?MEMORANDUM To:Dr.
Kevin Shultz, D. D. S, Dr. Thomas M.
Collin D. D. S. Dr. Grace Ormond D.
D. S From: Marketing associate Date: October 08, 2013 Subject:Tom’s of Maine Herein is the report you requested about Tom’s of Maine. It contains a complete background and history on the company as well as a comparison between natural and synthetic oral products, and some recommendations on how we can encourage our patients to use natural oral care products. Tom’s of Maine specializes in natural personal care products like toothpaste and deodorant.
They believe in eco-friendly products, and place high value on giving back to the community. The report includes a secondary research through scholarly and professional articles about the health benefits of using natural care products and health risk of using other dental hygiene products, and how we can make the switch to natural products. Also included are the results of primary research through a survey (with a sample of people aged between 18 and 35 years old) about their oral care products.The results of this survey were that the majority of these people use several oral care products on a daily basis, and would prefer to use natural products to chemical-based oral products. In order to start introducing Tom’s of Maine oral care products to our patients, we will need to educate our staff and patients about the company’s mission and products, and the importance to switch to a natural alternative. Please let me know if you have any questions or need additional information about the process.
I would be more than happy to help. Tom’s Of MaineNatural Oral Care Products Presented To Dr. Kevin Shultz D. D. S.
, Dr. Thomas M. Collins D. D. S.
, & Dr. Grace Ormond, D. D. S. Great Dentistry Clinic Prepared By Director of Marketing Great Dentistry Clinic October 8, 2013 Table of Contents EXCUTIVE SUMMARYiv INTRODUCTION1 SECONDARY RESEARCH USING PROFESSIONAL AND SCHOLARLY JOURNALS2 Natural Vs.
Synthetic Oral Products2 The 50 States For Good Program3 Tom's Of Maine Rewards Families And Dental Clinics Committed To Community Good3 PRIMARY RESEARCH USING SURVEY3 Creating The Survey3 Reporting The Results of The Survey4Graphs5 CONCLUSION6 RECOMMENDATIONS6 REFERENCES7 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Purpose of the report The purposes of this report are to (1) teach employees and patients the history and the background of Tom’s of Maine, (2) explain the difference between natural oral products and other products, (3) explain the health risks of using other dental hygiene products (4) explain the 50 States For Good and Tooth Fairy Hero programs, (5) steps to encourage our employees and patients to switch to natural oral products. Secondary research was conducted through scholarly and professional articles.Six references were used to explain the health benefits of using natural care products, and how we can make the switch to natural products. The primary research consisted of a survey with a sample of people aged between 18 and 35 years old about their oral care products. The results showed that the majority of these people use several oral care product on a daily basis, and would prefer to use natural products to chemical-based oral products. Tom’s of Maine Natural Products Many Brands of oral care products in today’s market contain ingredients that are harmful and may lead to serious diseases like cancer.
Some of these harmful chemicals are Alcohol, one of the main content in mouthwash products, is known to cause dry mouth and potentially cancer. In his research Colbert (2007) states that artificial color content is based on coal tar, and it was found that coal tar is linked to cancer. Tom’s of Maine is one of the company’s that produces an all-natural alternative with no synthetic chemicals or any animal by-products. Their products are made for a healthier choice with respect to nature and sustainability of resources.
Recommendations To Switch To Natural Oral Care ProductsRecommendations to encourage our employees and patients to try Tom’s of Maine natural oral products are as follow: (1) teach them about the harmful ingredients in synthetic and artificial oral care products through handouts. (2) Encourage them to use Tom’s of Maine Products by providing free simples. (3) Participate in the 50 States For Good and Be A Tooth Fairy Hero programs through our no-profit organization Dental Care For Everyone. ANALYSIS OF TOM’S OF MAINE NATURAL ORAL CARE PRODUCTS INTRODUCTION Oral hygiene is one of the most important daily tasks to keep a healthy smile.Dentists usually recommend brushing teeth with toothpaste to avoid cavities and plaque, rinsing with mouthwash to kill germs, and flossing to avoid food build-up between teeth, which can lead to cavities and gum diseases.
According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, $108 billion was spent on dental services in the United States during 2010 (CDC). Because of extensive marketing by consumer products companies like Proctor and Gamble, brand name oral care products dominate the marketplace despite their containing unnatural chemicals.Our company, Great Dentistry Clinic along with its not-for-profit organization Dental Care For Everyone, has been supporting and encouraging going green, and are one of the biggest supporters of sustainability in our community. Implementing the switch to Tom’s of Maine natural oral hygiene products will be considered as a big step towards a healthier, greener practice.
