The Humble Smile Foundation joins government funded and charitable organisations worldwide to address poor oral health – training and educating on preventative oral hygiene techniques and distributing Humble Brushes.

Just one example is the collaboration with Project TEN – a voluntary organisation, which offers assistance to vulnerable communities predominantly in Israel, Ethiopia, Ghana and Mexico.

The Humble Smile Foundation joined Project TEN volunteers at a government-sponsored site for the blind in Gondar, Ethiopia. Here, accommodation comprises of mud huts, no bathrooms and tough living conditions. Project TEN interacts with the blind Amhari children after school, helping with homework and other activities. Simply the fact that anyone has travelled to such a remote area makes these children smile. They were delighted to meet dentists and receive toothbrushes and toothpaste for the first time. The children were each given a Humble Brush personalised with their own name in braille.

One toothbrush or equivalent oral health adjunct is donated to a person in need when a Humble Brush is sold in the UK – contact the team today to discover how your toothbrush of choice can help the world.

For more information about the Humble Brush visit www.humblebrush.co.uk or to find out more about the Humble Smile Foundation’s work visit www.humblesmile.org

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As dental professionals, our actions are governed by our knowledge and expertise. We can even utilise these skills to improve oral health in the far reaches of the world. Spreading the preventative dentistry message and educating others on the importance of oral hygiene doesn’t have to be confined to our shores or need to involve extreme fundraising techniques such as running marathons or shaving off all our hair!

The simple but stylish Humble Brush is one tool that gives us this power for change. Ergonomic, handcrafted handles made from 100% biodegradable Moso Bamboo are combined with Nylon 6 bristles, rendering these toothbrushes just as durable as their plastic counterparts but infinitely kinder to mankind and the environment. When a Humble Brush is sold, it is matched by another toothbrush or the equivalent donated in oral care to those in need. Patients buy one and then the Humble Smile Foundation, in unison with Humble Brush, gives one.

The story of the Humble Brush is gaining momentum and generating a great deal of positive feedback. Last week Humble Brush launched their Humble Helpers campaign throughout primary schools in Ireland. This keenly received programme aims to educate children on a number of key oral health issues whilst they raise funds for their schools or another cause of their choice. As schoolchildren are actively involved with these programmes, they engage with the humanitarian objectives of the Humble Smile Foundation. In return, these children are instilled with knowledge in the value of their own oral healthcare and the hygiene regimens.

Additionally, the Humble Smile Foundation, in collaboration with volunteer group Project TEN – Be The Change, has been educating vulnerable Ethiopian communities on essential preventative dental care. Ethiopia has an estimated population of 96 million[i] but just one dentist per 1.278 million people[ii]. Many Ethiopians don’t even know what dentists or even toothbrushes are. When they find themselves needing oral care, they generally employ excruciatingly primitive and potentially life-threatening treatment methods rather than face a journey of thousands of miles to find a dental practitioner. It is in locations such as this that preventative dentistry methods are all the more crucial. 

There are so many fascinating angles attached to this otherwise innocuous dental adjunct, endorsed by over ten thousand likes on Facebook. These beautifully presented toothbrushes are also environmentally and panda-friendly. The endangered species has learned that Moso leaves grow too high up the plants, so they choose to eat the more accessible species of bamboo instead.

Global consumer trends company, Nielsen, studies over 100 countries to gain knowledge on what people watch and buy. In their online 2015 study, they found a significant rise in the percentage of respondents aged 15-20 who are willing to pay even more for products and services from companies who are committed to positive social and environmental impact. In 2015 the numbers of these consumers had risen to 72% from 55% in just one year[iii]. We are proud to say that The Humble Brush is a perfect example of a product that serves this growing market – but costs no more than a run-of-the-mill plastic toothbrush.

Purely by setting these toothbrushes on reception counters, patients will engage with its purpose and will be attracted to its contemporary look. The ethos of effecting change and providing oral health aid for those in need is layered throughout everything the Humble Smile Foundation tries to achieve. For example, a proportion of the cost of a traditional toothbrush contributes towards huge corporate marketing machines. There is no such process with the Humble Brush, there isn’t a huge marketing budget – the revenue from sales is used directly towards providing oral care for those in need.

