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Featuring the most recommended dental products across more than a dozen categories, here are the results of the 2021 Dental Products Report OTC Guide

Dental Products Report's 2021 OTC Guide

 2021 Dental Products Report OTC Product Guide Survey Results

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Announcing the #1 most recommended brands in 13 categories of over-the-counter oral care products.

2021 Dental Products Report OTC Product Guide Survey Results

Your professional opinion resonates with your patients. This resonance extends to your views about what patients use in their home care. Dental manufacturers understand and encourage this arrangement—sometimes in ways that benefit your bottom line.

From selling direct to setting up a commission relationship, your practice could take your professional opinion about over-the-counter (OTC) dental products and turn it into revenue for your practice. We spoke to two experts about how you can make OTC recommendations that benefit your bottom line and the level of patient care you deliver.

What Are the OTC Recommendations That Can Benefit Your Bottom Line?

Flávia Palone Aldarvis Bacarin, Colgate Professional Direct Manager for Colgate Oral Pharmaceuticals, was a dentist in Brazil before joining the marketing team at Colgate. As a dentist, she understands that the OTC products patients use in their home care as an essential complementary piece for in-office care. Adequate home care not only prevents caries, gum disease, and bad breath, but it also can improve a patient's overall health. 

"Colgate has a complete line of home care products that elevate patients' health. Most of them are available through the Professional Direct platform," Bacarin explains.

Mark Hyman, DDS, MAGD, is an Adjunct Full Professor and Special Assistant to the Office of the Dean at UNC Adams School of Dentistry, international speaker and key opinion leader for Philips Sonicare. Before selling his private practice, which he had for 32 years, he found OTC products an excellent adjunct to what they were doing at the dental practice. Philips Sonicare toothbrushes are an OTC product that Dr Hyman recommended to nearly all of his patients, of all ages, from kids to seniors. Per Dr Hyman, the science demonstrates that a power toothbrush removes more plaque, stain and debris than a manual toothbrush. Dr Hyman often asks his audiences who they should offer a power toothbrush to, knowing that the answer is everybody.

"There is not a good reason why everybody should not be using a power toothbrush like Philips Sonicare," Dr Hyman says.

He has other OTC products he recommends as well, like the Philips Zoom! DayWhite® and NiteWhite® take-home products for maintenance after in-office Philips Zoom! whitening procedures. For fresher breath, Dr Hyman talks to them about tongue scrapers or mouth rinses like Philips Sonicare BreathRx. A tremendous opportunity exists with replacement heads for power toothbrushes as well, Dr Hyman says. However, these recommendations require establishing trust in the communication and should match the patients' goals, he explains.

"You ask them for their goals and then present the adjunct OTC goals that go with that goal," Dr Hyman says.

With the dental practices that are using the platform, Bacarin sees that they talk about toothbrushes. Bacarin says that the hum by Colgate® electric rechargeable smart toothbrush is the most recommended and most purchased product through the program. The brush works with an app or the Apple® Health App to provides personalized care that guides patients to brush better, including smart sensors that target spots to which patients need to pay more attention. Referring dental professionals also discuss toothpaste and products like Colgate Phos-Flur Ortho Defense and Anti-Cavity Fluoride Rinse to prevent white spots on orthodontic patients' teeth. The practices also recommend Hydris Dry Mouth oral rinse for patients presenting with dry mouth or Colgate Magik Fun toothbrush with augmented reality for kids to inspire brushing. Other popular items are whitening products, including the Colgate Optic White® Professional Take-Home Whitening Kit.

"Our main goal is to provide these kinds of specialized products because we realized through our research that some of these products are hard to find in retail," Bacarin says.

Dr Hyman found one of the best ways to use OTC products to benefit his bottom line was how we presented care to his patients. By first establishing the patients' goals for their oral health, he could then supply an OTC product that would help them get there and what they were doing in the operatory through traditional dental care.

"To me, it was a benefit statement," Dr Hyman explains. "Instead of saying, 'you need a Philips Sonicare,' it was 'would you like your gums bleeding reduced?' But we never use the word 'need.' We ask what benefit they are seeking and how we can help achieve those goals by providing a simple, predictable daily solution to them."

To achieve the best results with a power toothbrush, patients need to replace the heads regularly. However, dental practices don't have a way to track it. Therefore, Dr Hyman says it is crucial to note in the patient record who has a Philips Sonicare toothbrush so the team can follow-up at the next appointment to ensure that patients have changed the brush head or if they need to order a new one.

