Shop with confidence

August 2nd, 2016

Thanks to the Oral Health Foundation, shoppers can now make more informed choices when it comes to picking up oral health care and hygiene products from their local supermarket.

Many of us regularly buy products without being fully aware of what the product does, and what it’s ingredients are for. In fact, nearly 75% of consumers admit that they don’t always believe the claims made on oral care products. And why should we: these products often have packaging which blinds us with hard to understand scientific information, and gives ingredients by names we made not have previously heard of. It’s certainly tricky to navigate the world of oral care products.

In order to make life easier for the consumer, the Oral Health Foundation has launched an accreditation scheme. The aim is to give consumers more confidence in making choices about their products. The scheme works by employing an independent panel to rigorously test the products, making sure that the product does what it says it does, and that there is substantial evidence to demonstrate this. If a product meets the expectations of the independent panel, then it will be awarded the title ‘Approved’ and will be allowed to carry the Oral Health Foundation ‘Approved’ logo.

So how many products carry this logo? There are currently over 150 products which have met the criteria and been awarded the ‘Approved’ title. These products are widely available and are on sale in 60 countries across the globe. Therefore if you run out of a product whilst on holiday, you are fairly likely to be able to find an approved replacement in a store locally, dependent on your holiday location.

In addition to the ‘Approved’ kite mark, the Oral Health Foundation also have a website which acts as a glossary. Here you can find information about many of the common ingredients you might find in an oral care product, along with details of the ingredient’s properties and uses. It’s always a good idea to check out that strange-sounding ingredient before committing to a new product. That way you can make your purchasing decisions with increased confidence.

For more information about the products that have achieved ‘Approved’ status, and for access to the Dental Ingredients Glossary, please visit the Oral Health Foundation website.

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