Armed to the Teeth

Consumers will do more than brush their teeth if retailers offer the right mix of oral care products. Oral care is one of the few categories that has near universal household penetration. While for some categories that might mean predictable, even stagnant sales year after year, there are opportunities to grow the oral care category. If consumers learn more about product features and what they need to do to stay healthy, they will buy more products, and might even replace their current items more often, say industry observers. In its Oral Care US 2014 report, Chicago-based research firm Mintel noted that in 2013, total U.S. retail sales for the oral care category reached $7 billion. Mintel expects that sales will reach $7.7 billion in 2018. The category is growing modestly, the report noted, and is tempered by shoppers’ cost-saving behaviors. For example, some consumers are buying fewer bleaching/whitening kits than in the past, as they view these products as a discretionary purchase. Also, people simply are not replacing their toothbrushes very often. Mintel also noted that the toothpaste and mouthwash/rinse segments account for 61% of category sales. There has been growth in the smaller floss/accessories/tools segment, as consumers have adopted more complex oral care routines and are buying and using products such as floss and brush picks. “In order to accelerate category growth, companies should focus their efforts on encouraging consumers to enhance their current oral care routines and add less commonly used products, such as floss and mouthwash, to their product repertoires,” the report noted. That is exactly what some manufacturers are trying to do. “Major segments, such as toothpaste, toothbrushes and rinse have extremely high penetration and SKU proliferation so growth is difficult,” says Dave Fox, CEO of Maryville, Tenn.-based DenTek. “Lower incidence segments like floss picks, interdental brushes and dental guards are providing a disproportionate amount of the growth as awareness and incidence of use increases.” Fox expects to see strong growth in dental accessories sales in the near future and DenTek recently launched several products. A kids’ toothbrush cover protects toothbrushes from germs that live in the bathroom; a line of sensitive floss picks and interdental brushes are designed for people with sensitive teeth and gums; and DenTek added fluoride to its floss picks. Observers say that in the dental accessories category, certain features are very important. “Ease of use is key to gaining compliance,” says Fox. “Flossers, interdental brushes and dental guards are easier than ever to use with improved features.” Certain subcategories are growing more than others. According to IRI, a Chicago-based market research firm, for the 52 weeks ending April 19, U.S. multi-outlet sales of dental accessories/tools totaled more than $862.2 million, an increase of 8.1% compared to the same period the previous year. Sales of mouthwash totaled nearly $1.42 billion, up 1.8%. Dental floss sales remained flat, totaling just more than $199.2 million. One category that performed particularly well was portable oral care, up 16% to nearly $33.9 million. Many attribute the growth to the fact that more and more, consumers are eating their meals and snacks away from home, often in a hurry. “The ability to remove food and plaque from teeth while on the go is increasingly important to consumers as teeth cleaning moves beyond the home bathroom,” says Fox. Another issue that is important to consumers is sensitivity. According to IRI, sales of oral pain relief increased nearly 5%, to more than $185.9 million. In the past decade, observers say tooth sensitivity has become a big issue among adults due to excessive brushing, consumption of sugary and highly acidic foods and the increased popularity of tooth whiteners. “Tooth sensitivity often occurs when eating cold or sweet foods and is often so bad that simply eating ice cream or candy can cause severe pain and discomfort,” says David Fishman, executive vice president of South Fallsburg, N.Y.