For both the toothbrushes and brush heads, Dr Hyman recommends having them in the office because it is the best way to ensure patient compliance. For example, the dental hygienist, who spends the most time with the patient, can tell the patient their gums are bleeding and that they want the patient to use a Philips Sonicare. If the hygienist doesn't have a Philips Sonicare power toothbrush there to put in the patients' hands as they leave the operatory, it means patients will need to go to a retailer or order the brush online. Dr Hyman would instead take the patient compliance aspect out of it and hand it to them right then.

"The hygienist says, 'your gums are bleeding; I want you to start using this tonight,' not 'go to Costco in the next week and get one of those,' or 'have Amazon deliver one,'" Dr Hyman explains.

However, the practice must take care of the business side of these transactions properly. For example, when you sell a product directly, you have sales tax to file with the state, which is usually a new area for many practices just starting in these efforts. Dr Hyman says he learned the hard way that minding these details is imperative.

"I was told, 'don't worry about it. What's the worst thing that can happen?' And then I found out. We had an audit," he says.

To avoid making this same mistake, Dr Hyman says the dentist and team need to communicate clearly with their accounting team to ensure they are compliant with state and federal regulations. He says that one way to keep track is to capture this information about sales in the practice management software, which also can serve as a reminding prompt for the team to follow up on maintenance and upkeep.

Dr Hyman sold the OTC products as a relationship-building tool that gets the best possible solutions in his patients' hands as quickly as possible and improves their overall dental health. However, if the manufacturer sells the products cheaper to big-box retailers than Dr Hyman can buy them for, it doesn't present a win for patients. This situation has become a challenge with OTC products, per Dr Hyman, which is why Philips Sonicare continues to work with dental professionals to offer them the best possible value.

"I appreciate when manufacturers partner with the private practitioners so that we can have it on our websites, have a convenience menu for patients," Dr Hyman says.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic presents a challenge with the OTC efforts some practices have initiated. With patients waiting in their cars and walking directly to the operatory for their appointments, Dr Hyman says patients can miss the retail displays that offices have created for OTC home care adjuncts. He thinks practices should respond with a different tack that capitalizes on when patients are motivated to address their oral healthcare needs, either chairside or on the website.

"Show them on an iPad or the LCD monitor chairside the patient convenience menu," Dr Hyman says. "Then ask them which one they need today. 'Do you need replacement heads? Do you need a refill of BreathRx? Do you need any tongue scrapers or DayWhite or NiteWhite?' or whatever it is. Or recommend that they go on your website in the next week and order what they need."

For unsold products, he likes to use it as a patient experience enhancement. For example, if he had a patient mention they got engaged, he will do two-for-one whitening treatments for the bride and the bride's mother. Dr Hyman also gives them away, sometimes to patients that need a Philips Sonicare but can't afford one or to silent auctions or local community resource centers. After a full-mouth restoration, Dr Hyman would give the patient a Philips Sonicare to take care of their new smile.

"They almost become loss leaders because we use them as an adjunct," Dr Hyman says, adding that he sold most of the products at cost. "I wasn't looking to make money. I was looking for the sizzle of it."

Dr Hyman recognizes that the current environment has led to many patients having to make tough choices on how they will spend their money. However, it also presents an opportunity to increase the emotional engagement they have with their practices.

"This is an example of how during turbulent times, we can add a sweetener, a sizzle, a pizazz to their dental experience," Dr Hyman says.

Bacarin says that they developed their new service for dental professionals, the Colgate Professional Direct product, to help close the recommendation loop with patients. The product allows dental professionals to make their recommendations for oral care products via email or text with a link so patients can buy it at a discount with only a few clicks. She says they wanted a way to make it super convenient for patients to follow the recommendations made in their dental appointments.

"We are offering 10 percent of the sales to the dental professionals," Bacarin says. "The dental professionals can choose to have a direct deposit to their bank account, or, if they prefer not to receive the money, we can direct the funds to the Colgate Global Oral Health Educational program."

Colgate's Bright Smiles, Bright Futures program is Colgate’s global oral health educational program helping children and communities in need for over 28 years.

“We have already reached over one billion children across those years and are aiming to use the funds from this program to help us progress towards our goal of reaching two billion children by 2025,” Bacarin says.