The goal is not to only prevent cavities, but by encouraging the use of safer natural products, we are preventing the occurrence of serious disease like cancer and other long-term conditions.The purposes of this report are to (1) teach employees and patients the history and the background of Tom’s of Maine, (2) explain the 50 States For Good Program and Be A Tooth Fairy Hero programs, (3) explain what are natural oral care products, and the health benefits of using natural personal products instead of major brands, (4) steps to encourage our employees and patients to switch to natural oral products. Tom’s Of Maine Tom’s of Maine products are a natural alternative that is available in the market today at a competitive price.They rely on the use of natural ingredients and avoid synthetic chemicals in their oral care products. In 1968, Tom and Kate Chappell, the co-founders of Tom’s of Maine, left their city life behind and moved to a rural area of Maine to start a healthier and simpler life style for their family. Since natural personal care products were rare at the time, the couple wanted to make their own, and decided to create a company that sells natural products to fulfill the demand for them (Tom’s of Maine, 2013).
SECONDARY RESEARCH USING SCHOLARLYAND PROFESSIONAL JOURNALS Natural Vs. Synthetic Oral Products Tom’s of Maine was born from the strong belief that nature and people deserve respect. The company was created with a $5000 loan that Tom and Kate Chappell borrowed from a friend in order to start the company. Tom’s of Maine quickly grew to become the first company to produce all-natural toothpaste in 1975, and all-natural deodorant in 1976 (Tom’s of Maine, 2013). The most common way to keep up a good oral hygiene is teeth brushing and the use of mouthwash.The majority of consumers buy toothpaste without even looking at the ingredient list, and instead they simply trust words like “whitening, sensitive teeth, and mint flavor.
” Several oral care product brands guarantee a healthier and germ-free smile to their consumers. Widely available brands such as Crest and Colgate contain chemicals such as fluoride for cavity prevention, triclosan as an antibacterial agent, and saccharin as a sweetener. Fluoride, despite its benefits, has been found to cause bone cancer. Triclosan is another carcinogen used as a pesticide.
Additionally, many germs have been grown immune to triclosan's effects.Finally, saccharine is widely known to be carcinogenic in laboratory animals although it has not been proven to directly cause cancer in humans (Vartan, 2003). Furthermore, the ADA has been weighing the benefits of recommending more natural alternatives. In its studies, the Journal of Clinical Dentistry discovered that some natural toothpaste are actually better at preventing oral diseases than the traditional varieties such as Colgate.
Additionally, the natural brands even have whitening varieties utilizing bamboo powder or silica, which are a great option when compared to popular brands that use lye - a poison (Vartan, 2003).At the same time, many medical experts warn us that alcohol, artificial dyes, and preservatives in more widely available oral products can dry out the mouth and increase the chance of cancer. Ingredients like fluoride and sodium lauryl sulfate (a foaming agent), present in most toothpaste products in the market today, are considered to be harmful if swallowed. In his article, Lynch (2010) reported: According to the Akron Regional Poison Center, ingesting 1/10 of an ounce of fluoride can kill a 100-lb. adult.
Ingesting even a small amount of sodium fluoride may cause nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Yet despite its dangers, sodium fluoride continues to be a staple in all-leading brand’s of toothpaste. The Tom’s of Maine line of oral care products provides an all-natural alternative for a chemical-free experience. These products are based on natural ingredients like lavender, chamomile flower, and licorice root extract.
Their products are free of artificial color, animal byproducts, and artificial preservatives.Our patients might imagine that with all of the healthful benefits that these natural products must taste like medicine. Conversely, Tom's of Maine has many amazing flavor options such as peppermint, orange-mango, cinnamon-clove, strawberry, or even fennel. Also, there are whitening and sensitive teeth varieties (Tom’s of Maine, 2013). Our company, Great Dentistry Clinic along with its not-for-profit organization Dental Care For Everyone, has been supporting and encouraging going green, and are one of the biggest supporters of sustainability in our community.Implementing the switch to Tom’s of Maine natural oral hygiene products will be considered as a big step towards a healthier, greener practice.
50 States For Good Tom’s of Maine believes in products that are sustainable and respectful to the environment, and places high value on giving back to the community. In an effort to encourage the mission of giving back to our communities, the company decided to create a program that funds not-for-profit organizations to help them achieve their goals.In its fifth year, the 50 States For Good program is choosing 50 organizations, one from each state, based on public votes. Each organization will receive $10,000 to be put back into their community. Additionally, Tom’s of Maine encourages its employees to volunteer in their community by giving them five percent paid time off, up to twelve days a year (Tom’s of Maine, 2013). Tom's Of Maine Rewards Families And Dental Clinics Committed To Community Good Be A Tooth Fairy Hero is a program from Tom’s of Maine to raise the awareness of the need for greater access to quality dental services.
