We are able to’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 develop into a dentist?
After a dental go to after I was six years outdated I informed my mother I wished to be a dentist after I grew up. I used to be fascinated by all the things within the dental workplace. As I acquired older, that need by no means modified and serving to individuals turned a driving motivation in my life and dentistry has allowed me to do exactly that. I’m so grateful I turned a dentist and might’t think about my life as having executed anything.
Dr. Kutsch as a 20-year-old
Why did you resolve to begin CariFree?
After 20 years in observe, I used to be pissed off that my sufferers continued to get cavities. They have been doing all the things I used to be asking them to do, however they nonetheless acquired new decay. It was then I spotted 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 targeted my research on making an attempt to know the illness and sought assist from the perfect consultants on the earth. Once I lastly understood the illness, I saved coming again to Dr. Phil Marsh’s analysis about pH within the mouth being a main issue. So I put his principle 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 learn 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 niche in merchandise, and creating one thing new.
Merchandise which have elements 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 understand that these have been needed elements for cavity prevention?
The science was all there. I had used the prevailing gold normal method 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 elements provided nice antimicrobial remedy together with the advantages of all the different methods mixed. Typically instances by combining a number of methods in a single straightforward to make use of merchandise, the full profit is bigger than the sum of the elements. 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 elements as potential simply makes logical sense.
Who was the primary affected person that you just seen CariFree working nicely for? Or do you bear in mind a particular 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 immediately 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. Out of the blue I used to be actually in a position to 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 goals 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 illnesses and situations and I believe we will provide hope to individuals. A variety of dental illness is preventable, some very treatable, and a few that’s manageable with the perfect merchandise and methods. I need to be part of that journey.
