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Even if you take care to brush your teeth carefully, without the proper knowledge and techniques,
you can still end up leaving plaque behind. Establishing daily self-care habits in line with the
principles of preventive dentistry is key to effectively managing and maintaining oral
health.
The Lion Group is implementing a range of initiatives to promote brushing techniques that
effectively remove plaque along with new habits that help foster awareness of preventive dentistry
based on an understanding of one’s own oral conditions.
In order to help elementary school-aged children acquire correct and thorough tooth brushing habits in a fun way, Lion has created a tooth brushing song with lyrics about the steps of tooth brushing, videos featuring the song as well as posters with the brushing steps. One of the videos is instructional and teaches children the proper brushing method and steps, and another is a fun animated version for children to watch once they have learned how to brush.
A dental hygienist teaches key points and demonstrates the brushing steps while following along with the song.
* Recommended for children who are still learning how to brush.
![Video (instructional version) [Japanese]](/ja/sustainability/img/community/oral/self-care/movie-song01.png)
This animated video is designed to help children enjoy forming tooth brushing habits.
* Recommended for children who have already learned how to brush.
Art: Yoshitaka Yamada (Yoshida Yamada)
Children can check the stepsand key points of tooth brushing with the lyrics on the poster.
Character design: Yoshitaka Yamada (Yoshida Yamada)
Download A1 version[Japanese]/A3 version[Japanese]
Lion is advancing initiatives to promote after-lunch tooth brushing, aiming to help establish the
habit of brushing three times a day.
With more women entering the workforce, the employed population in Japan has been steadily rising.
Today, approximately 60% of those over the age of 15 are employed (Fiscal 2018 Labour Force Survey,
Japan Statistics Bureau). While many consumers spend their afternoons in the workplace, only 40% of
workers in offices and similar environments report regularly brushing their teeth after lunch, while
another 22% report wanting to but not actually doing so (Lion survey).
To address the needs of working people, Lion launched MIGACOT, an oral
care set designed for tooth
brushing at the office that includes a cup. Lion is promoting this product along with educational
activities to spread the mindset that brushing one’s teeth after lunch is a normal part of the
workday among as many people as possible.
Under the theme "Taking preventive dentistry a step forward," we promote initiatives to communicate the necessity and benefits of preventive dentistry.
One of the key points of effective oral self-care is to completely remove all dental
plaque. Only about 60% of the plaque that forms between the teeth can be removed using a toothbrush
alone. The combination of toothbrush and dental floss, however, improves plaque removal by
50%.
In addition to providing products for children old enough to floss (those in elementary school and
above) and other consumers who may not be used to using dental floss, Lion carries out activities to
promote the necessity of using dental floss and correct flossing techniques.*
*
Lion holds the Oral Health Event of Tooth Brushing
for Children every year to provide a fun opportunity for elementary school students to learn how
to use dental floss and brushing techniques suited to the arrangement of their own
teeth.
Going forward, we will continue working to foster awareness of the connection between one’s
health and actions, focusing on improving living habits, and working to promote understanding of
the importance of maintaining good habits.
Since its founding, Lion has worked to promote healthy oral care habits among consumers. In recent years, marine plastics have become a major social issue. As a leader in oral care and a manufacturer, Lion recognizes that it has a duty to address the issue of plastic recycling. By focusing on toothbrushes, which account for more plastic use than any other Lion product, we are working to contribute to the formation of healthy consumer living habits while helping to reduce environmental impact.
Over time, regular use of a toothbrush causes the bristles to splay apart, reducing the brushing efficacy. According to a Lion survey, only about 40% of consumers replace their toothbrushes every month.* Those that do not give such reasons as “It’s wasteful to throw it out,” and “I wasn’t aware that the brushing effectiveness diminishes.”
*Although the exact timing may vary by individual, we generally recommend replacing your toothbrush every month.
In February 2018, we designated the 8th of every month Toothbrush Replacement
Day* and
started calling for monthly toothbrush replacement.