In addition to the potential bottom-line enhancements, the Colgate Professional Direct program also has other benefits to the practice, per Bacarin. First, it eliminates the need to have a retail display and all the hassles associated with that effort, e.g., tax compliance, space concerns, managing returns, inventory, and expiration dates management. Second, it helps with patient compliance. Dental professionals want the patient to use the products they recommend, so Bacarin says that this program makes it easy for the patient to do so. Next is the convenience factor. Bacarin says that everyone, even Colgate, is looking for tools that improve lives and using today's technology, the Professional Direct platform delivers that convenience. Finally, there is potential for additional revenue, which isn't a small issue for most dental practices in 2020.

"With the pandemic, everyone is looking for additional revenue. Many practices have [or had] been closed for months. The platform is a way to show that Colgate cares," Bacarin says. "It's not much, only 10 percent of the sales, but with some of the early adopters and power users, we see we are helping them."

Bacarin says it is important to note that the platform is not the dental professional selling to the patient, but Colgate selling to the patient. The financial side is handled by Colgate from end-to-end.

"It's one less headache for the professional," Bacarin says. "We just pay the 10 percent commission, and there is nothing to report for sales tax or anything."

Colgate's team wanted the program to be simple for dental professionals to sign up on the Professional Direct website. Bacarin says that the practice can sign up as a practice, or the dental professional can sign up for the program using their license number, whichever they prefer. Also, dental professionals can access it from any device they want, from desktop, tablet, or mobile device.

Furthermore, Colgate wants to have feedback and suggestions for products, tools, and platform enhancements. Bacarin explains that Colgate didn't design the platform for themselves, but instead for dental professionals. Between research and informal conversations, Bacarin says they learned that dental professionals wanted Colgate to transform the website into a map to provide a better user experience, so Colgate is working on that.

"Everything we do will be based on the user experience," Bacarin says.

Bacarin says the most successful practices using the platform were the ones that tried using it. She says that sometimes Colgate found that dental professionals would sign up for the program to see what it was and how it worked but were reluctant to make any recommendations. However, she encourages practices that take the time to sign up and try sending a recommendation before writing off the idea.

"They will see. It's super easy and takes less than 30 seconds to send a recommendation," Bacarin explains. "It's a benefit that only they can give their patients, and it's a discount of 20 percent, which is a pretty significant discount."

For example, the Magik Toothbrush for kids retails at $18, but through the platform, it's only $10.99, Bacarin explains.

"And with the pandemic, patients don't want to go to the store, so the convenience to receive at home is even better, and this is a benefit that only the dental professional can provide their patients," Bacarin says.

The platform also comes with a way to see which patients bought the products so that dental professionals can follow up with them, Bacarin explains. It's useful information for practices to have for patient compliance. Colgate is also working on a way for the data to import into practice management systems automatically.

"Colgate developed this platform to benefit dental professionals and their patients. Everything we do is based on them, from their feedback to their experiences to their suggestions," Bacarin says. "We are super open to working on that and being agile. This is how we are working to enhance and improve and be the number one partner with dental professionals. This is our goal here."

From selling direct to setting up an online store to taking advantage of manufacturer platforms, your practice could take your professional opinion about over-the-counter dental products and turn it into revenue for your bottom line.

 How to Make OTC Recommendations That Benefit Your Bottom Line

You advise your patients to brush twice a day and clean between teeth every day. You caution patients to limit their sugar consumption and tell them why a healthy diet benefits their oral health. The American Dental Association (ADA) also recommends that you provide specific and personalized recommendations of over-the-counter (OTC) products for home care.

With so many products available, this can be challenging. We spoke to 4 dental professionals about how they handle OTC recommendations in their practices.

Know What Products Your Patients Are Using

Jeff Lineberry, DDS, FAGD, makes OTC recommendations every day in his private practice in Mooresville, North Carolina. He says that dentists need to know what their patients are using daily to provide the best consult for their oral health.

“It’s important to understand the premise behind the different products’ claims and the ins and outs of them so you can make solid recommendations for your patients,” Lineberry explains.

Cathy Stano, RDH, BS, who is a professional oral care educator for Arm & Hammer, compares the observations made by dental professionals in the operatory to being a detective who searches for a patient’s oral care needs.

“It’s up to us to educate them and recommend or prescribe products or methods that could help them achieve those good hygiene goals,” Stano explains.