-based Majestic Drug Co. Majestic Drug offers SenzAway, a tooth desensitizer that is designed to work instantly and last for at least three months with just one application. “This new wave of instant desensitizers will be a big boost to the oral care category in grocery and should even help increase sales of cold and sweet foods,” says Fishman. IRI reports that sales of tooth bleaching/whitening products are down 3.6%, to approximately $327.6 million. Still, people do want products that whiten their teeth, and that presents opportunities for growth. “Consumers are looking for oral care regimens where the use of multiple products focused on a particular benefit, such as whitening, will result in greater effectiveness,” says Duff Lewis, senior director of marketing services for Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Ranir. Ranir has entered the premium mouthwash segment with alcohol-free and whitening products. The company also launched products in the power toothbrush segment, a sonic power handle and replacement brush heads. “The oral care category in grocery will not likely change much in the near future,” says Lewis. “The only changes will be swapping out one SKU for another SKU to meet the changing oral care needs of the consumer.” Another new product designed to help whiten teeth comes from Brush Buddies. The Los Angeles-based company recently launched Soniclean Pro One, which features sonic technology that offers 30,000 vibrations per minute and a deep cleaning. The vibrating head removes plaque and tarter build-up between teeth, and its soft DuPoint end-rounded nylon bristles are designed to clean, polish and whiten the teeth, say company officials. The head of the brush and batteries of the Soniclean Pro One are replaceable. “The oral care category is still growing,” says Anish Patel, CEO of Brush Buddies. “It will continue to grow as we see innovative products enter the market that address the core issues that consumers are looking for, whitening and sensitivity.” He adds that the company is responding to another consumer demand—better value and better quality. “We are developing products better than national brands at prices better than national brands to provide consumers with an optional product that is better for oral health and an exceptional value,” he says. Brush Buddies also offers the 90 Day Brush, a manual toothbrush that alerts users when it is time to replace the worn out toothbrush. A built-in LCD screen on the handle shows the user daily dental tips for the first 90 days. After the 90 days end, the brush displays messages such as “Ewww this brush is gross” and “Change your brush already.” According to officials from Brush Buddies, the American Dental Association reports that consumers tend to hold on to their toothbrushes for eight to nine months, adding that replacing a toothbrush every three months would help reduce bacteria that causes bad breath, tooth decay and gum disease. It seems people may, in fact, be keeping their old toothbrushes longer. IRI reports that sales of manual toothbrushes totaled more than $815.3 million, up just 0.5%. However, consumers are still spending on toothpaste, with sales topping $2.6 billion, up more than 3%. Observers say that new flavors are driving sales, while consumers are looking for multipacks when shopping for toothbrushes. Children shall lead them Children’s products are also driving sales. Procter & Gamble recently launched several products for kids. Under the Crest Oral-B brand, P&G unveiled a line of Crest Oral-B Pro-Health JR. toothpaste and toothbrushes that feature characters from Disney’s movie Frozen. The Frozen-inspired toothbrushes and toothpaste are designed for children age eight through 12. The Oral-B Pro-Health JR. Vitality Electric Toothbrush has a two-minute brushing timer, waterproof handle, rechargeable battery and is compatible with multiple toothbrush heads, including the Ortho Brush Head refill designed to clean around braces. The Oral-B Pro-Health JR. Pulsar Toothbrush is designed to get into the tight spaces and gaps commonly found in kids’ changing mouths, features gentle vibrating bristles, and its battery-operated power is designed to gently sweep away food and plaque from the tooth surface. The Oral-B Pro-Health JR. CrossAction Toothbrush features soft, angled CrissCross bristles that clean between the gaps in kids’ changing teeth, has a textured tongue cleaner that removes odor-causing germs and a smaller brush handle designed to fit easily in kids’ hands. There is also Crest Pro-Health JR. toothpaste, in kid-friendly mint flavor. While dental professionals recommend brushing for at least two minutes to maintain good oral health, P&G notes, most people, especially children, spend less than one minute brushing. To help increase brushing time, Oral-B created an app which acts as an interactive timer to keep kids engaged while brushing. The Disney Magic Timer app by Oral-B utilizes Disney characters—in this case Elsa, Anna and Olaf from Frozen. The free app is designed to motivate children to brush for the dentist-recommended two minutes. Each time kids brush, Disney character images are revealed. Kids have the opportunity to unlock 23 custom animations and 1,900 rewards, during a 21-day cycle. The company also created a video with actress Kristen Bell, who was the voice of Anna in Frozen. The video is on Oral-B’s YouTube channel and features Bell, a mother of two, highlighting the challenges parents can face in getting kids excited about brushing.