To expand this program, we are collaborating with business partners by developing in-store
point-of-purchase displays to remind consumers to replace their toothbrushes on the 8th of
every month and creating posters promoting periodic toothbrush replacement for use in dental
clinics.
Lion will continue these activities to promote toothbrush replacement with our business
partners and dental clinics so that monthly toothbrush replacement becomes a regular habit.
*This day was registered and certified by the Japan Anniversary Association on December 27, 2017, and has been established as a new annual event.
There is a concern that an increase in the frequency of toothbrush replacement due to the promotion of toothbrush replacement could lead to a rise in waste.
Addressing this concern, and in light of problem of marine plastics in recent years, Lion initiated its Toothbrush Recycling Program,* a first in Asia, to collect and recycle used toothbrushes, which had previously just been thrown away, in cooperation with TerraCycle Japan. Furthermore, in 2020, we launched a toothbrush recycling initiative in coordination with municipal garbage collection operations, a first in Japan. Adopting the perspective that each consumer who participates in toothbrush recycling is an important partner, we are moving forward with the aim of realizing a resource-circulating society.
Lion developed CLINICA Kid’s Hamigaki no Okeiko, an IoT toothbrush linked to an app that helps children learn the importance of tooth brushing and correct brushing techniques in a fun way in order to form healthy tooth brushing habits from a young age. In developing this product, we put particular emphasis on offering an experience that would encourage children to take the initiative themselves in tooth brushing. Specifically, we ran trials in which children tried using prototypes for a day, a week or a month. This allowed us to identify increasing motivation to brush one’s teeth, learning tooth brushing techniques and getting better at tooth brushing as important areas in which we could provide value through experience. With guidance from pediatric dentistry experts, we developed a toothbrush attachment that contains an accelerometer to sense toothbrush motion as well as an app that uses a picture book format to make it easy for children to understand the importance of tooth brushing and feel a clear sense of satisfaction and progress. Through a development process prioritizing the consumer’s perspective, we are contributing to the formation of healthy tooth brushing habits in childhood and thus making a difference in everyday lives.
CLINICA Kid’s Hamigaki no Okeiko [Japanese]
Aiming to increase awareness of preventive dentistry, in 2019, we launched HAGUKI
CHECKER,*1 an
online tool that checks the state of users’ teeth and gums. Users simply use a smartphone or other
device to take photos of the inside of their mouths, including the teeth and gums, and upload them
to HAGUKI CHECKER. The online service then uses AI to identify individual teeth and check the
state
of the gums around each. Since its launch, approximately 16,000 people*2 have used the
service.
By helping consumers see and understand their own oral environments, HAGUKI CHECKER sparks
greater
interest in the state of their gums. Periodic use over time can help consumers see the effects of
changes in their oral care habits by for example, making changes to their gums more readily
apparent.
*1Developed based on Lion’s data and expertise, HAGUKI CHECKER was created using the AI image analysis technology of Automagi Inc. and the service development technology of MTI Ltd.
*2Figure for July 22, 2019 to December 26, 2019.
HAGUKI CHECKER provides an analysis of the state of the user’s gums around each tooth, evaluating the following three factors on a three-point scale.
The service also provides information about care methods, oral care products and other aspects of oral care in line with the analysis results.
HAGUKI CHECKER
Daily oral care is an important habit that affects lifelong health. Forming healthy oral care habits from a young age is crucial. Lion believes that practicing self-care at all life stages is important. In order to firmly establish healthy oral care habits appropriate to the needs of specific life stages, Lion is advancing initiatives in cooperation with external organizations, including government bodies, schools, hospitals and dental clinics. In addition, Lion supports the oral healthcare promotion activities of The Lion Foundation for Dental Health (LDH).
* Established in 1964, the Lion Foundation for Dental Health (LDH) changed its status to a public interest incorporated foundation in 2010. Lion fully supports LDH’s activities to promote oral health awareness and education. LDH coordinates with the Japan Dental Association, universities, governmental bodies and other partners to help maintain and improve the dental and oral health of consumers through its three projects. By doing so, LDH stays at the forefront of oral health, contributing to society by helping to improve the quality of life of all people.
