The oral hygiene market is worth an estimated £453 million in the UK. People are spending more on toothpaste than ever before with the market, incredibly, growing by over 27% since 1995. Consumer interest in new benefits has boosted the value of the toothpaste sector, with an increased amount spent on premium products. Yet is continual product innovation the key to market position? The elevated use of mouthwashes and other such products has come as a result of raised awareness and improved consumer knowledge, yet there is a degree of fashionability about many types of health consumption. With a wide range of endorsements from dentists to consumer magazines, how important is advertising to oral hygiene? Product usage is almost total, yet with many shoppers looking for new and improved products and willing to experiment, how best can manufacturers convince consumers of their benefits?

· With product usage virtually universal, where are the best opportunities for further market growth?

· Do people have healthier teeth than ever before? How important to the market is improved consumer knowledge of good oral hygiene practice?

· Are consumers really looking for continual product innovation, or do they merely search for a brand to trust in?

This report covers the UK consumer market for oral hygiene products. Which combination of benefits do people want most? Oral Hygiene determines which issues consumers are more concerned about when purchasing products - such as tartar control and whitening - and looks at the market leaders in this fast-moving sector, deciphering the levels of brand loyalty. This report analyses the role of advertising, as well as the supply structure, in influencing sales figures, and examines which products have been successful in maximising their market potential.

Other Mintel reports of relevance to this market include the forthcoming:

- Toothbrushes, Market Intelligence, May 2000.