TWO SISTERS PURSUING THEIR VISION

By Dr. Haley Abivardi and Dr. Goly Abivardi

Dr. Haley and Dr. Goly Abivardi, you are internationally renowned as visionaries, innovators, and entrepreneurs; you have been honored several times with national and international awards. We are eager to get to know you both better. Tell us a little about each of you, what you love most, and a little bit about your family life and some insights into your upbringing.

Dr. Haley: Powerful role models deeply influenced our upbringing. Our mother, an entrepreneur, showed us the possibility of balancing a career with being a dedicated mother. She often said, “If you have a vision, go for it. ‘It doesn’t work’ doesn’t exist.”

Dr. Goly: Absolutely. She instilled in us the belief that the most beautiful achievement is bringing happiness to others. On the other hand, our father, a natural scientist, was a pioneer in sustainability, having written his thesis on the subject 60 years ago. He taught us the invaluable lesson that “Mother Nature always knows best.”

Working as co-CEOs for years, how do you navigate your collaboration? Could you share insights into how you effectively work together?

Dr. Haley: That is a great question. My sister and I have been working together for over 25 years! People often ask us why and how it’s been possible. There are times when we challenge each other, but we share the same vision and mission, which is the main driver of our partnership: making people happy.

Dr. Goly: We have such a strong bond that we’ve cultivated over the years. This deep connection has enabled us to discover the most effective ways to complement each other.

Let us take a step back. Did both of you study dentistry in Zurich? Can you share a little bit more about that part of your journey and your early days as dentists?

Dr. Goly: Yes, indeed. We are both Swiss dentists, having studied two years of medicine and then dentistry at the University of Zurich in Switzerland.

Dr. Haley: After graduating and recognizing the importance of oral health for overall health, we wanted to treat children and contribute to their general health. This inspired us to lead a public pediatric dental clinic associated with primary schools in Switzerland, primarily for preventive care.

20 years ago, you built the first DSO in Switzerland and are known internationally as pioneers for changing dentistry. Tell us how this happened.

Dr. Goly: While treating numerous children, many from low-income backgrounds, we found ourselves facing several challenges and limitations in improving the oral health of our little patients. They mostly came too late.

Dr. Haley: As dentists and mothers, it was heartbreaking to witness our young patients suffering due to lack of awareness of their parents or, often, anxiety associated with dental visits.

Dr. Goly: Those early experiences inspired us to develop a new concept of a fear-free dental clinic, specifically to ease the anxiety associated with delaying dental visits.

Because of your new concept, you have been honored several times with national and international awards and featured in internationally renowned magazines, like on the cover of CNBC Europe: Two Dentists from Zurich Put the Whole Profession on its Head and are Exporting the Results.

Tell us about this new concept.

Dr. Haley: Unlike traditional clinics, we reimagined the entire patient’s experience, putting the emphasis on overall health and wellness and delivering a spa-like atmosphere as opposed to one of a dental exam room.

Dr. Goly: For the first time, all specialists could be found under one roof with extended opening hours, until 9 pm, 7 days a week, with a walk-in concept. We created a unique experience and design. We even had our own music and fragrance.

What challenges did you face?

Dr. Goly: At that time, we were quite young, driven by a vision, but faced the challenge of having zero patients in the city with the highest density of dentists at that time.

Dr. Haley: And only a modest amount of savings from our previous jobs.

You started from scratch and grew so quickly. How did this happen?

Dr. Haley: The concept was highly successful, and we opened other clinics, maintaining the same concept and consistent identity and design across all clinics. Without realizing it, we became the first Dental Service Organization (DSO, dental clinic chain) in Switzerland 20 years ago..

Dr. Goly: We also expanded to other countries in Europe and even to India. We became the first ”fear-free” DSO in Europe.

How did you discover this technology?

Dr. Haley: Our DSO grew bigger and knowing the importance of preventative care, we needed more hygienists, so we decided to also run our own dental hygienist school. Additionally, we did research and clinical studies for bigger and smaller dental companies, always with a focus on improving preventative care and treatment

Dr. Goly: Over 10 years ago, we stumbled into a miraculous technology that can treat early caries by mimicking nature. We were thrilled with this innovation with our belief that Mother Nature knows best and imagined what impact this technology could bring.

What drove you to find vVARDIS, and what motivates you?

Dr. Haley: Striving to provide the best care for our patients, it was heartbreaking to witness the suffering and severe health issues resulting from missing teeth and untreated cavities.

One of the most impactful moments in our career occurred when we decided to provide free dental treatment to homeless individuals in our clinics. Witnessing the transformation in their lives after restoring their smiles with implants and crowns was truly profound. Many of them regained employment and reestablished connections with their loved ones. The emotional experience reinforced our belief in the power of a healthy smile to positively change lives.

