The oral care market has witnessed a gradual decline over the years with sales declining by 1.9% in 2018 to £1.05 billion; a further 1.3% drop is estimated in 2019 to take the market to £1.035 billion. Mouthwash is a particularly struggling segment, due to the increasing functionality of toothpaste, which has taken away from mouthwash’s historical strengths.

Consumer interest in their own health and wellbeing, and their understanding of how oral hygiene impacts on them emotionally, means there is an opportunity for brands to insert themselves into oral care routines by drawing parallels between oral care and beauty. Reasserting the strengths of particular products like mouthwash and floss could help them to become considered more necessary, and not a piece of the puzzle that can be discarded.

For the purposes of this Report, Mintel has used the following definitions:

Toothbrushes – standard manual, electric (rechargeable), battery-powered (non-rechargeable), replacement toothbrush heads, travel brushes and combined toothbrush/tongue scrapers.

Toothpaste – including pastes, gels, polish and powder formats.

Mouthwash/rinse – primarily for the maintenance of dental and oral hygiene, includes medicated and non-medicated.

Denture products – cleaners and fixatives and cleaners for orthodontic appliances.

Dental accessories/ancillaries – includes cosmetic whitening products, eg gels, fresh breath dental chewing gum (ie Colgate Whitening Dental Gum) with product licences for the treatment and maintenance of oral hygiene, tongue scrapers, fresh breath strips and other breath fresheners, dental floss/tape, interdental sticks and brushes, disclosing tablets.

Products used solely by the dental profession or products available only on prescription.

General-purpose antiseptic liquids, treatments for sore throats and products for the treatment of oral lesions, sores and mouth ulcers such as gums, pastilles and teething gels are not included in the market size data but are discussed within the scope of the Report.