Beyond the goal of attaining a radiant smile, keeping up with proper oral hygiene is an integral part of overall well-being. Neglecting the care of one’s gums and teeth is associated with systemic issues, such as Alzheimer’s and cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, inflammation, and pregnancy and birth complications.
Yet, despite constant advice to floss regularly (and perhaps some guilt for not keeping up with the habit), there have not been any innovations in the oral care space for decades that would meaningfully improve one’s daily dental routine.
Leave it to Silicon Valley entrepreneurs to creatively address the need: a startup called Fresh Health, Inc. recently launched a fully customized, automated, 60-jet water flosser that targets the entire mouth at once and provides a comprehensive cleaning in just seven seconds. By blasting away food, plaque, and bacteria with angled water jets, the Proclaim Custom-Jet Oral Health System is changing the game by offering a high-tech, precision method to prevent oral disease and maintain a healthier lifestyle.
“This is an enormous, new category to build here, and this product solves a fundamental problem for people,” says Katonah resident Herberto (Herbie) Calves, the company’s CEO since the spring of 2022.
After taking the helm, Calves says he internalized the engineering of the product, oversaw a full, peer-reviewed American Dental Association clinical study conducted at a certified ADA independent research facility, laid out a plan to go to market, including introducing the device through dental offices, and began to get the word out about “phenomenal” results that showed significant reduction in plaque, bleeding, inflammation, and gum pocket depth after a short time using the oral irrigator.
“We take a digital scan of your mouth and create a personalized mouthpiece, with up to 60 jets that are perfectly placed between your teeth under the gumline, and in seven seconds, it will give you the cleanest teeth and gums — professional level — at home,” Calves says. Used either before or after brushing, the system’s “hydro station” is filled with water (plus a special oral infusion) for a 360-degree power wash inside the mouth, which then exits through a funnel into the sink.
Customers can purchase the $799 device on the company’s website, where they are directed to a local dental partner who will take an intraoral scan to create the 3D-printed mouthpiece. Alternatively, a dental professional might introduce and recommend the cleaning tool that replaces string flossing for the patient.
According to the CDC, approximately 75 percent of Americans do not floss regularly — and 47 percent of adults over the age of 30 have some form of gum disease; after the age of 65, the number climbs to 70 percent, usually in the form of bleeding or inflamed gums. The clinical study revealed such bleeding was reduced by 82 percent, while gum inflammation went down by 41 percent for those using the Proclaim cleaning system.
Calves, an entrepreneur and longtime Westchesterite, joined Fresh Health, Inc., the venture capital-backed health tech startup whose initial offering is the Proclaim Custom-Jet Oral Health System, after successes at two other ventures: Link AKC, a pet tech company, and MYX Fitness, an indoor home fitness system, along with his nearly 20 years of experience in brand marketing.
He and his team are getting noticed: Proclaim has already received multiple recognitions, including a 2024 Innovation award at the Consumer Electronics Show, a nod from Men’s Health magazine in the form of a tech award in the grooming category, and a USA Today AccessAbility award that honors products from the Consumer Electronics Show that make a difference in the lives of those with disabilities.
Touting the product’s technology as truly revolutionary, Calves believes its ease of use can play a role in extending one’s health span (the years an individual enjoys good health); and in particular, assist those who find the task of proper oral care to be challenging due to age or disability.
“Anybody with dexterity issues, trying to get the right angles in their mouths with string floss, and for the elderly — this product is an incredible solution,” he explains. “You put in the mouthpiece, lean over the sink, and in seven seconds you are done.”
With ongoing positive feedback from customers and accolades from multiple top cosmetic dentists, periodontists, and oral surgeons who have endorsed Proclaim, its CEO says that in just a few months, the company has already reached $2 million in sales. For Calves, the product’s appeal in redefining oral care is obvious.
“I call it the three E’s,” he says. “Effective, easy and enjoyable: That equals habit forming.”
“This is an enormous, new category to build here, and this product solves a fundamental problem for people.”
—Herbie Calves, CEO, Proclaim
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