Organization's Mission Statement: The Charter of the John O. Butler Company and its heritage for more than 75 years has included the promotion and importance of the benefits associated with proper oral care practices. Its history and company vision have been defined by providing dental professionals, their patients, and consumers with quality oral care products. As the science of dentistry has evolved over this 75 year period, the company has introduced many "firsts" and product innovations. A partial listing follows:
- Colored handles for toothbrushes so each member of the family can identify their brush
- Round rubber stimulator tip for gingival stimulation
- Metal handle for stimulator
- Orthodontic toothbrushes
- Soft natural bristles
- Solid head of tufts for denture brush
- Velvet-tip nylon bristles - first to use nylon bristles
- Disclosing tablets for teaching proper brushing technique
- Rounded nylon filament - first to use polished end rounded bristles
- Dome trim toothbrush head design
- Plastic patient mouth mirror
- Lighted mouth mirror
- Proxabrush for thoroughly cleaning between the teeth
- End-tuft brush for sulcus and interproximal cleaning
- Sulcus brush
- Bass unwaxed floss
- 300 yard unwaxed floss
- Waxed floss
- Shred-resistant floss
- Floss-threader
- Short floss handle
- The "Pulse" power toothbrush, the first cordless major power brush
The company under the direction of Dr. Butler, introduced the concept of preventive dentistry in conjunction with Dr. Charles Bass (Father of the Bass tooth brushing technique).
With the acquisition of the John O. Butler Company in 1988 by Sunstar Inc., Japan's leading oral care company, Butler entered into a new era of research and focus. In 1997, Sunstar Inc. and the John O. Butler Company, in conjunction with the University of North Carolina, School of Dentistry, sponsored the first major symposium that formally addressed the evolving potential relationships between oral health and various systemic diseases.
As a global leader in bringing these resources together, the foundation was laid for more in-depth and continuing research over the next several years.
Butler's focus in this area was re-affirmed in the recent "landmark" San Antonio symposium. In this meeting, attended by world-renowned researchers, advances in research since the last symposium were addressed. The objective of the meeting was to set the stage for future research opportunities as well as identify ways the dental community could best communicate important messages to the public sector.
Given the importance of the woman in defining today's family health care regimens, and given the research findings that indicated the relationship between oral health care and women's health, Butler has undertaken initiatives to strengthen and focus its messages in the community. It hopes to align itself with organizations who share the same focus and interests in women's health.
By these outreach efforts and through the creation of important strategic alliances, Butler hopes to better serve the dental community and communicate to the public the importance of proper oral care habits, as well as the relationship between oral and general health issues, particularly women's health issues. |
