One in five people would allow a family member to use their toothbrush

  Posted by: Dental Design      19th March 2024

A recent survey, conducted by health and beauty Retailer, Superdrug, as part of their Healthy Smile Campaign, found that a fifth of people would be happy to share their toothbrush, with those living in Greater London (36%) the most open to communal oral care. Northern Ireland (27%) came in second and the Northeast (26%) were third most open to sharing their toothbrush. 24-34 year olds were the most comfortable with the concept of sharing (38%) and men were more likely to allow their loved one to borrow their toothbrush over women (29%va 16%).

The survey was commissioned as part of Superdrug’s Healthy Smile Campaign, an initiative to raise awareness of the importance of good oral care. To support their mission to help the nation achieve a healthy smile, Superdrug have reduced 60 products in their own brand oral care range, ProCare, by 20%, the equivalent of VAT to help those struggling with the rising cost of living.

Superdrug’s Own Brand Director, Jamie Archer, says: “As a leading accessible health and beauty retailer, we believe that everyone should have access to the products that protect their health and wellbeing and at an affordable price. Our ProCare range has been developed by oral care experts, ensuring that the wide range of products caters for everyone and fits into every aspect of a daily routine.”

“Oral care products are currently classed as cosmetics and therefore carries the VAT associated with it, making it unaffordable for some people. Hearing from our customers and looking at our research, we hope that by reducing the price of our ProCare range we can help make oral healthcare more affordable for all.”

The Chair of the British Dental Association, Eddie Crouch welcomed Superdrug’s price reductions and said, “Toothbrushes and fluoride toothpaste are key to maintaining good health and shouldn’t be subject to VAT. Families shouldn’t have to pay the price for the dental access and cost of living crises.”

Overall, 86% of people understand and say that their oral care is important to them and it is positive to see that 37% of those surveyed already have a strict dental routine in place, but covid and the new working from home routine has led to a fifth of men (20%) admitting that they brush their teeth a lot less when not in the office.

Dr Surina Sehgal, Dentist and Superdrug’s Healthy Smile Ambassador commented “It’s great to see a big retailer like Superdrug act in helping to tackle oral health poverty and do what they can to help those struggling with rising costs. A good oral care routine doesn’t have to be anything complicated or expensive, and a lot of the issues we are currently seeing in practice in regard to tooth decay, particularly amongst children, can be easily prevented with a basic level of care.”

“My top tips for maintaining a ‘healthy smile’ are:

• Brush before breakfast, not after, to avoid enamel demineralization and reduce the risk of tooth decay.
• Avoid rinsing immediately after brushing to retain the protective fluoride layer from the toothpaste.
• Consider using an electric toothbrush with a pressure sensor to prevent enamel wear from excessive force.” 

Products included in the ProCare ‘Healthy Smile’ range include manual toothbrushes from £1.59, electric toothbrushes from £29.59, kids toothpaste from 79p and mouthwash from £2.79. The full range is available to buy at from www.Superdrug.com.