Dr. Goly: These emotional moments as dentists profoundly impacted our lives as well, leading us to make one of the most crucial decisions we have ever faced. We chose to sell our DSO and redirected our focus towards supporting this transformative technology.

That’s why we founded vVARDIS.

Our mission is to make this groundbreaking technology accessible to everyone, particularly the underserved population.

How does the technology work?

Dr. Haley: The vVARDIS technology operates as a unique biomimetic system, enabling effective therapy of early, non-cavitated carious lesions through Guided Enamel Remineralization While other noninvasive products remineralize and arrest caries primarily acting on the surface, our technology (in Curodont Repair Fluoride Plus) enables salivary calcium, phosphate, and fluoride ions to penetrate the enamel surface and begin in-depth remineralization.

The technology is supported by 25 years of scientific research, accompanied by evidence and clinical validation. Could you elaborate on this?

Dr. Goly: Over the past decade, this technology has safely and successfully treated over 100,000 patients in Europe and the US. Supported by more than 230 peerreviewed publications, solid data indicates success rates exceeding 90%. We are very proud that vVARDIS technology is increasingly incorporated into the curriculum of prestigious dental schools and universities in the US and Europe.

You’ve introduced a new category that dental professionals are quickly embracing and integrating into their clinics. Why is this product a game-changer for dental professionals and patients?

Dr. Haley: More than 80% of patients have initial tooth decay and white spots. These initial caries are often classified as “watch areas,” and left untreated. A significant majority, exceeding 60% in the US, leave the dental office without any treatment, and many may not even return.

Why are patients with these “Watch Areas” left untreated? 80% of these lesions are on interproximal surfaces, making drilling a risk that could unnecessarily remove significant healthy tooth structure. Adding to this, the rest of the initial caries often present as white spots, occurring during orthodontic treatments.

As dentists, we often find ourselves in a dilemma, knowing that if we don’t treat, and only watch and wait, the patient very often does not return, leaving them exposed to the potential of severe secondary diseases resulting from untreated caries.

Dr. Goly: Certainly. Curodont Repair Fluoride Plus not only allows for increased hygiene production, with hygienists performing the application during the same appointment, but it also provides additional benefits. This includes creating more chair time for the dentist, patient experience, and patient retention.

You’ve expanded your portfolio in the US—can you tell us about Curodont Protect?

Dr. Haley: Curodont Protect is an anticavity solution for both in-office and at-home use. It is designed to be applied after Curodont Repair Fluoride Plus. Curodont Protect, a remineralizing gel, is suitable for all surfaces and patients, including children. While Curodont Repair Fluoride Plus is primarily chairside, Curodont Protect is an ideal complement, maximizing outcomes through its subsequent at-home application. It also protects exposed dentinal tubules, helping prevent painful sensitivity.

You are both successful serial entrepreneurs and have received many awards, including Businesswomen of the Year, and now are joining the WinDSO Advisory Board. You are role models for many women.

Dr. Goly: We are honored to receive these recognitions. Our goal is to encourage everyone to pursue their impactful visions. While challenges and hurdles may arise along the way, we believe that by persevering, one can discover the right path to achieve their goal. Great accomplishments often come from those who embrace challenges.

Curodont™ Repair Fluoride Plus: The Groundbreaking Solution for "Watch Areas"

• Biomimetic system for the guided enamel remineralization of early caries and white spots

• Clinically proven

• In-office, brush-on treatment

• Works on all surfaces

• Non-staining

• Remineralizes to the depth of the lesion

• Non-invasive & pain-free

• Preserves natural tooth structure

• Just one application needed

• Short treatment duration

• No strict isolation needed, easy to apply

• Easily integrates into the workflow (same appointment)

• Increases productivity of the dental office

A Preventative Future

Modern dentistry has embraced the shift towards prevention and non-invasive treatment of initial carious lesions, as demonstrated by the new restorative ADA code, effective January 2024, for the application of hydroxyapatiteregenerating medicaments to treat early caries.

About the authors

Dr. Haley and Dr. Goly Abivardi are Swiss dentists and sisters. They’re also the CEOs and founders of vVARDIS. As internationally renowned innovators, and award-winning serial entrepreneurs, they graduated as Medical Dentists at the University of Zurich, Switzerland. They both Led a public pediatric dental clinic linked to primary schools for prevention and founded Swiss Smile in 2003 – the 1st Swiss DSO and the 1st European fear-free DSO. They also ran their Dental Hygienist school, gaining exposure to a ground-breaking biomimetic technology, and founded vVARDIS in 2020 to make this technology accessible to everyone.