Mind the gap: Oral health expert criticizes industry’s inaction on preventative dental care

Dentist-founded oral care brand SuperMouth has teamed up with Project Healthy Smile to provide preventative oral health education and dental supplies to underprivileged children worldwide. The move aims to mitigate a problem SuperMouth’s founder, Dr. Kami Hoss, says he “couldn’t unsee.”

Hoss tells us that the personal care industry is failing families with its current oral care solutions and needs to strengthen its offerings. The new partnership is an effort to satisfy a gap the oral care sector has left open. 

“We need to stop treating oral care like it’s just about fresh breath and cosmetic whitening. The industry has a huge opportunity and responsibility to focus on health. We need better science, formulations, education, and products tailored to the way mouths actually develop.”

“We need to give families clear, honest tools they can trust — because when parents are confused, kids suffer.”

From May 13 to June 13, SuperMouth will donate one of its SuperBrush Jr. toothbrushes to Project Healthy Smile for every purchase of its Ultim8 SmartBrush.

Industry blind spot

When asked if the industry is doing anything to help children access proper dental care and education, Hoss says no.

“Most companies are stuck in the same fluoride vs. non-fluoride debate — but that’s just one piece of a much bigger puzzle. We’re ignoring so many other ingredients — some of which are completely ineffective, and others that may be harmful,” he says.

SuperMouth is donating its SuperBrush Jr. toothbrushes to kids who do not have access to oral care. “The truth is oral health isn’t just about teeth. It’s about the gums, the tongue, the microbiome, the airway, and how all of that connects to the rest of your body.”

Dental caries, the disease that causes cavities, is the most common chronic childhood disease in the US. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, by age eight, over half of children (58%) have had a cavity in their primary teeth.

Hoss calls children’s lack of access to proper oral care “one of the most significant yet overlooked health crises we face.”

“Dental disease is the most common chronic disease in children, and it’s almost 100% preventable. Despite this, kids all over the [US] are suffering from cavities, infections, pain, missed school, speech delays, even self-esteem issues, all because they’ve never learned how to properly care for their mouths or didn’t have access to the right tools.”

SmashMouth’s founder reports that most dentists and hygienists get little to no education on oral care products in dental or dental hygiene school. 

“Here’s the surprising part… we’re trained to clean teeth, drill them, fill them, and crown them, but receive almost no training on prevention or on how to recommend truly safe and effective products for different ages and needs,” says Hoss.

“That played a big role in why we launched SuperMouth. Our mission isn’t just to educate the public and offer the most advanced, customized oral care systems — it’s to educate the professionals too.”

Hoss adds that the glaring lack of oral care education and access led SuperMouth to partner with Project Healthy Smile. 

“We have to stop thinking of oral care as an afterthought. Your mouth is connected to everything — your brain, your gut, your heart, and your immune system. If we really want to improve health outcomes, we need to start with the mouth. It’s time to go beyond brushing. We need to look at every stage of development, every part of the mouth, and every ingredient we put in it.”

Income and care

The most severe cases of poor oral health and education often occur in underserved communities, where kids don’t have regular access to dental care or healthy oral care products.Hoss says that he created SuperMouth after he could not find oral care he would buy for his kid. 

According to CareQuest Institute, 93% of individuals living in poverty have unmet dental needs, compared with 58% in high-income families. As a proportion of annual family income, one study found that those in poverty spend ten times more on dental services than those in high-income families.

But, Hoss says the issue and its severity transcend zip codes. 

“But make no mistake, this is a widespread problem. I’ve seen kids in high-income areas with cavities, sleep disorders, airway issues, and anxiety about their teeth. This isn’t just about access — it’s about a broken system. We’re not focused on one region. We’re focused on fixing the root cause, everywhere.”

SuperMouth has also committed to donating SuperBrush Jr. units biannually ahead of Project Healthy Smile’s outreach missions to underserved countries and communities.

“Together with SuperMouth, we are expanding our ability to reach children in critical need of oral health resources,” adds Hollie Mae Schultz, co-founder of Project Healthy Smile.

“This partnership means more than just toothbrushes — it represents hope, education, and healthier futures for thousands of children.”