Ten families of parents and children from all over the country are randomly chosen to receive a $10,000 award to be given to a local non-profit dental clinic in their state, and donation of Tom’s of Maine toothpaste for their schools. "Our 'Be a Tooth Fairy Hero' initiative gave families the opportunity to help those in need with funding for a non-profit dental clinic in their state. We also encouraged kids to share their artistic interpretations of the tooth fairy," said Susan Dewhirst public relations and goodness manager at Tom's of Maine.Asides from the many health benefits, the main goal to using Tom’s of Maine oral products in our practice is to promote our non-profit dental clinic.
We will accomplish this by encouraging our staff, patients, and their family to participate in Tom’s of Maine Be A Tooth Fairy Hero and 50 States For Good contests and make winning the award for our clinic one of our goals. (Tom’s of Maine, 2013) PRIMARY RESEARCH USING A SURVEY Creating the Survey For this report I have put together a survey that was taken by men and women between the age of 18 and 35 years old.The questions that were included in the survey are: How often do you read the ingredient list labeled on your oral care products? How many times do you brush your teeth per day? How often do you choose organic products over non-organic products? Which of these oral care products do you use on a daily basis? How many times do you use mouthwash per day? How often do you floss? How often do you whiten your teeth? Regardless of price would you prefer organic over a non-organic product? 100% of the men and women that were surveyed have a college degree or are in the process of getting one.The majority has an income or is being supported by loved ones.
Their cultural background is diverse, and some of them are from foreign countries. Reporting The Results Of The Survey Bellow are graphs created using the data from the survey conducted for this report. Graph A shows that among the widely used oral hygiene products are toothpaste and mouthwash. Graph B reinforces that idea that toothpaste is used on a daily basis at least twice a day, and finally Graph C is showing us that this group of people would be willing to pay for organic products if available. Graph A Graph B Graph C CONCLUSIONBased on the primary research we conducted through out our survey combined with the secondary research of previously published professional and scholarly journals referenced through this document, one can clearly see the benefits to switching to natural oral care products. The mission of Tom’s of Maine to produce healthy hygiene product with respect to our environment and resources, makes the company as one the best options for oral care products in the market today.
In addition to that, the charitable efforts of Tom's of Maine provide good cause for our organization to promote the firm's products in good faith.Finally, our not-for-profit work may also benefit from our work with Tom's of Maine because of the company's contests including the 50 States For Good program where we may receive $10,000 through our participation. RECOMMENDATIONS Supported by the findings and the conclusion of this report, the following are steps recommended to start the process of implementing Tom’s of Maine product in our clinic: Offer our employees and patients free samples of Tom’s of Maine toothpaste, mouthwash, and floss. Have a meeting with stuff and present about Tom’s of Maine.
Encourage our employees and patients to teach their families about the benefits of natural oral products, and help them understand why it is necessary to switch to safer products. Encourage our employees and patients to enter Tom’s of Maine contests and win. Print out brochures explaining the health risk of using synthetic oral products. Finally, organize a yearly sport event and invite our employees, patients, and their family to participate to raise awareness for the need of safer oral product to prevent cancer and other serious illnesses.REFERENCES CDC.
(2011, July 29). Chronic disease prevention and health promotion. Retrieved from http://www. cdc. gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/AAG/doh. htm Colbert, B.
(2007). GO natural!. Vegetarian Times, (348), 22-24. Lynch, W. (2010, July 06). What are the harmful ingredients in toothpaste.
Retrieved from http://www. livestrong. com/article/167101-what-are-the-harmful-ingredients-in-toothpaste/ Tom’s of Maine. (2013, January 15). Tom's of Maine asks the tooth fairy and families across the nation to help increase access to dental care.
Retrieved from http://www. tomsofmaine. com/newsroom/overlay/tom's-of-maine-asks-the-tooth-fairy-and-families-across-the-nation-to-help-increase-access-to-dental-care Tom’s of Maine. (2013, November 12). Tom's of maine announces nonprofit winners in its annual 50 states for good community giving program. Retrieved from http://www.
tomsofmaine. com/newsroom/overlay/toms-of-maine-50-states-for-good-2013-winners Vartan, S. (2003). The Natural Smile.
E: The Environmental Magazine, 14(1), 53.
