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photo: M.J. Tierneyn/Shutterstock.com
photo: M.J. Tierneyn/Shutterstock.com

A bright smile makes everybody attractive and a good oral hygiene routine makes a smile even better. Keeping the mouth clean is important, as it protects against disease and other problems such as bad breath or stained teeth. In the past, oral care was mainly limited to brushing or rinsing with appropriate products. But nowadays, there are a lot of product variants available on the market, offering new performance formulas together with attractive modes of application. For a successful development effort, a huge variety of active ingredients and pearlescent pigments are available to achieve different product functionalities and ultimately consumer needs. The oral care industry, a truly global market, is dominated by toothpastes, while toothbrushes hold second place, followed by mouthwashes and dental ancillaries. Market importance is increasing as people live more and more consciously and take care of their attractiveness and healthiness. 

Why oral care is important

Maintaining oral health and enhancing one’s own attractiveness are the main inducements for people to use oral care products. Oral health problems can be categorised into dental and periodontal diseases, such as caries or periodontitis. Both are fostered by bacterial plaque on the tooth’s surface and can be prevented with a regular and proper oral care routine. 

Discolouration, in contrast, is more of a “blemish” problem. Every day, a thin coating (pellicle) is formed on the enamel’s surface and picks up stains from food. Tooth enamel also contains pores that can be filled with stains. The most common reasons for yellowish or discoloured teeth are: smoking, drinking dark-coloured liquids such as coffee, cola, tea and red wine. Maturing represents another colour change factor, because over the years, teeth are less bright and the enamel gets thinner while the dentin becomes darker. So whitening products are used to lighten up the colour of the teeth and help to remove stains and discoloration.

Regional and cultural differences

The most common and important oral care routine is brushing one’s teeth with toothpastes. The latter are semisolid viscous products, mostly offered as white, opaque pastes or transparent gels. As region and culture determine the requirements for toothpastes, these can differ to a certain degree. 

A common differentiation is the age of the consumer. Toothpastes for kids have been around for many years and represent an important part in the global oral care market. 

The mature consumer is another major market segment, as a consistent oral care routine may decrease the risk of tooth or gum diseases. 

Consumers in North America care about raw material composition, show high interest in formulations with natural ingredients, and are looking for products for sensitive teeth or with an anti-yellowing effect.

In Europe, toothpaste (and mouthwash) formulations often contain additives such as minerals and vitamins. Another focus topic is sensitive teeth, as well as the trend towards alcohol-free formulations. In the Asia-Pacific region, people in some areas have less money to spend, and the use of traditional herbs is still very common. In general, there is a growing importance of unusual new products such as black toothpaste with (bamboo) charcoal or activated charcoal, see fig. 1, to remove bad odour and to support the effectiveness of cleaning. 

The reduction of bad breath has been the most important claim in the past. Mouthwash is a water-based liquid and the third highest selling product for oral care. Depending on the composition of their formulas (and the country regulations), they can be categorised into cosmetic, OTC or prescription-based products. Nowadays, alcohol-free formulations are gaining importance, and benefits such as an antibacterial effect and reduction or control of plaque are key. Some claim a reduction of sensitivity and gum bleeding, or a whitening effect. Some rinses available as breath fresheners are only used to combat malodour and refresh the mouth. 

"Appealing products with new performances require the right mix of active ingredients and pearlescent pigments”

Xenia Petsitis, Global Technical Marketing Manager, Merck

Clean teeth and a good oral hygiene enhance people’s attractiveness. photo: Yuriy Maksymiv/Shutterstock.com
Clean teeth and a good oral hygiene enhance people’s attractiveness. photo: Yuriy Maksymiv/Shutterstock.com

Special applications

Breath fresheners are also available on the market as sprays, chewing mixes, mint tablets or strips. Lozenges and chewing gums can also be used as breath fresheners. But lozenges are mainly used to soothe irritated tissue, while chewing gums may also be used to clean the teeth. 

Whitening is gaining popularity, as it can improve the look of the teeth. A brightening effect can be achieved in two ways: chemically by bleaching or physically with non-bleaching products. Generally, we can differ between peroxide-containing bleaching agents and whitening products without this ingredient. Whitening products can be administered by a dentist, while consumer-adapted formulas are offered for home use (as OTC products). Carbamide peroxide is used in many bleaching products. It breaks down into hydrogen peroxide and urea, while hydrogen peroxide acts as a bleaching agent. So-called whitening toothpastes mostly also contain abrasive agents and can lighten the colour of the teeth by about one shade. Claims such as “dazzling white teeth” or “no peroxide whitening” indicate such kinds of formulations. But they are not as strong in terms of efficacy in comparison to peroxide-containing products.

Other products for tooth whitening include strips and rinses. Whitening strips are very thin, virtually invisible and coated with a peroxide-based gel. They are applied directly on the teeth according to the instructions on the label. Initial results should be seen within a few days and the final result lasts for about four months.

Whitening rinses are similar to mouthwashes, as they can both freshen the breath and help to reduce dental plaque. These products include ingredients such as hydrogen peroxide that help to whiten the teeth. About 12 weeks of treatment (twice a day before brushing the teeth) is needed to see the desired results. These products are considered to be milder in comparison to other whitening OTC products. But in general, the degree of whiteness will vary from individual to individual, depending on the condition of the teeth, the level of staining, and the type of bleaching system used.

