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Preventive oral care requires a mindset that prioritizes prevention over waiting for cavities to form before acting. Proactive oral healthcare necessitates building habits, including carrying out daily self-care based on the guidance of dentists and dental hygienists and regularly visiting the dentist for professional care. The Lion Group offers a variety of products and services that support both preventive dentistry habits that suit individual lifestyles and healthy minds and bodies. Furthermore, we are facilitating activities that expand these preventive dentistry habits to all of Asia by coordinating with government administrations, dentistry experts and partner corporations. We seek to contribute to improving people’s health by offering opportunities for preventive dentistry at any time to any who need it throughout their lives.
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 condition.
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.
This animated video is designed to help children enjoy forming tooth brushing habits.
Art: Yoshitaka Yamada (Yoshida Yamada)
Children can check the steps and 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. Today, approximately 60% of Japan’s population over the age of 15 is 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.
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%.
Lion promotes the combined use of toothbrushes and dental floss. 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, by helping improve the lifestyles of our consumers, we will foster the awareness that health is related to one's own actions and to spread understanding of the importance of maintaining desirable habits.
Since its founding, Lion has worked to promote healthy oral healthcare habits among consumers. In recent years, marine plastics have become a major social issue. As a leader in oral healthcare and a manufacturer, Lion recognizes that it has a duty to address the issue of plastic recycling. By focusing on toothbrushes, which account for much of the plastic used by Lion products, 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. 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.
Since April 2023, we have been running the Okuchi-iku oral care program via a dedicated e-commerce site. The site, Okuchi-iku Kamotto! is designed for children experiencing the transition to adult teeth, a period when establishing a good foundation for straight teeth is important. This three-item set includes gummies for daily consumption to develop chewing strength, chewing gum for monthly use to check chewing strength, and an AI app to check teeth alignment via the Okuchi-iku members website. In addition, the “Magic Toothbrush,” which helps children graduate to brushing their own teeth in as little as one month, promotes the retention of toothbrushing skills through a voice-guided device, an application, and a tinting gel, all of which are fun and enjoyable to play with.
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 tooth (receding, dullness, swelling). Since its launch, approximately 71,000 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 healthcare habits by for example, making changes to their gums more readily apparent.
*1 Developed based on Lion’s data and expertise, and created using the AI image analysis technology of Automagi Inc. and the service development technology of MTI Ltd.
*2 Figure for July 22, 2019 to May 16, 2024.
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 self-care methods, oral healthcare products and other aspects of oral healthcare in line with the analysis results.
HAGUKI CHECKER [Japanese]
Daily oral healthcare 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 care 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.
Lion aims to help establish preventive dentistry habits from as early in a child’s life as possible. To this end, in terms of product development, we are enhancing our CLINICA Kid’s series, which enables preventive dentistry from age 0. Samples of CLINICA Kid’s Gel Toothpaste are offered at 18-month checkups. We believe that time spent on parent-assisted brushing is a valuable opportunity for deepening parent-child bonds. Therefore, in terms of making this information more prevalent, we are providing information through the website “HA!HA!HA! Park,” which encourages preventive dentistry efforts for children.
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 81st event in 2024, participating schools chose a date to participate and took part by watching an approximately 40-minute long educational DVD. Approximately 300,000 elementary school students attending a total of 5,377 schools participated in 2024, including students in Japan and other Asian countries. The theme of the 81st edition of the event was “Brush Up Your Teeth and Yourself.” Prepared with editorial supervision from Toshikazu Yasui of Meikai University, the program focuses on the gums and includes learning about individual oral conditions and using dental floss. In addition to promoting understanding of preventive dentistry, the program teaches students about the importance of consistency through oral care, a central part of healthy living habits.
Cumulative participants: 3.03 milion
Lion has been providing dental clinic-themed pavilions at KidZania Tokyo since 2006, at KidZania Koshien since 2009 and at KidZania Fukuoka since 2022. These pavilions have been popular with kids, particularly the “Dentist” and “Dental Hygienist” experiences, which allow them to get a feel for 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 and taking care of their own oral health and hygiene. They then 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,” that they “learned the proper way to brush teeth” and that they were “happy to protect teeth by getting rid of plaque.” The dental clinic pavilions thus appear to be effective in communicating the importance of cavity prevention and oral health.
Lion has created Start in Your Teens! Oral Health Habits: Oral Care for a 100-Year Lifespan, a teaching resource for junior and senior high school students that instructors can employ to help students develop oral health habits. Broken down by age, the percentage of people with cavities＊ peaks at 46.03% among 8-year-old elementary school students, declines, and then rises again among 13-year-old junior high school students before reaching 44.52% among 17-year-olds. This teaching resource was created with the aspiration that students will learn to maintain good oral health care habits such as tooth brushing and interdental cleaning even as their school days grow ever busier and filled with studying and club activities as they advance through junior and senior high school.
This teaching resource is designed to make it easier for instructors at junior and senior high schools to take the initiative in communicating the importance of oral health care and practical methods to their students.
