Alarmingly, some 41 per cent of Brits said that their most important concern when it comes to dental hygiene is tooth whiteness, while 27 per cent said the priority was cavities and 25 per cent were concerned about their gums, according to a new study by market research provider Mintel.
This is underlined by the fact that growth in the category for tooth whitening products continues to lead the way in the UK oral care market as a whole.
In the period 2006 – 2008, sales of whitening toothpaste increased by 15 per cent to reach £63m (€70.5m), accounting for 22 per cent of total sales in this category, while more aggressive treatments such as teeth whitening kits have grown by 13 per cent over the same period.
Whitening toothpaste leads the way
Mintel points out that the steeper rise in sales of whitening toothpaste is attributable to the fact that it is a cheaper means of achieving a noticeable improvement in the appearance of teeth.
The fact that the economic downturn is tightening consumer’s purse strings is likely to see this trend further highlighted in the future, as more consumers forsake expensive treatments for less dramatic effects but at a far cheaper price.
However, while the importance of the cosmetic aspect of oral care might be good news to manufacturers, it probably makes depressing news for oral health care practitioners.
Oral care perceived to be a 'cosmetics fix'
“Today many people regard their smile as something that can be fixed cosmetically and not through oral hygiene,” said Alexandra Richmond, health and beauty analyst at Mintel.
“The fact that more people are concerned about the colour of their teeth than real health issues such as cavities and gum recession is a worry,” added Richmond.
Although the study findings suggest that the desire to have white teeth is still overriding, it also suggests that marketers of traditional oral health care products may have some part to play in reminding consumers of the importance of thorough dental hygiene.