Stano says that patients are prioritizing self-care more than in the past. Some ask her what they can do to improve their home care. Stano says that being prepared with specific and relevant products that are easy to find and inexpensive boosts patient adherence.

“So, it’s important for us to know what’s out there on the market when they go into these box retail stores or supermarkets,” Stano says. “There’s so much choice out there, how can I make it as easy as possible for them to be able to purchase the products they need?”

Make Recommendations Part of the Operatory Routine

Katrina Sanders, RDH, a practicing dental hygienist, dental hygiene educator, and international speaker, recommends using the time when you provide care as an opportunity to recommend products that will support patients’ best possible oral health.

“[Hygienists] spend all of this time in the operatory with a patient going over their medical history, dental history, and reviewing the potential genetic components and challenges. We also look in their mouth and evaluate the risk of oral cancer, decay, gingivitis, and periodontitis. If there is anybody in the practice who better understands the oral condition of the patient, it’s the person who just spent upwards of an hour in that patient’s mouth,” Sanders says.

“We are with that person for almost an hour at a time,” Stano agrees. “Our patients trust us and know us personally. We have a continuum of care with these folks. And if not, it’s up to us to document our charts so that the next practitioner can follow up and make sure they answer any questions they might have.”

Because hygienists are licensed dental care providers, Sanders thinks that “prescription” is a more appropriate word for OTC products they recommend. These “prescriptions” are based on that patient’s specific needs and extend the care the hygienist provides. Sanders says this extension of care is crucial.

“If you only see that patient twice a year for hygiene, that’s 363 days of the year that you have no control over what’s going on in that patient’s mouth,” Sanders explains. “If we can better manage that, it allows us to have more involvement in our patients’ care even when they are not sitting in our chair.”

Cut Through the Clutter of Marketing Claims

If there is 1 thing that consumer-facing products are excellent at doing, it’s marketing. Marketing messages highlight benefits and are designed to change patients’ behavior. However, these messages are not always promoting science-based benefits.

Lynne Slim, RDH, MS, a writer and speaker on dental hygiene, says it isn’t possible to be familiar with every OTC dental product. She recommends using scientific evidence to support recommendations. Slim does an internet search on product information when she needs to know more and to ensure her patients don’t fall prey to effective marketing.

“My focus with patients is to make sure that the OTC product is not based on unsubstantiated claims….I’m a passionate, evidence-based hygienist who’s always looking at scientific evidence to support a product,” Slim says.

For example, Slim is familiar with OTC 0.454% stannous fluoride dentifrices and their adult patients’ indications. She also is aware that these new dentifrices don’t stain. Slim is comfortable recommending them to patients, based on her research.

However, she also tells patients when there isn’t enough research on a product. For instance, if a patient asks whether they should use a toothpaste containing charcoal, she will tell them there are no reports of harm in using the dentifrice, but there’s also no research showing any advantages to that particular ingredient. This approach helps her build trust with patients, which is essential when it comes to patient adherence.

“If I explain to patients my passion for scientific evidence, and if I gain their trust, they’re more likely to listen closely and heed my suggestions,” Slim says.

When it comes to the types of products she would recommend, Slim says she relies on her research. Even though she appreciates seeing the pharmaceutical salespeople and the samples they leave for patients, she says she needs to know the science and ensure it satisfies her credibility standards.

“I am sick of junk or ‘pseudo’ science, and there seems to be plenty of that kind of science being promoted when it comes to COVID-19,” Slim says.

Toothpaste varieties run the gamut from tartar control to whitening to sensitivity control and more. Dental professionals should understand what the products’ claims are and how they work before recommending them—especially if they hear patients are using the wrong thing for their needs, Lineberry says.

“For example, some of these toothpaste formulas out there are fairly abrasive. If I have a patient [who] is having a problem with sensitivity, and I discover that they are using toothpaste for whitening and tartar control, which is abrasive, then I know it’s causing their teeth to feel more sensitive,” Lineberry says.

OTC recommendations extend beyond toothpaste and floss, however. Lineberry often recommends water flossers for patients with more space between their teeth or a history of periodontal disease. Dry-mouth medicines are another type of OTC product they often recommend in his practice. Lineberry and his team also recommend rinses, dental adhesives for dentures, and temporary cements when there is a dental emergency and patients can’t make it into the dentist’s office. Lineberry always looks for the ADA seal of approval before he makes a recommendation.

“The seal has always been representative that the product has been tested and shown to be safe and effective,” Lineberry says.