The Three Projects of LDHLion runs the dentistry information website ORALcom, where it offers answers to common questions about issues related to the oral health of expectant mothers and infants.
Lion aims to help establish preventive dentistry habits from as early in a child’s life as possible. To this end, Lion developed the Safety Handle Toothbrush, which enables preventive dentistry from age 0. We believe that time spent on parent-assisted brushing is a valuable opportunity for deepening parent-child bonds. To spread this idea, we are providing information through videos designed to spread empathy [Japanese] and the website “HA!HA!HA! Park,” which encourages preventive dentistry efforts for children. We also distribute a booklet titled “Preventive Dentistry from Age 0” to dental and obstetrics clinics across the country, aiming to help caregivers obtain the correct knowledge they need.
The Oral Health Event of Tooth Brushing for Children, started in 1932, is held every year for
elementary school students during Dental/Oral Health Week (June 4th to 10th).
For the 78th event in 2021, participating schools chose a date to participate and took part by
watching a 40-minute educational DVD. Approximately 250,000 elementary school students attending a
total of 4,498 schools participated in 2021, including students in Japan and other Asian countries.
The theme of the 2021 event was “Brush Up Your Teeth and Yourself.” Prepared with editorial
supervision from Meikai University President Toshikazu Yasui, the program focused on the gums,
including hands-on practice brushing in line with individual oral conditions and using dental floss.
In addition to promoting understanding of preventive dentistry, the program taught students about
the importance of consistency through oral care, a central part of healthy living habits.
Lion has provided dental clinic-themed pavilions at KidZania Tokyo since 2006 and at KidZania
Koshien since 2009. These pavilions have been popular with kids. At them, children can choose from
two activities: the “Dentist” experience or the “Dental Hygienist” experience. These allow them to
experience what it is like to work in these jobs.
At the pavilions, kids first undergo “training” as dentists or dental hygienists, learning about the
importance of teeth taking care of their own oral health and hygiene. Then, they use tools that are
nearly identical to the real things, including polishers and dental vacuums, to treat cavities and
apply fluoride treatments to patients (training mannequins used in dentistry schools) in the
dentist’s chair. For completing their work, they receive a salary paid in the official currency of
KidZania, usable at other pavilions.
After their work experience, kids have commented that “treating cavities seemed really difficult,”
and “adult teeth don’t grow back, so I definitely want to brush well and make sure I don’t get any
cavities.” The dental clinic pavilions thus appear to be effective in communicating the importance
of cavity prevention and oral health.
Lion seeks to promote preventive dentistry practices that consumers can perform themselves. To this end, in communities with which we have formed partnerships, we hold oral healthcare leader development lectures to empower local governments, as oral healthcare leaders, to provide residents with tooth brushing information and practical techniques that can be beneficial to overall health. We are currently carrying out these activities in the cities of Ishinomaki and Sakaide.
The alignment of the teeth and other oral conditions are unique to each individual. Receiving professional care from dentists or dental hygienists is crucial—not just to treat dental problems, but to prevent issues like cavities and gum disease before they arise. Such care includes fluoride treatments and instruction on brushing methods suited for one’s own oral conditions. In addition, it is best to get regular checkups at a dental clinic two to three times per year to check the state of your oral conditions, including the health of the teeth and gums. Lion promotes the habit of receiving regular professional care.
SMT is a five-minute testing system that can measure the levels of six analytes related to dental
and oral health (cariogenic bacteria, acidity, buffer capacity, leucocytes, proteins and ammonia) in
saliva collected by rinsing the mouth with 3 ml of distilled water. This allows dentists or dental
hygienists to provide immediate feedback to their patients as part of a dental checkup. Knowing
objectively the conditions inside their mouths helps motivate patients to engage in preventive
dentistry.
Furthermore, as part of Lion’s efforts to promote preventive dentistry, this test is incorporated
into the Company’s internal dental checkups and utilized to establish good oral care habits among
employees. In 2020, dental checkups were suspended to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