Humble Brushes can be supplied in their ‘naked’ glory or can be personalised on minimum orders of 400. Not only does this constitute a novel talking point at reception desks but it also gives dental businesses the opportunity to distribute their brands on something their patients use every day.

By stocking the Humble Brush in your dental practice, you are not only providing a superior product that can be used on all types of dentition but also giving patients the chance to make an ethical choice.

For more information about the Humble Brush visit www.humblebrush.co.uk or to find out more about the Humble Smile Foundation’s work visit www.humblesmile.org

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and Twitter

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The Humble Smile Foundation, the excellent Humble Brush’s humanitarian partner, is extending its outreach by introducing the Humble Helpers Programme.

The aim of the Humble Helpers Programme is to help educate children on a number of interlinked topics, whilst providing a platform to raise much-needed funds for charitable endeavours all over the world. These funds will come straight from the profits of each Humble Brush sale – and will help make a real difference to those less fortunate!

As the Humble Smile Foundation will donate the same number of dental health adjuncts for every Humble Brush sold by its Humble Helpers, the effects of the programme will be felt far and wide.

Split into four interconnected modules, Charity, Oral Health, Healthy Eating and the Environment, the programme introduces the fundamental principle of the Humble Smile Foundation: how helping others can have a positive impact on the lives of everyone – not just in their own communities, but right across the globe. 

Participating schools will be supplied with all the necessary educational and promotional materials to help their appointed Humble Hero deliver the message to children. With their help, more people will have a reason to smile!

To find out more about the Humble Smile Foundation’s amazing work – and the popular Humble Brush – contact the team today!

Humble Brush is now available in the UK and Ireland. For more information please visit www.humblebrush.co.uk, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 0286 862 8880.

To order please contact the exclusive distributor Quintess Denta www.quintesshumblebrush.co.uk

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@HumbleBrush and www.facebook.com/humblebrushuk

In developing countries, oral health services are limited to regional or central hospitals in urban areas. Even where dental assistance can be found, little priority is given to preventative or restorative treatments; many African, Asian and Latin American countries solely offer pain relief or emergency services.
 

In Africa, there is a ratio of one dentist per 150,000 people – in developed countries it’s one per 2,000[1]. Sadly though, preventive dentistry is even more crucial to these remote areas of our world, because there are far fewer dentists to treat oral diseases. Dental pain is of course unpleasant for everyone but in the UK the inconvenience of booking and then attending an appointment is the main concern. However, for someone without access to dentistry, their suffering constitutes chronic pain, occupational and social limitations and can even be life threatening.
 

Most concerning is children’s oral health. Tooth decay is a widespread childhood disease, from which 60-90% of schoolchildren are suffering around the world[2]. A study across two decades from 1990 to 2010 in London, with close to 3 million subjects found that 20% of children had dental decay in their deciduous teeth[3]. In The Gambia, 86% of 5 year-olds have decay in four or five teeth and half of those clean their teeth with chewing sticks: the other half simply don’t clean their teeth at all. In Cambodia 93% of 6 year-olds average 9 teeth with cavities and 60% of mothers reported their children had suffered dental pain in the last six months.
 

Dental decay is a lifestyle-related disease that is increasing in the far reaches of the world where traditional diets are being replaced with cheaper, imported food products containing high levels of sucrose and carbohydrates. Also, junk food manufacturers vigorously campaign their products towards vulnerable groups, such as children. In the UK we have vastly improved levels of sugar consumption when compared to a country like Mexico, but it is still double the WHO recommendation of 18kg per person, per year.
 

Along with the spread of unhealthy eating habits, developing countries are contending with other exacerbating factors like lack of access to:

·      Fluoride – An average UK worker need only work for an hour to accrue enough fluoride toothpaste for a year, the average Kenyan would have to work for an entire week.

·      Dental clinicians – There are about a million practising dentists unevenly distributed around the world. They may be found in urban areas but there is a critical shortage in poor, remote areas.

·      Government healthcare funding – In some countries, government policies and the sheer number of people suffering with caries makes treatment virtually impossible. In India, the health budget is meagre for oral health and there is no fluoride policy. Moreover, preventive products like toothbrushes and toothpaste are classed as cosmetics and subject to hefty tax levies.

