Islander Jeff Haley, formerly one of Seattle’s premier patent lawyers, recently founded a company that has revolutionized the way people treat dry mouth and other oral problems with a line of proven natural remedies.
Chronic oral problems such as dry mouth, mouth sores, bad breath and rampant tooth decay plague millions on a daily basis, and 20 percent of the U.S. population reports suffering from dry mouth, according to a press release from Haley’s OraHealth Corporation.
“I suffered from canker sores my whole life and was unable to find a satisfactory commercially available product,” Haley stated.
He used his background in business development, chemistry, materials science and mechanical engineering to set up a small laboratory in his Island home in 2002 and come up with a product to help. Haley has a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Amherst College and degrees in materials science, engineering and law from the University of Washington.
He thought that “the best solution might be to adhere something in the mouth that slowly releases ingredients to solve the problem.”
Haley’s patented product for mouth sores is OraCoat H-B12 Melts, available from Bartell Drugs. H-B12 Melts releases hyaluronan (also known as hyaluronic acid) and a bioactive form of vitamin B12. H-B12 Melts adhere to teeth or gums near or opposite the sore and last two to eight hours, lessening pain and speeding healing.
He started OraHealth in 2004, setting up a factory in Factoria to begin manufacturing.
OraHealth is now the world leader in the breakthrough technology of “oral adhering discs,” safe-to-use natural products that cling to the gums and teeth and slowly dissolve to release ingredients that coat mouth tissues and solve oral problems. The flagship of the OraCoat brand is a patented product that was recently recognized by a nonprofit foundation’s survey of dentists as the best remedy for dry mouth — OraCoat XyliMelt.
Excessive ongoing dryness in the mouth leads to, among other things, rampant tooth decay, difficulty chewing and swallowing, tongue roughness, frequently drinking liquids at night, disturbed sleep and bad breath.
Dry mouth sufferers can use many products, such as sugarless candies, to stimulate saliva, but XyliMelts is the only product designed for use while sleeping, which is when dry mouth is worst. It can also help reduce tooth decay.
In a recent Clinicians Report survey of dentists published in March 2016 by CR Foundation, an independent, nonprofit, dental education and product testing foundation, 152 dentists who were familiar with OraCoat XyliMelts rated it more effective than any other remedy for dry mouth, including prescription drugs which came in second.
Haley serves as CEO, product inventor and chief scientist for his company.
“I have a trusted and amazing staff of 15 people who work at OraHealth plus outside sales agents to bring our products to market and I like to work mostly on the technical aspects to personally ensure that everyone who buys from OraHealth receives the best and safest solutions,” he stated. “I have no issue with being considered more scientist than salesman.”
Currently, OraCoat XyliMelts are available over the counter at Bartell Drugs, CVS and Rite Aid pharmacies and on the company website, www.oracoat.com.
