredients are in the products they use and how those ingredients can affect their bodies as well as the environment. This demand is spurring the growth of the natural and organic personal care products industry as a whole, which brings in $72 billion dollars in the LOHAS marketplace. The LOHAS, or Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability, market includes companies that practice “responsible capitalism” by providing goods and services using economic and environmentally sustainable business practices. The combined LOHAS segments have a $209 billion value, according to the Web site, www.lohas.com. “Everywhere we look, it just seems like we as humans are more aware of the earth around us, and of course we play that out in a lot of different ways,” says Kerry Maguire, DDS, MSPH, director of professional advocacy for Tom’s of Maine. “People are more interested, more aware, and more intentional about consuming foods that they presume to be natural and healthier.” This type of thinking often carries over to the oral care items found in their bathrooms, as well as what they ask for at the dental office. Amy Lee, RDH, works at The New York Smile Institute and uses products from the Natural Dentist. About 10% of her patients request information about products that come sans artificial ingredients. They want products without alcohol, dyes, sugars, or artificial flavors, which is what natural products are all about, experts maintain. “I’ll introduce it to them, and they’ll realize they don’t have to use a mouth rinse that burns,” Lee says. “It’s not so minty, but it’s doing what it’s supposed to do and lowering bacteria or plaque in the mouth.” The realization that natural alternatives can be just as effective as the mainstream
options also has helped generate interest in the natural segment, Maguire says. Beyond that, consumers simply want to limit the amount of synthetics they put into their body, and the oral care products they use are something they can easily control, says Santosh Krinsky, president of Eco-DenT. “Part of the trend is awareness, and part of it is people are concerned about the entire relationship they have with their whole life,” Krinsky says. “You see this enormous change in health awareness. They’re looking for answers.” Educate yourself Before you can recommend natural products to patients, you have to know the benefits and which ones are most effective. Prepare yourself by doing research and trying products out for yourself. One way to get in the know is to head out to the nearest drug store and do some label reading, says Ellen Kamhi, PHD, RN, and professional nutritionist for Nature’s Answer. Get a feel for which products contain what ingredients and which ones are truly natural.
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