It’s frustrating to think that there are simple and cost-effective solutions for lifestyle change, which are not available to so many. A scheme that was introduced in Jamaica between 1987 and 1995 proved how simple a solution could be. The National Salt Foundation Program encouraged the country’s only salt provider to produce and sell only fluoridated salt. This led to an 87% decrease in schoolchildren’s dental caries, at a cost of just 6 cents per person, annually[4].
 

Benjamin Franklin’s famous quote “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”, is a mantra that Darren Weiss, dentist and founder of the Humble Smile Foundation holds close to his heart.
 

“The focus on prevention became a practice philosophy for me,” said Weiss. “I was actively lecturing dentists about the value of prevention, but I was troubled with one thought – if I truly wanted to apply my preventive expertise, why wasn’t I based where it is of the greatest value?”
 

In light of this, Weiss collaborated with local dental professionals to design an oral health outreach programme, called Planet Smile. The focus was to promote preventive dentistry in parts of the world where the need is greatest. When he visited the Humble Brush stand at the 2015 International Dental Show and learned of their sustainable, biodegradable bamboo toothbrushes, he found a like-minded organisation with an inspirational, environmental and social vision. By working together, The Humble Smile Foundation was born. Now, for every Humble Brush sold, a physical toothbrush or equivalent oral care is given to someone in need overseas.
 

The Humble Brush Foundation recently joined forces with Assyrians Without Borders, a group to which they have donated toothbrushes assisting the charity’s aid to Syrian refugees in Turkey. With more programmes in the pipeline for Iraq and Syria, the work of the Humble Smile Foundation and Humble Brush continues to reach out to global communities suffering unimaginable hardship.
 

Contact Humble Brush today, to discover how you can effect change in the far-flung reaches of the world, without even leaving your surgery.

For more information about the Humble Brush visit www.humblebrush.co.uk or to find out more about the Humble Smile Foundation’s work visit www.humblesmile.org

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Prince William recently addressed the Chinese population, citing that without action, rhinos and elephants could be extinct by the time Princess Charlotte reaches her 25^th birthday. Unfortunately, the giant panda is also among the top ten most endangered species in the world.

Although there is some good news – the Chinese government reports the population of endangered wild pandas has risen over 17% in just over a decade[i], they’re still extremely vulnerable. Greenpeace recently reported that Loggers in China’s southwest are destroying giant panda sanctuaries, chopping down more than 3,200 acres of natural forest in the Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries[ii].

The elements of the initial endangerment of pandas are still very real today. Wild pandas have retreated into fragmented and constricted areas of central China, squeezed in by agriculture, mountains and arid lands where bamboo stocks dwindle in the winter months. With the added threat climate change poses to mountain ecosystems, it’s ever more vital to cultivate panda-friendly bamboo forests enabling them to move on if climate adversely affects the growth of bamboo in one particular region¹.

In the quest to protect the world’s wild pandas and make useful products in environmentally friendly materials, Phyllostachys edulis or Moso Bamboo, plays a key role. Known to grow up to 28 metres high at a rate of 1 metre per day[iii], it is the fastest growing, sustainable plant on earth. Its antibacterial qualities negate the need for pesticides during its growth and although it’s as strong as some metals, it’s also 100% biodegradable.

Moso leaves sprout at about 5 metres up and pandas don’t eat them because they can’t reach that high. But their diet is still mainly bamboo, which has little nutritional value, so an average panda requires 26 to 84 pounds per day. If Moso bamboo alone is used in the manufacture of building and consumer products, the further 42 species of bamboo pandas eat can be preserved and partly cultivated by themselves as they roam and disperse seeds naturally[iv].

The Humble Brush is a conservation and environmentally friendly toothbrush that utilises Moso bamboo’s admirable attributes – the handles are modelled out of this 100% biodegradable material. The Humble Brush helps reduce our plastic footprints by offering an alternative that is kind to our land and ecosystems. What’s more, for every Humble Brush sold, equivalent oral care is provided to people in need.

Help our environments, people and endangered species by choosing the Humble Brush toothbrush today.

