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After a dental go to once I was six years outdated I advised my mother I needed to be a dentist once I grew up. I used to be fascinated by all the things within the dental workplace. As I received older, that want by no means modified and serving to folks 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 achieved the rest.
Dr. Kutsch as a 20-year-old
Why did you resolve to start out CariFree?
After 20 years in observe, I used to be pissed off that my sufferers continued to get cavities. They had been doing all the things I used to be asking them to do, however they nonetheless received new decay. It was then I noticed that what I had been taught wasn’t working, or let’s say it was treating cavities nevertheless it wasn’t addressing what was making the cavities. So I targeted my research on attempting to know the illness and sought assist from the very best consultants 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 main issue. So I put his concept to observe and knew I wanted alkaline merchandise for my sufferers, and I found there actually weren’t any. Having began different dental manufacturing corporations earlier than, I knew find out how to 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 mainly understanding the science, seeing a spot 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 had been needed substances for cavity prevention?
The science was all there. I had used the present gold normal 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, nano-HA, and xylitol present even higher profit. And sodium hypochlorite mixed with these substances supplied nice antimicrobial therapy together with the advantages of the entire different methods mixed. Usually instances by combining a number of methods in a single straightforward to make use of merchandise, the overall profit is bigger than the sum of the components. Why use fluoride alone after 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 observed CariFree working effectively for? Or do you keep in mind a particular second the place you realized they’re life altering merchandise?
Within the early days I keep in mind an unlimited variety of sufferers who simply instantly 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 folks. And it was immeasurably life altering or me. Abruptly I used to be actually in a position to assist folks 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 folks.
The place do you hope to see CariFree 20 years from now?
My goals for the corporate are fairly simple. 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 career with different illnesses and situations and I feel we will provide hope to folks. Loads of dental illness is preventable, some very treatable, and a few that’s manageable with the very best merchandise and methods. I need to be part of that journey.
Excited about studying extra in regards to the historical past of CariFree? Learn our look again from just a few years in the past right here: https://carifree.com/weblog/why-carifree-looking-back-at-our-company-history/