Vortex and Kids with CP

Vortex inventor Dr. Wright recently received an email from the mother of a child with cerebral palsy, wanting to know if Vortex would be especially useful for her and her child. I thought his response was pretty interesting--check it out below!

Why Is Vortex a Good Match for Kids with Cerebral Palsy?

By Dr. Howard Wright, DMD

While I do not have any children with CP of my own, I’m very pleased to write out my thoughts on why my Vortex Color Changing Toothpaste is, in my opinion, a good choice for children with CP—specifically with those children who have impaired upper limb functions.

Though the term cerebral palsy encompasses many motor conditions that can cause physical disability, nearly 50% of children with CP have impaired upper limb function.  This causes actions requiring fine motor skills to be very tricky, such as buttoning a coat or tying ones shoes. When a parent or caregiver is performing these actions for the children, it is sometimes difficult for the caregiver to ascertain whether or not the task has been adequately completed.  This is especially true regarding the task of tooth brushing.

With typical toothpaste, the sign of adequate brushing is often equated with a certain level of foam generated by the foaming agent. However, due to the occasional heightened sensitivity of the mouth region of some children with CP,  using toothpaste with a foaming agent may not be the best choice, since too much foam can impede breathing and create a choking sensation for the child. With its lack of foaming agent (called SLS), Vortex Toothpaste fulfils this requirement nicely.

But without a foaming agent to mark where a sufficient amount of vigorous brushing has been applied, how can a parent or caregiver know that the teeth have been adequately brushed? The answer is Vortex Toothpaste’s brilliant color change, which acts as a guide in marking the places on the teeth where vigorous brushing has occurred. With no foaming agent to clog the child’s mouth, the child will likely be more relaxed in the uniquely uncomfortable situation of having one’s teeth brushed by someone else. Likewise, the color change may help to ease restlessness during the tooth brushing process, as the young child will be able to more easily track the progress of the task through the color change.

Therefore, Vortex Color Changing Toothpaste is uniquely designed to fulfill the special and specific needs of children who have impaired upper-limb functions, a group that includes many children with CP. I believe that parents and caregivers will appreciate the brilliant color change as a guide in determining adequate vigor in brushing, and that children will enjoy seeing the toothpaste gradually turn purple.

I will caution you, however, that Vortex Color Changing toothpaste does contain fluoride, and so the child must be sure to spit out any Vortex Toothpaste remaining in the mouth after brushing. If your child with CP has trouble spitting out toothpaste, then non-fluoridated toothpaste would be advisable.