The Interview: Dr Vanessa Creaven on bridging the gap between oral health and beauty with Spotlight Oral Care

Spotlight Oral Care was founded in 2016 by Dr Lisa and Dr Vanessa Creaven. Their goal was to create safe and effective oral health products that combined the latest advances in oral care research with the highest quality ingredients while keeping patients, customers and the planet in mind. Craven studied dentistry at Trinity College in Dublin and Kings College in London and went on to work with Quay Dental Clinic in Galway before launching the brand with her sister Lisa. “We really wanted to bridge the gap between oral health and beauty,” Vanessa says.

Prior to launching Spotlight, the sisters launched Spotlight Whitening, a two-week whitening treatment, which was aimed at their patients. Spotlight was born out of a need to create best-in-class oral care products that are super efficacious, sustainable and ethically created. “As dentists, we felt passionate about helping people achieve their oral health goals in the comfort of their own homes by using products that are rich in active ingredients and target key concerns,” Vanessa says.

The brand believes that all oral care products should be created cruelty free, free of any animal by-products and ethically sourced, which is why it is proud to be PETA approved, free of palm oil and any sulphate derivatives.

Vanessa and Lisa were able to use their experience when overseeing the product development process. While they didn’t have any professional business training, they both had a lot of health, medicinal and science training that proved to be beneficial when creating a new product. “When we launched our Teeth Whitening Strips, we knew the active ingredients we wanted to include. We knew they would provide effective results without causing sensitivity. While we have a business focus, our customers’ welfare is at the core of everything we do,” Vanessa says.

The insights Vanessa and Lisa gained first-hand from their patients helped them identify a gap in the market. It is also one of the reasons why Spotlight Oral Care has been such a success from the very beginning and continues to inspire product development. “When we founded Spotlight Oral Care, we saw an opportunity for safe and effective oral products that targeted our clients’ dental needs and to this day, we continue to introduce new, innovative products to the market,” she says.

The Professional LED Whitening System

When the brand first launched, Vanessa and Lisa were initially targeting their patients. They could see that a lot of patients were confused about what products they should use. As experienced dentists, their priority is creating amazing products that improve oral health but not compromise physical health or the environment. The best selling product is the Sonic Toothbrush. “We use professionally designed sonic technology which allows the gentle feel of a manual toothbrush with an actual deep clean effect,” Vanessa says. The toothbrushes are available in multiple colours and is one of over 20 products in the brand’s ever-growing range.

The brand has launched a number of new products over the last six months including the Professional LED Teeth Whitening System, Teeth Whitening Powder Diamond PAP+ and Limited Edition Sonics. “We are continuing to offer products that allow our customers the ease of whitening their teeth at home, at an affordable price,” she says.

To ensure they remain committed to providing customers with high-quality products, active ingredients and efficacy will continue to be at the forefront of everything Spotlight does.

“Clinically proven active ingredients are really important for us because we see what happens when they are lacking or void in oral care products,” she says. The brand is also passionate about sustainability, with a positive environmental foothold always being at the forefront of their minds. Their toothpaste tubes are 100% recyclable and made from Sugarcane and their Dental Floss is made from 100% recycled plastic bottles which can be recycled again. Additionally, all of the packaging materials the brand uses are biodegradable. Spotlight is PETA approved and members of The Vegan Society.

In April, the brand launched the Spotlight Oral Care Water Flosser with UV Steriliser. The water flosser, which comes with a UV Steriliser, uses LED Ultraviolet Technology to eliminate harmful bacteria that can be found in tap water (up to 99.9% in 1 minute) ensuring optimum cleanliness.

For more information about Spotlight, please visit its website. 

Main image: Dr Lisa (l) and Dr Vanessa Creaven