Story - Curaden

Our story

1934 to 1954

HOW IT BEGINSBorn 1918, Hans Breitschmid starts at the age of 16 an apprenticeship as a dental technician. He early shows both a strong interest and enthusiasm for this profession. In 1954, Hans Breitschmid founds his own company «Hans Breitschmid, Dental-Vertrieb», based in Lucerne, Switzerland.

1972

ACTIVATION OF CONSUMER BRANDThe brand name derives from Latin, where ‘Cura’ means ‘cure’ and ‘prox’ stands for ‘close’. The name says it all, highlighting the company’s focus on preventive oral care.

1981

NEW HEADQUARTERSNew and larger company headquarters in Amlehnstrasse 22 in Kriens marks another milestone as the enterprise continues to grow. A year earlier, Hans Breitschmid’s sole proprietorship was transformed into a family-owned stock corporation, Breitschmid AG.

1984

CHANGE OF LEADERSHIPOn the 30th anniversary of the Breitschmid company, Hans Breitschmid takes the occasion and hands over the operational management of the company to his son Ueli.

1995

MASTERING THE ART OF BRUSHINGDr. Jiří Sedelmayer, founder of the iTOP-concept, starts to work with Curaden in the field of prophylaxis for the first time. His belief: only a brushing technique that matches the brush optimizes the result. This collaboration marks the beginning of a true success story. “One of the biggest mistakes is trying to brush several teeth at once.” Prof. Dr. Jiří Sedelmayer 1946–2019

2004

ICONIC TOOTHBRUSHToothbrushes should be practical and easy to use. Like the iconic «CS 5460» with over 300 million units sold. Its secret? A simple design, joyful colours, and high-quality materials. Instead of normal bristles, it uses special rounded filaments made of ultra-fine Curen®, which provide a soft sensation and neither hurt nor causes damage. Conventional toothbrushes have approximately 500 bristles, whereas the head of our classic brush comes with 5.460 filaments, arranged in 39 tufts and creating both a gentle and dense cleaning surface.

2015

OWN PRODUCTIONFor the first time, Curaprox produces toothbrushes of its own. Thanks to investments of around 15 million Swiss francs and modern machinery, the company is now able to produce 20 million of gentle, colourful, and distinctive toothbrushes each year in a production facility in Eastern Switzerland.

2020

Christine Breitschmid, one of Ueli’s daughters, takes up the position of Managing Director and leads the company in tandem with Ueli Breitschmid as co-CEO.

2023

ITOP IS TOPWe’re proud: more than 44.000 dental professionals worldwide have completed the preventive hands-on iTOP-training at the Curaden Academy.

2024

STRENGTHENING THE POSITIONCuraprox is represented in 90 countries all over the world, servicing main markets on four continents. Taking a significant step towards sustainability, the «CS wood» toothbrush, crafted from Swiss beech, features a biodegradable and compostable handle. Furthermore, the innovative «Aligner Foam» enhances the oral care regimen for individuals with aligners or brackets by restoring, protecting, and remineralizing the teeth. These advancements, along with additional improvements to existing products, further strengthen the portfolio.

Our mission

Since 1954, our mission has been to empower dental professionals with specialised training, innovative solutions, and quality products for customer-oriented practice management.

We focus on developing skills often overlooked in traditional dental education, such as patient communication, coaching, and marketing.

Our main goal is to ensure lifelong dental health for everyone, achieved through the professional growth and motivation of dental care providers. In everything we do, our belief in prevention and the preservation of oral health is at the forefront. We know that the mouth is the gateway to overall health. Health and happiness are mutually dependent.

“Better health for you” – it’s more than just a promise. We keep our word.

Global presence

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Curaplast

Curaplast AG, founded in 2015, is part of the globally active Curaden AG with headquarters in Kriens. It develops and produces Curaprox dental brand products in Flawil (canton of St. Gallen) and employs a total of 25 people.

The investment in its own production facility was a response to the ever-increasing demand. Using state-of-the-art technology, over 40 million toothbrushes and over 20 million interdental brushes can currently be produced each year in three shifts. Appropriate land reserves are available for expansion.

The “Made in Switzerland” designation of origin is particularly significant for the sales success of dental products on the global market. The founding of the production facility is a milestone in the eventful 70-year history of the Swiss company, which now upholds the highest quality standards as a manufacturer and produces in Switzerland out of conviction.

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We are building a happier and healthier society by revolutionizing oral self-care

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