Face to face with caries management game changers at IDS

Forward thinking sisters who are changing the face of caries management hosted a ‘meet the founders’ session at IDS on 25 March. 

The hero product at the centre of the portfolio is Curodont Repair, the first biomimetic system for treating early caries lesions, commonly referred to as ‘watch areas’. Curodont Repair’s P₁₁-4 Peptide Technology is for the first time able to regenerate enamel, offering a treatment for those early lesions that are otherwise left untreated or drilled. All this through a non-invasive, painless, and easy application protocol, with a 90%+ success rate in stopping and regressing initial caries lesions. It is suitable for all patients, including children.

Building a fear free practice

The vVARDIS story is rooted in 2003 when Drs Haley and Goly opened their first fear-free, walk-in dental clinic in Zurich with a US$3m bank loan. Prior to that they had led a public paediatric dental clinic with links to local primary schools.

Dr Goly explains: ‘We were treating thousands of children, many from low-income families. For us both, as dentists and mothers, it was painful to see how poor oral health was affecting them – mostly as a result of a lack of awareness, but also because of anxiety about going to the dentist. This was the motivation to create a “fear free” dental clinic chain in Zurich, with no patients and in the city with the highest density of dentists.’

The clinic proved to be an outstanding success, prompting the sisters to launch more, both in Switzerland, but also across and outside of Europe (India, Russia, Dubai, and Japan). 

Biomimetic technology

Dr Haley takes up the story: ‘Next to our Zurich clinic, we also ran a dental hygienist school where we conducted clinical studies. It’s there that we learned about this amazing biomimetic technology that can regenerate enamel, mimicking the way enamel is created in the first place – now trademarked under Curodont. The first targeted, regenerative treatment against early-stage dental decay, it does not require a drill or injection, does not stain, or taste bad.’

Dr Goly adds: ‘Enamel is the hardest tissue in the body and is the only one that is not comprised of living cells – that’s the reason enamel cannot regenerate itself. The molecules/peptides in Curodont Repair are comprised of amino acids and are able to penetrate the enamel to the depth of the lesion and for the first time regenerate the enamel. It is like the tooth is able to regrow and do its own filling, naturally. It’s truly revolutionary.’

Mother Nature knows best

vVARDIS and Curodont are not only the result of years’ of experience and a deep-seated desire to help people’s dental health, but also the result of the sisters’ upbringing. Their father was a natural scientist.

‘He always told us that Mother Nature knows best,’ says Dr Goly, ‘And that’s something we continue to live and practice by.’

Curodont Repair’s biomimetic P11-4 Peptide Technology has been in clinical practice for more than 10 years, with hundreds of thousands of patients successfully and safely treated. To date it has been included in more than 230 publications, including meta-analysis and peer-reviewed clinical study. The technology is also increasingly being included in the teachings at top dental schools worldwide. 

Saving patients’ teeth

Says Haley: ‘Until now dental practitioners must remove two structures to treat tooth decay; imagine if this was no longer the case. Curodont Repair removes a huge barrier for dentistry and allows professionals to treat decay more easily. It takes five minutes to apply, and hygienists can do it as part of their workflow.’

And she stresses it could be the answer to the majority of patients with lesions which are left untreated. ‘Up to 85% of patients sitting in the dentist’s chair have between three and five early caries lesions located in the enamel and still not cavitated, but we only treat 5% of those, the rest we mark as watch areas and send the patients home. 

‘If those patients don’t come back to us, those lesions are only going to get bigger and that can lead to risk of severe secondary diseases. Today, thanks to our technology, if diagnosed in this early stage, the caries can be stopped and reversed and the natural tooth structure can be rebuilt, enabling patients to save their teeth.’

Expanding accessibility

The pair’s ambition now is to expand availability and give access to this ground-breaking technology to everyone, including communities which do not necessarily have easy access to affordable dental care.

‘Curodont Repair is so easily accessible to all kinds of communities. We have already seen it help low-income patients in the US and Europe and it’s this that gives us the drive to move on and do more good,’ says Dr Haley.

Drs Haley and Goly presented their innovation at the International Dental Show (IDS) – the leading global trade fair for the dental community. A key platform for showcasing innovation and market trends, it took place in Cologne, Germany from 25-29 March 2025. They hosted a ‘meet the founders’ event on Tuesday 25 March. Delegates visited the company’s experiential booth to learn more about vVARDIS and how Curodont Repair could change the face of dentistry as we know it.

This article is sponsored by vVARDIS.

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