We were interested to read the article Triple headed brush in the last issue of Vital about ‘Dr Barman's Superbrush’ (Vital summer 07 page 47; distributed by Dent-O-Care). We work in West Kent Primary Care Dental Service (formerly ‘Community’).

We have been recommending and demonstrating these brushes for at least ten or 15 years. They are useful for many special needs patients whose carers brush their teeth, and for parents with younger children. They are everything you say in the article except ‘new’. The difficulty has always been getting shops to stock them – Boots kept them for a while but demand was low (that was about 10 years ago!).

Dent-O-Care's managing director Stephen Rubinstein responds: Yes, Superbrush has been popular in the special needs sector of dentistry for many years. More recently, Dent-O-Care was asked to re-launch the re-branded ‘Dr Barman's Superbrush’, with its enhanced bristle quality and new packaging, to a wider professional and patient audience. Comparative international studies (the most recent study results were published in the American Journal of Orthodontics) prove that this superior design is suited for everyday use by all patient age groups. By marketing the product as ‘New’ Dent-O-Care is aiming to communicate with all general and specialist dental teams. Many professionals will not have been exposed to the advantages or recent study findings for Dr Barman's Superbrush before now.

Regarding retail stockists, patients can purchase all three sizes of Dr Barman's Superbrush direct via FREEPHONE 0800 980 1517 and web shop at www.dentocare.co.uk.