＊ Source: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, “School Health Statistics Survey for Fiscal Year 2021”
The booklet, mainly targeting junior and senior high school students, includes questions that can be used in class, a history of oral care, and guidance on introducing new habits. Reference materials, worksheets and lesson plans, etc., are also available for instructors’ additional use.
Five types of materials are available free of charge: educational materials, a collection of materials for instructors, a toothbrushing calendar, lesson plans, and lesson support materials (with dialogues).
Click on the download link above and follow the instructions to obtain the materials.
＊ Applications are limited to school officials.（Only Japanese）
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, teaching them how they, as oral healthcare leaders, can 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 in Miyagi Prefecture, Sakaide in Kagawa Prefecture and Taito Ward in Tokyo.
Lion offers oral care seminars and five-minute saliva tests for corporate employees and municipal employees to ascertain their oral condition. We strive to promote oral healthcare by helping people develop healthy habits starting with the mouth.
The alignment of the teeth and other aspects of oral condition 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 condition, 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 gum health and cleanliness (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. This system is primarily used as a tool to support dental care institutions in creating opportunities for preventive dentistry and helps spark patients’ awareness of preventive measures and motivation to establish oral healthcare habits.
Lion Dental Products operates L-Support, a program to support the implementation of preventive dentistry at dental clinics. The L-Support program provides information and services useful for regular patient care to registered clinics so that they can effectively focus on preventive dentistry. The program offers seminars, video content and a dedicated website for dentistry professionals, providing many different materials to support them in gaining a broad range of preventive dentistry knowledge, including about oral healthcare products for dental clinics, as well as in improving their skills.
* Lion Dental Products Co., Ltd. [Japanese]
Brushing one's teeth is an extremely important habit that brings out and nurtures a person's innate power to live healthily. However, due to various life circumstances, including physical, economic, educational, and knowledge factors, disparities arise in the implementation of oral health care, leaving some unable to adequately care for their teeth and mouths. We consider the elimination of such disparities to be important and are working to eliminate them.
In particular, we are working to ensure that children from economically deprived families,*1 who tend to have higher rates of tooth decay, are not left behind.
Since 2021, we have been promoting the Okuchikarada Project, an initiative aimed at fostering oral healthcare habits and self-esteem among children. In particular, we are working to ensure that children from economically disadvantaged families,* who are more likely to have caries, do not miss out on oral healthcare. We have developed a proprietary experiential program about dental and oral health, and are working with NPOs to provide this program mainly through “kodomo shokudo” (children’s cafeterias). Through content like quizzes and games, the program helps children enjoy learning about oral healthcare and develop their own oral healthcare habits. One of the most popular activities for children is decorating their own toothbrushes. Furthermore, in 2022, we verified the effectiveness of the experiential program conducted in collaboration with partners in industry, government and academia in Okinawa Prefecture, which has the highest percentages of child poverty and children with cavities in Japan.*2 Results showed the signs that the experiences helped children to form oral healthcare habits and boost self-esteem. We will use the knowledge we gained from this verification to provide even more effective experiential programs.
Since 2024, we have also been working to expand consumer engagement by holding in-store events in collaboration with retailers to promote the formation of healthy habits. These activities are also conducted as part of an experiential sustainability training program, serving as a means of educating both executives and employees about sustainability.
*1Department of Social Medicine, National Institute of Child Health and Development, Adachi Ward, Adachi Ward Board of Education (FY2016)
*2Source: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, 2020 School Health Survey Statistics
Our society and ways of living are changing rapidly as we face such increasingly serious social issues as low birth rates, an aging population, declining population and the depletion of resources on the one hand and dramatic technological progress in such areas as AI and IoT on the other. In order to keep up with these changes and continue supporting the public’s health, Lion is focusing on not just providing goods but offering new value to our customers. Open innovation through partnerships with external organizations, such as government agencies and other companies, is key to this endeavor.
In the oral healthcare field, we are investigating the status of dental alignment in elementary school students in cooperation with Kuroishi City in Aomori Prefecture and Hirosaki University, a Designated National University, to confirm the relationship between dental alignment and living habits. In addition, in collaboration with Hitachi Ltd. and Hitachi Health Center, Lion has confirmed the benefits of dental health checkups in the workplace on a 10,000-person scale, as well as obtained useful data that will lead to healthier employees. By acquiring and disseminating this new information and utilizing it in the development of products and services, we are able to derive value for the creation of healthier living habits.
Lion established the Lion Award in 2001 to support the activities of academic associations and the development of young researchers. The prize is awarded via the International Association for Dental Research, the world’s largest dental research association, the Asian Academy of Preventive Dentistry, a dental research association in Asia, as well as the Japanese Society of Pediatric Dentistry, Japanese Society for Oral Health, Japanese Society of Gerodontology, Japanese Association for Oral Biology and Japanese Society of Periodontology.
Trophy plaques and cash prizes are awarded to researchers to commend outstanding and creative research.
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