Europeans may not be as famed as Americans for their perfect smiles, but they are taking their oral care routines more seriously than in the past. Hygiene is still the top priority when brushing teeth daily, but consumers are trading up to more specialist products and starting to use mouthwashes, floss and interdental brushes more regularly.

Most Europeans adopt a basic oral care routine consisting of toothpaste and brush and there is still some way to go before the majority also uses mouthwash and interdental products. According to Kantar Worldpanel, 97% of Europeans use toothpaste and toothbrush (59% manual, 27% rechargeable), but only 31% use mouthwash and 18% use interdental products. The Germans and British tend to be fastidious about their routine and are the most likely to use interdental products and rechargeable toothbrushes. French consumers are more likely to sluice with mouthwash than use floss or interdental brushes, which can be fiddly to master.

According to Euromonitor, the aging population in Germany and strong consumer health awareness is driving growth of oral care products, despite it being a mature category with a high level of saturation. Older consumers are paying attention to their teeth as they do not want to be hampered with dental problems or dentures. In France, the “selfie” beauty trend is well established and impacting positively on sales of oral care products leading to more tailored and personalized solutions. Euromonitor predicts that this is likely to spill over into specific male-targeted products as French men become more conscious of the appearance of their teeth.

Hungry in Hungary

Hungary is a key growth market for oral care, due to rising incomes and improving oral hygiene. Hungarians tend to pay more attention to their oral health by using electric toothbrushes for more thorough cleaning and mouthwashes/dental rinses in addition to toothpaste. According to Euromonitor, the leading brands in Hungary in 2014 were Sensodyne, Aquafresh, Parodontax and Colgate.

Kantar Worldpanel notes that the main reason Europeans use oral care products is to clean their teeth, cited by 78% of Europeans. Almost half also do so to freshen the breath. Around a third of Europeans are focused on healthy teeth and gums, protecting the gums and achieving complete oral hygiene, suggesting that the oral health messages dispensed by brands and the dental profession are having an impact.

Trading Up

Increasingly, European consumers are looking for more complex and tailored solutions that can meet the needs of individual concerns and conditions. Jamie Mills, associate analyst, Canadean, observes that consumers are not necessarily using more products.

“These solutions go beyond simply basic hygiene functions to ones specifically positioned for tackling gum disease, cosmetic concerns and for sensitive teeth,” she said.

Sugar acid neutralizers are part of this trend, reflecting consumers’ growing awareness of the impact their dietary choices can have on the health of their teeth. For example, Colgate Maximum Cavity Protection plus Sugar Acid Neutralizer toothpaste claims to deactivate sugar acids in plaque, said to be the number one cause of cavities, before they can harm teeth. Another example is Aquafresh’s Complete Care toothpaste, which has a “sugar acid protection” claim based on the inclusion of active fluoride that works by binding to the enamel to protect against sugar acid. 

Another downside of modern sugary diets, fizzy drinks and fruit juices is tooth sensitivity, which 5% European consumers treat with oral care products designed to relieve the condition, according to Kantar Worldpanel. Furthermore, tooth whitening, which uses hydrogen peroxide in the form of carbamide peroxide, is known to cause sensitivity. Sensodyne Complete Protection uses Novamin to deliver calcium and phosphate to sensitive areas and creates a tooth-like mineral layer over the dentine surface. For very sensitive teeth, Sensitive Rapid Relief is designed to be applied with the fingertip for 60 seconds, which creates a physical seal against sensitivity triggers. Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief toothpaste and mouthwash work in a similar way and use a technology called pro-argin that plugs and seals dentine tubules to block pain triggers.

Despite whitening claims being standard for many oral care products, only 13% of Europeans claim to use them for this reason. In the EU, home tooth whitening kits cannot contain more than 0.1% concentration of hydrogen peroxide, compared to up to 6% in other parts of the world, so any whitening effect is likely to be minimal. According to the Cosmetics, Toiletries & Perfumery Association (CTPA), restrictions on peroxide-based tooth whitening products in Europe may be relaxed in the future. In the meantime, other ways of tooth whitening are being explored, such as bleaching teeth using light technology.

Smart Oral Hygiene

Electric toothbrushes and flossers are increasingly seen as a more effective way to clean the teeth. Growth in smart technologies has created more connected systems which can track personal brushing techniques and provide personalized guidance using apps and enhancing the quality of the cleaning process. For example, Oral-B Pro 6500 SmartSeries offers Bluetooth 4.0 to connect to the Oral-B app to give real time brushing guidance that can be adjusted by a dental professional. The device comes with six cleaning modes and claims to remove up to 100% more plaque than a manual toothbrush. Philips uses Sonicare technology to drive fluid deep between the teeth and along the gum line for cleaner, whiter teeth and healthier gums. Philips Sonicare DiamondClean Amethyst claims to whiten teeth two times better than a manual toothbrush after one week’s use through its 62,000 brush movements a minute.


Colgate ProClinical Pocket-Pro is a neat travel solution that incorporates a USB charging system in the travel case. The brush provides a sonic cleaning action and a two-minute timer. Meanwhile, Philips has cornered the market in power flossing with its Sonicare AirFloss range. The AirFloss Pro is clinically proven to be as effective as string floss for gum health and has been shown to reduce inflammation and bleeding in 95% of people when used once a day as part of an evening brushing routine.


Like other beauty categories, innovation is driving consumer interest and could be the solution to improving European oral care routines in the future.

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Imogen Matthews
Headington, Oxford UK
Tel: +44 1865 764918

Imogen Matthews is a respected consultant, journalist and researcher focusing on trends in the beauty industry. She regularly contributes to many of the world’s foremost beauty trade titles. Every year in April, she publishes The Premium Market Report, focusing on trends in the UK premium beauty markets.
www.thepremiummarketreport.com