“I do, in general, like to look for the ADA seal of acceptance,” Sanders agrees. “It does provide a level of excellence. There are plenty of dental products across the market that will make claims on X, Y, and Z. Still, it’s when we get that ADA seal that we know our governing body has evaluated them for nonbiased efficacy of these products.”

In addition to the ADA seal, Sanders looks for products she knows her patients like to use. If not, patients may not follow her recommendations. If it is not possible to avoid an OTC product that can be unpleasant to use, Sanders explains that it is temporary and asks for the patient’s patience.

“I tell them that I know it is not ideal, but this is something we have to do to get them to a state of health again,” Sanders explains.

Sanders starts her advice by discussing the patient’s toothbrush. Many dental professionals ask how many times a patient brushes a day and leave it at that. However, Sanders thinks it is crucial to dig deeper. For example, Sanders wants to know if patients use a manual or electric toothbrush, how often they change the brush or brush heads, and for how long the patient brushes each time, as well as their brushing technique.

“Because if your patient is coming in and they continually present with high levels of debris saying, ‘Well, I brush twice a day,’ I need to know more information on what isn’t working,” Sanders explains.

Sanders then usually asks how patients clean between the teeth and is careful not to use the word “floss.” Instead, she wants to know what they use and how often they clean, because floss is not always the best option.

For example, if a patient has periodontitis and wide-open embrasure space, a water flosser or interdental brush might clean the area better than floss.

“That’s another layer to what our treatment prescriptions are going to be; it needs to be based on the unique needs of the patient,” Sanders says.

Stano has been a staunch supporter of Arm & Hammer products for 40 years. Baking soda is in all of Arm & Hammer’s toothpastes, comprising from 35% to 65% of the product, and it has been a natural product in toothpaste and dental powder since 1911, according to

 The Journal of the American Dental Association

Stano likes to recommend baking soda products because they are supported by science, and because baking soda is a natural ingredient.

“It’s proven. We have a lot of research backing our claims. Obviously, we are all looking at the science,” Stano says.

When making recommendations, Stano also takes into account the patient’s symptoms. For example, she often recommends that patients switch to a natural toothpaste when they present with recurring abscess, ulcers, or sores in the oral cavity. Stano says that many toothpaste brands use sodium lauryl sulfate, which can aggravate these conditions.

“The Arm & Hammer Essentials toothpaste is free of sodium lauryl sulfate, peroxide, preservatives, parabens, artificial sweeteners, and dyes,” Stano explains. “We try to keep it clean as much as possible. There are a lot of [people] here and around the country [who] want cleaner products. They want products free from all these additives.”

If a patient consumes a lot of carbonated water, soda, popsicles, sports drinks, or sugary foods, she would recommend a toothpaste with a higher pH to reduce the acidity in the oral cavity.

“The acidity is what causes dental decay and is a contributor to periodontal disease,” Stano says. “Arm & Hammer have some of the highest pHs in the market, which aid in buffering the acidity.”

Goal-Based Recommendations Can Extend Your Care Into Their Home Care

When walking down the aisle of the grocery store, Sanders says, patients see an array of products touting benefits such as whitening, sensitivity, enamel-building, antigingivitis, antiplaque, and more. She says it can be confusing for patients. It is incumbent on dental professionals to give prescriptive advice, so patients know what they need when presented with so many options, Sanders says.

“It’s more than dropping a little sample in a bag and giving it to the patient. It is intentionally saying, ‘This is the type of toothpaste that I would like to see you use because of the active ingredients that do X, Y, and Z,’” Sanders says.

These active ingredients are crucial in OTC products such as mouth rinses. Sanders might recommend fluoride rinses for patients who are caries-positive, or a rinse with medicaments that reduce halitosis for patients with gum disease

Sanders also recommends having samples or coupons in the office for products that may be useful for your patient’s home care. She also recommends offering to show them how to use products they may not be familiar with at the next appointment. Perhaps most importantly, she says, remember that your suggestions are something that patients take seriously.

“Think about how your patients are reading your ‘recommendations,’ and know that they matter and patients do listen,” Sanders says. “It’s our opportunity to help guide them through what they don’t know and truly extend our reach beyond simply what we do in the dental chair.”

 2017;148(11S):S1-S3. doi:10.1016/j.adaj.2017.09.009


Knowing what oral health products are available over the counter can optimize your patients’ home care. 

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