Sparkling tooth gel (formula M-IND 16-62 MB 78) with activated charcoal, 0.20% RonaCare Sodium Benzoate, 0.1% RonaCare Allantoin and 0.05% Ronastar Frozen Jewel
Sparkling tooth gel (formula M-IND 16-62 MB 78) with activated charcoal, 0.20% RonaCare Sodium Benzoate, 0.1% RonaCare Allantoin and 0.05% Ronastar Frozen Jewel

The main active ingredients for oral care products?

Fluorides are used in various forms as a remineralisation agent in many oral care formulations. They have a crucial impact on the hardness and strength of the teeth. The active ingredients mostly used for remineralisation are fluorides such as sodium monofluorophosphate (Na2PO3F), sodium fluoride (NaF), stannous fluoride (SnF2) and organo (-amine) fluorides. NaF is often incorporated into anti-caries formulations. Its usage level is around 1,500 ppm for adults and 500 ppm for children, because excessive use of fluorides can cause dental fluorosis: This chronic overdosage of fluoride during pre-eruptive stages of teeth can occur because children often swallow some of the toothpaste. 

In the EU, USA, Japan and China, different regulations on usage levels apply, as well as for agents containing anti-caries fluorides such as RonaCare Olaflur and RonaCare NaF.

Tooth gel (formula M-IND 16-61 MB 78) with 0.2 RonaCare Sodium Benzoate and 0.05 Xirona Moonlight Sparks
Tooth gel (formula M-IND 16-61 MB 78) with 0.2 RonaCare Sodium Benzoate and 0.05 Xirona Moonlight Sparks

Many botanicals used for oral care during ancient times are still common, such as extracts of neem or tulsi, clove oil, lemon oil, rosemary and sage. Essential oils such as tea tree oil, clove oil and cinnamon oil are used because of their antimicrobial properties. To support the anti-plaque functionality, RonaCare CPC* is a well-established, effective ingredient that basically works on account of its antibacterial activity. It is an ingredient of choice for mouthwashes. Especially for gum care, RonaCare Allantoin and 
RonaCare Bisabolol can be formulated in the different applications of oral care. Bisabolol is a natural monocyclic sesquiterpene alcohol. It is a colourless viscous oil that provides anti-phlogistic, anti-inflammatory and soothing properties, thus making it a good choice for the protection and care of the mucous membrane, alone or in combination with other actives. Well known additives are also vitamin C or E. 

Look and feel good products with proven performance

With requirements constantly changing nowadays, there is high demand for the product to look and feel good along with proven and safe performance. For toothpastes for children requirements are different. There are special toothpaste products specially designed for kids. They make tooth brushing a safe and at the same time a fun activity. 

However, the aesthetic appearance also plays an important role for adult oral care formulations. The whitening effect or the marketing concept can be visualised by adding pearlescent pigments, for example. A clear gel or a mouthwash with some silvery, bluish or greenish sparkling highlights makes it more attractive and may also help to underline the differentiation to competition products. For children’s products as well as for adults, of course, the colour shade, the flavouring and glitter effects should be adapted in an appealing way. The effectiveness of the product can always be supported visually with the help of coloured or silver sparkling pigments. Green, see fig. 2, could stand for nature-related ingredients, blue and silver for freshness, and gold for luxury or high quality. 

A concrete example of setting a special highlight is adding pearlescent pigments such as Timiron Diamond Cluster MP-149, Ronastar Frozen Jewel (both silver), Xirona Moonlight Sparks (silver and gold), or any other interference pigments. The usage level depends on the desired effect and the particle size distribution. Generally, pearlescent pigments with particle sizes of up to 200 µm show a nice sparkling effect already at very low concentrations (e.g. 0.05%, 0.5%), as they are highly effective. What is important is the basic formula: It is essential to use a transparent base, as opaque formulas swallow or hide the shine effect too much. Mass-tone pigments such as Colorona SynCranberry and Colorona Precious Gold are ideal for creating a striking red or dazzling gold gel in case no soluble dye is to be used. 

The variety of effects to beautify oral care products is endless. Products for kids could also be developed with pearl pigments of the Candurin brand. This pigment range is usually approved for use in food and can be considered as very safe for children’s toothpaste products. 

New applications and claims for a growing market 

As there is a rising awareness of dental hygiene and as the oral care industry is expanding day by day, great new applications with beneficial claims are being offered. To fulfil the different demands placed on oral health care and higher personal attraction, focused product development and raw material effectiveness are key factors. Basic formulations can be adapted easily to novel demands with the help of functional, innovative ingredients. In addition to classic active ingredients, raw materials of natural origin are important. Tackling formulation aspects including the use of pearl pigments helps to manage the demanding development of attractive and functional oral care products.

A closer look at demineralization

Demineralization occurs when the oral environment of the teeth has less mineral ion content relative to the tooth content, which may occur at a low pH or acidic level. Various bacteria might be present in the plaque, such as S. mutans, S. faecalis, S. salivarius, S. mitis and S. sanguis. S. mutans metabolises sugar and produces lactic acid, which ultimately lowers the pH level of saliva. In case the pH level is below the pH of hydroxyapatite (5.5), the process of demineralisation takes place and caries formation may follow. Tooth remineralisation also occurs naturally. As soon as the acidity of the tooth is neutralised the remineralisation process starts. When fluoride ions are present in plaque, fluoride is adsorbed on the surface of the teeth in a crystalline form. It replaces the calcium phosphate and fluoride ions that are lost during demineralisation. The remineralisation process starts at a pH above 5.5 and thus hardens the dental enamel by forming fluoroapatite.

AUTHORS:

Shilpa Dhangar, Product Manager Cosmetics Merck India,
Xenia Petsitis, Global Technical Marketing Manager, Effect Solutions 

Merck Darmstadt, Germany
www.merck4cosmetics.com 

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