When you think of the term ‘disruptive technology’, what comes to mind?
Trains, cars, and airplanes? Computers? The internet?
If you’re new to the term, a disruptive technology is any advancement that revolutionizes, and thereby disrupts, how an industry does business.
All of the above examples of technological advancements upended established industries and forced them to change.
Trains, cars, and airplanes revolutionized how we travel.
The computer changed, well, everything.
The internet exponentially supercharged the power of the computer, how we communicate with one another, and how we do business.
What about holistic oral health solutions?
Did oral hygiene products come to mind when you pondered the term ‘disruptive technology’?
Nah, it didn’t for us either (at first). 😃
In this article, we’ll explore why we view holistic oral health products and support as a form of disruptive technology that contributes to the improvement of humanity and helps ‘shake up’ the traditional dental industry, and even how brightly we smile.
Paradigm shifting success stories…
Let’s begin by considering the following two customer testimonials:
“Amazing experience, with my front teeth that were brown now white following a couple of months of using HealThy Mouth Blend and Shine, after my dentist said that they couldn’t be whitened due to loss of too much [enamel] from the surface of the teeth.” – Frank D., Canada
And this one from Tara B in Canada…
“I just found out one of the reasons I struggled with cavities for years: I have an autoimmune disease which causes dry mouth, and was depleted by stress and further health issues. I ended up with 11 cavities a few years ago despite great oral hygiene. I finally ordered many of your products at that time, including several containers of Shine.
Within 3 months, 10 of the cavities were gone and only the oldest deepest one needed a filling. The hygienist thought I must have had those cavities filled elsewhere as they were gone.
I have continued to use your products and in the 3 years since then, have no new cavities, continued great gum health and very little plaque at my dental visits. I love the smooth feel of the oil blend on my teeth, and it feels good to know that I can prevent cavities despite this autoimmune condition. Thank you!” – Tara B., Canada
(Before we go any further, Frank and Tara, thank you so much for sharing these precious testimonials with us!)
Aside from the blend of sheer glee and deep humility we feel when we read testimonials like this, what’s really going on here?
Was Frank’s dental team wrong? Did Tara’s dental team simply misdiagnose her need for all of those fillings or did something else happen?
What do our customers do that so often leaves their dentists scratching their heads in confusion?
At OraWellness, our goal is to provide our community with product and educational solutions that assist each of us in navigating the path to optimal oral health.
Change your awareness, change your life…
The bottom line is that Frank and Tara each accepted their role as the most important person in their oral health journey and they increased their awareness of their options and possibilities. Then they took appropriate actions by incorporating our holistic information and product solutions into their daily at-home oral hygiene routines.
This is the variable that we feel the dental industry often overlooks: our ability to increase our own understanding of how we can better support our oral health with our home care. When we raise our awareness, solutions that were otherwise not available to us from our previous point of view now become a possibility. Our new, more educated point of view opens the door to new (and often improved) options.
Self-empowerment vs. self-reliance
Years ago, we coined the term ‘dental self-empowerment’. We intentionally avoided the word reliance, and chose to instead focus on empowerment.
Why?
Self-reliance brings to mind more of a ‘do-it-yourself / DIY’ mentality (so, for example, ‘do your own dentistry’). We do not teach or encourage dental self-reliance.
In contrast, self-empowerment is about:
- Educating yourself and increasing your awareness (of what’s going on in your mouth, of how to support your oral health to try to prevent the need for dental work in the first place, of the options you have if you do wind up needing dental work, etc.).
- Increasing your confidence in yourself and your ability to make wiser decisions (even if you’re feeling pressured while you’re in the dental chair).
In other words, we are in support of a combination of both professional dentistry (that’s done well, with the right technology, and by a qualified professional ) and increased patient education and awareness. For more information on this, please check out our article on redefining roles, which explores this critical first step on the journey of dental self-empowerment.
And if you’d like help finding a dentist, check out our article, “Helpful resources to find a qualified dentist to assist you“.
What’s the point of a disruptive tech without a community that shares values?
Without you being here, any ‘disruptive tech’ oral health solutions we provide would be for naught.
For any disruptive tech to make a difference, the critically important piece is the people who see value in the new tech and adopt it in their lives.
Really it’s you being here, reading our articles, learning how to leverage holistic strategies to create massive positive change in your oral health, that turns this individual change into a disruptive movement.
So, thank you for being here. Without your interest in learning to navigate your path to optimal oral health, there would be no ‘we’ making these waves of change.
Three cheers for holistic dental solutions as disruptive tech!
We are grateful to be able to share resources to help increase public awareness of how each of us can nurture our path to optimal oral health.
Maybe oral health-related ebooks, expert interviews, and products like remineralizing tooth powder aren’t as attention-grabbing or glamorous as some of the iconic disruptive technologies.
However, we’re still honored to provide our community with simple-yet-important oral health solutions that ultimately assist folks to live a healthier and happier life.
And, the more the holistic oral health community that we’re part of continues to grow and expand, the more our collective influence will help revolutionize and improve the dental industry.
What about you? What oral hygiene habits have you adopted that may be on the path less traveled? You know we love to hear your stories. Please share in the comments below.
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