Philips: Innovation is key!

In this year’s series of interviews for the EFP Partner newsletter, the EFP is looking at the link between lifestyle, nutrition, and oral health synergies and systemic health, which is now hardly disputed. From diabetes to cardiovascular problems, what goes on in the mouth does matter for the rest of the body. So, how are the EFP and its partners dealing with this?

In this interview we talk to Monique Stoffels, Senior Research Scientist at Philips Oral Healthcare, and Matthias Born, Professor of Physics and Senior Scientist at Philips Oral Healthcare.

Philips is an enormous company that transcends just about every facet of everyday life with its products, whether consumer or professional.  Oral health is very important to the Eindhoven-based firm.

“Philips has a long history in researching the oral-systemic topic,” says Monique Stoffels.  "Over the past years. the evidence level of the relation between general and oral health has continuously increased, which is reflected in literature, scientific and clinical studies, see for example  https://www.who.int/europe/health-topics/diabetes and other publications.”

When it comes to diabetes the numbers are staggering. In 2024, in Europe alone there were 65.6 million adults living with type-two diabetes mellitus (T2DM), with a third undiagnosed. 

Matthias Born reinforces the point. “Periodontitis, a severe chronic inflammatory non-communicable disease of the gums and tooth-supporting tissues, affects around 1.1 billion adults worldwide and is closely linked to T2DM through a circular relationship in which metabolic dysfunction worsens periodontal disease, while periodontal inflammation contributes to poorer glycaemic control, adverse outcomes, and avoidable healthcare costs.”

Public-health concern

There is evidence of other links between systemic and oral health.  Oral diseases remain a major public health concern, as Monique points out.  “They affect nearly 3.7 billion people worldwide, yet most are preventable or treatable early; untreated tooth decay remains the world’s most common health condition. The burden falls disproportionately on poorer and socially disadvantaged populations, while high costs, limited services, and exclusion from universal health coverage restrict access to care.”

So where does one start?  How to tackle this huge issue?  Matthias Born cites the World Health Organisation again. “The WHO concludes that countries should prioritise prevention—especially reduced sugar, tobacco and alcohol use, fluoride toothpaste, and better hygiene—and integrate oral health into primary care and universal health coverage (https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/oral-health).”

This has to start as early as possible, chimes Monique Stoffels. “During childhood checkups, at the dentist, at the GP, at home when parents role-model brushing routines. If education starts early on, awareness at a population level grows, and that leads to behavioural changes which everyone benefits from, also later in life.”

Brushing your teeth properly from an early age certainly helps, but what about what is going into the mouth in the first place?  Is it simply that sugar is bad, fresh fruit is good, processed food bad, fresh food good?  No, says Matthias Born.

“Nothing is as simple as it seems. Environment, availability, (mental) health status, etc. are all important when you are making these choices and decisions many times a day.” He adds that government must play a role. “In many countries, products containing sugar are taxed higher to promote people to make better choices to avoid excessive consumption of sugar, with the aim to reduce or manage risks associated with obesity and caries, both in children and adults.”

Bring doctors and dentists together

However, he believes governments around the globe should be doing even more, especially in removing barriers between dentists and doctors.

“As evidence continues to grow around the links between oral health and systemic health, there is an opportunity to bring dental and medical care closer together in the interest of better patient outcomes.” He continues his theme: “While progress is being made—for example in Germany, where GPs and dental professionals are increasingly collaborating in the care of patients with diabetes and periodontitis—more can be done to raise public awareness, expand access to preventive care, and encourage collaboration across healthcare disciplines.”

The link between oral health and systemic health, particularly diabetes and cardiovascular disease, is now well established. Research is also exploring potential associations with conditions such as dementia. Prevention and linking dental and clinical professionals in treatment and diagnosis is all very well, and lobbying governments can be effective too, but what about Philips itself? How is it doing its bit to tackle the issues raised?

Monique Stoffels thinks innovation is key. “Philips believes that prevention and healthy daily habits are the foundation of good oral health. That's why we focus on developing evidence-based solutions that help people achieve effective oral care at home and make healthy routines easier to maintain.”

This all sounds terrific, but what does that mean in practical terms? What is Philips actually doing? Monique Stoffels explains: “Our innovations are designed to address common challenges such as plaque control, gum health, and brushing adherence. For example, connected technologies, personalized guidance, and smart coaching features can help users improve their brushing technique and consistency over time.”

Philips also has a dedicated learning and development hub, constantly updated, which offers dental professionals courses and webinars.

Isn’t there a danger, though, that if Philips products and guidance are too successful, that it may do itself out of income?“We would see that as a success. Our goal is to help people achieve and maintain better oral health through effective prevention and healthy daily habits.” Matthias Born expands on this. “The reality is that oral health requires ongoing care throughout life. Without consistent plaque control, oral-health issues such as gingivitis and periodontal disease can develop or recur.”

Monique Stoffels is convinced that prevention is the key, and that means innovation.

“Ultimately, our ambition is not simply to treat oral-health problems, but to help prevent them in the first place and support lifelong oral health.”