For more information about the Humble Brush visit www.humblebrush.co.uk or to find out more about the Humble Smile Foundation’s work visit www.humblesmile.org

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@HumbleBrush

Recently launched in the UK and Ireland, Humble Brush is an exciting new product that aids dental health while protecting the environment and supporting less fortunate communities around the globe.

Dr Noel Abdayem, one of the founders of Humble Brush, as well as James Hamill from Quintess Denta – exclusive distributor in the UK and Ireland – and Dr Darren Weiss, President of the Humble Smile Foundation (www.humblesmile.org), introduced the inspiring product at a press launch in August this year.

Humble Brush features an ergonomically designed, biodegradable, panda-friendly bamboo handle that offers natural antiseptic properties. This is complemented by soft, degradable nylon bristles and packaging  made from 100% recycled materials.

You have the power to not only provide your patients with a truly effective and environmentally friendly adjunct, but also gain assurance that with every Humble Brush sold, the equivalent value will be donated to people in need.

Furthermore, you can test this remarkable product with a free toothbrush sample available for each practice. To help make a difference, contact the team at Humble Brush today.

Humble Brush is now available in the UK and Ireland. For more information visit www.humblebrush.co.uk, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 0286 862 8880. To order contact our exclusive distributor Quintess Denta at www.quintesshumblebrush.co.uk

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The current refugee crisis in Syria has been brought to global prominence with the heart-breaking image of three year-old Aylan Kurdi, lifeless in the surf after a desperate, failed attempt with his family to flee his birthplace and strive for a better life in Europe.

The Washington Post summed up Aylan’s plight:

“…As refugees from the Islamic State and other turbulent parts of the world besiege Eurostar trains, crowd the French port of Calais, and die on the shores of Libya or in trucks in Austria, it’s clear that Aylan is just one of countless many[i].”

The tragedy of losing this little boy is the stark result of political upheaval, war and suffering in our neighbouring countries. These are ordinary people, like us, who have left behind families, jobs and homes they loved, due to dreadful circumstances way beyond their control. However, in trying to flee their nations, they risk losing their lives. In Syria, the crisis has reached monumental proportions – the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre states that half of the country’s 22 million population is either displaced within its borders or has fled overseas[ii].

European heads of government face the immediate and seemingly insurmountable task of accommodating thousands of desperate people arriving daily on flimsy dinghies at Greek shores. However, because communication lines are broken, it’s easy to forget that there are millions more displaced in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and Sudan. Here, communities are torn apart by war, persecution and unimaginable misery and having fled their homes, still remain in their home countries.

The International Rescue Committee depicted the experience of displacement by documenting refugees’ possessions in photos as they arrived on the Greek island of Lesbos. One 17 year-old Afghan boy simply had a change of clothes (shorts, a t-shirt and lightweight trainers), a small amount of Turkish Lira, SIM cards, a comb, bandages and, shamefully, face whitening cream and hair gel. He thought that by whitening his skin and spiking up his hair, the authorities wouldn’t know he’s a refugee and therefore, he wouldn’t be arrested[iii].

Can any of us really appreciate what it is like to be driven from home in a matter of hours, to then have your last remaining valuables stolen at checkpoints before another fifty-mile trek to relative safety? This is a typical experience relayed to Cardinal Vincent Nichols (Archbishop of Westminster) when he met displaced Christians living in makeshift camps in Erbil, Iraq, seeking refuge from ISIS violence. He is at pains to emphasise that it is crucial for these people in order to preserve their dignity by giving them a home, however makeshift and temporary it may be[iv].

Thankfully, this fate is extremely unlikely to beset those of us living in Europe, which is why we are in a position to help. Whilst David Cameron, Barack Obama and Vladimir Putin thrash out the political complexities within war-torn countries, the average person reflects, shelving the minutiae of day-to-day life to consider how their actions can make a difference.

Cardinal Nichols touched upon a very human element intrinsic to each and every one of the millions of displaced and resettling people around the world – the preservation of dignity is not only humane, it’s imperative. So, it follows that all of the items supplied to those in need have enormous value, however big and however small. In stable countries, everyday items including toiletries and oral health adjuncts are just taken for granted. But, what would it be like if we had no means to access those products for ourselves, if we no longer had the freedom to cater for the daily routines to which we’re accustomed?

