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'30 Second Smile' Aims To Revolutionize Dental Hygiene With The Help Of Ole Miss Alums
In June of 1986, Ken Hegemann was given a diagnosis of periodontal disease from his periodontist. Hegemann was told that he would need to brush his teeth 4-5 minutes per day; so he set out to develop a device that would eliminate patient brushing error with total compliance in less time.
As a result, the ’30 Second Smile’ toothbrush was developed in the hope that periodontal disease could be eliminated in less time, and two Ole Miss-educated dentists are now on board – Dr. Mike Person of Greenwood, Mississippi, and Dr. Roger Parkes of Jackson, Mississippi.
In 2002, a group of investors met with Ken Hegemann to discuss the invention of the new electric toothbrush designed to revolutionize the world of dental hygiene and eliminate human error. The result was the first generation ’30 Second Smile’, a brush that allows the user to simultaneously brush the top and bottom teeth while attacking pockets of the mouth that no other toothbrush on the market can hit.
The brush operates by simply biting down and guiding the brush around both sides of the mouth. The first ’30 Second Smile’ was released in 2005, and the latest iteration of the brush was released in September of 2016.
Dr. Mike Person, an Ole Miss alum, practiced dentistry for 28 years and became an investor as soon as he was contacted about the opportunity. After the brush had been designed, it went through rigorous testing done by independent researchers, and the advantages of the multi-headed toothbrush were clear to Person and the other investors.
“People don’t realize the impact that dental hygiene can have on your heart, arteries and the rest of your body.” Dr. Mike Person said. “Studies have shown that 90 percent of people who have heart attacks also have periodontal problems. So, we wanted to ensure that this brush had the chance to help eliminate that problem. If you want a toothbrush that protects all the systems of your body, ’30 Second Smile’ is your only choice on the market!”
“Studies show that ’30 Second Smile’ does a complete and effective cleaning of your mouth in just 30 seconds, significantly faster than the 2-minute standard in the industry. If you look at the results of the clinical tests, we’ve proven to be superior to Sonicare and Oral-B in terms of compliance [a term used to describe the overall effectiveness of a brush in the dental community],” Person said. “Ken [Hegemann] would always say that he knew before we went into a clinical study what the results would be because the design eliminates the element of human error associated with tooth brushing.”
Person isn’t the only Ole Miss alum investing in ’30 Second Smile.” Dr. Roger Parkes recommends the brush to his periodontal patients and uses it in his practice due to the results he sees.
“’30 Second Smile’ helps so many because most people don’t take the time to brush their teeth properly, and this brush takes away user error,” Parkes said. “Whether you’re in college, traveling or just multitasking this brush reduces the time it takes to reduce the risk of periodontal disease.”
’30 Second Smile’ has gone through numerous changes since its initial release including the size, materials and overall efficiency of the brush. The fourth generation ’30 Second Smile’ is the most advanced one yet, but Person noted that they are always researching ways to improve their product and give consumers the best dental hygiene options on the market at a lower cost.
“Our top of line ’30 Second Smile’ retails for approximately $99, while Sonicare Diamond Clean, which is one of the models it was tested against, sells for around $200, and it takes one-fourth the time of the two minute recommended time for Sonicare,” Person said.
The ’30 Second Smile’ toothbrush and replacement heads can be purchased on the website at www.30secondsmile.com.
Watch the video below for a simulation of ’30 Second Smile’s’ patented technology:
Steven Gagliano is a writer for HottyToddy.com. He can be reached at steven.gagliano@hottytoddy.com.
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Melanie
April 10, 2017 at 9:57 pm
The best post.
Thanks for share this article.
I look forward to your new article.
Ruth Bowers
August 6, 2018 at 4:03 pm
Interesting article! I worked with Ken back in ‘87-‘88 on his first ProCare design, the earliest version of his brainchild. I still have one.