The Humble Smile Foundation and Humble Brush teams are dedicated to providing eco friendly, sustainable, efficient toothbrushes wherever peoples’ needs are the greatest. There can be no argument that the displaced, in many cases only possessing the clothes on their backs, have needs that reach far beyond the imagination. In support of the work the charity Assyrians Without Borders undertakes, aiming to assess the mental health, understand the trauma and address health conditions for refugees both in Northern Iraq, Syria and Turkey, the Humble Smile Foundation has donated over 100,000 toothbrushes. Of course, oral care is just one example of the unending building blocks involved in establishing some semblance of normality.

The non-profit Humble Smile Foundation gives a toothbrush or equivalent oral care to an underprivileged child for every sale of a Humble Brush, made from biodegradable natural bamboo. It’s well documented that taking care of our teeth and gums assists in our general wellbeing. Whether the recipients of these brushes are living in basic refugee camps or in remote parts of our world with no access to dental assistance, nurturing their teeth is a good place to start with bettering their lives.

Humble Brush is now available in the UK and Ireland. For more information please visit www.humblebrush.co.uk, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 0286 862 8880.

To order please contact the exclusive distributor Quintess Denta www.quintesshumblebrush.co.uk

Follow us on social media:

@HumbleBrush and www.facebook.com/humblebrushuk

There are an infinite number of ways to improve our world from peace in the Middle East through to saving endangered species. In every case, mankind can effect changes by working in unison, communicating, cooperating and taking small, positive steps forward.  Poverty and suffering needs the attention of those fortunate enough to have more, helping those with less. Similarly, with knowledge on pollution and waste, we must consider the impact of what we discard on the environment.

A 2010 study at the University of Georgia considered 192 countries bordering the Atlanta, Pacific, Indian oceans, Mediterranean and Black Seas, and found that 275 million tonnes of plastic waste had been generated in one year. An estimated 8 million tonnes of it was dumped at sea – amounting to five shopping bags full of plastic on every foot of the coastline [i].  The same study estimated this would double by 2025, to ten plastic bags for every foot of coastline.

The largest ocean rubbish site in the world is in the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre – a   floating mass twice the size of Texas where plastics outnumber sea life six to one[ii].  The result of such abuse to our seas is that 44% of all seabirds, 22% of cetaceans, all species of sea turtle and a growing list of fish species have plastic in or around their bodies ⁱⁱ. The seemingly innocuous household plastic toothbrush also plays a role, routinely found in the stomachs of dead seabirds and turtles worldwide[iii].

The truth is that every plastic product entering the sea will wreak havoc either directly to wildlife by ingestion or entanglement or when broken down into tiny fragments by UV rays constituting what is known as ‘plastic soup’, causing:

• Damage to critical ecosystems such as coral reefs and smothering of sediments.
• Chemical ingestion of marine organisms through ingestion of small plastic particles.
• Potential changes in biodiversity due the transport of invasive species on plastic fragments[iv].

Making a stand, Humble Brush has just been launched in the UK – an everyday toothbrush making a big difference. The handle is ergonomically fashioned out of panda-friendly bamboo – the fastest growing plant on earth with natural antiseptic properties. Complementing any contemporary bathroom, the biodegradable handle is non-slip, functional and stylish. The durable bristles available in a range of bright colours are nylon, free from bisphenol A (BPA) toxins, degrade over time, soft and gentle on gums. Every brush is packed in a transparent, biodegradable wrapper made from plants and the box is also 100% produced from recycled materials. In addition, for every brush sold, the equivalent amount of one toothbrush is donated to the Humble Smile Foundation to pass on to people in need of oral care.

By caring about your toothbrush, show you care about the world. For your free sample (one brush per practice) contact Humble Brush today.

Humble Brush is now available in the UK and Ireland. For more information please visit www.humblebrush.co.uk, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 0286 862 8880. To order please contact our exclusive distributor Quintess Denta at www.quintesshumblebrush.co.uk

You can also follow us on social media:

@HumbleBrush and www.facebook.com/humblebrushuk