Oral care industry - Impact from Probiotics

Oral care industry today.

Today the oral care industry is dominated by a small number of multi-national companies who are focused on building oral care
mega-brands on a global scale. Toothpastes and toothbrushes account for the lions share of the market. The market has seen
value growth in recent years through several new launches into the therapeutic sector but in volume terms the growth in the
category mainly originates from developing countries, where toothpaste and toothbrush penetration is increasing among lowincome consumers. Complementary oral care products such as mouthwashes, dental floss, denture care and tooth whiteners
have grown quite well over recent years but overall account for a relatively small share of the market.
Macro trends that will drive growth in oral care.
One important factor is the ageing of the population. We know that as people are getting older more and more oral health
issues come along. In parallel people have become much more demanding of their oral healthcare, both cosmetically (the
desire for white teeth and it's association with youth) and medically ( everybody these days wants to keep their teeth for life, if
possible).
Also changes in diet have created some new issues such as tooth erosion. The pressure to consume fresh fruit and vegetables
has driven consumption but the acids contained in fruits and drinks can cause premature thinning of the enamel, opening up a
new segment in the market.
Finally, at Valdez Consulting we see that the increasing trend towards prevention rather than treatment in all areas of healthcare
will have a big influence in the future. This trend is coming both from governments, eager to cut costs, and from consumers,
wishing to take greater control over their health. We believe people will make much greater efforts in the area of prevention,
hoping to minimise the need for mechanical intervention later.
Bacteria's effect on oral health.
Bacteria are said to be "mans best friend". However, they can also be his worst enemy! There are 100 trillion bacteria of several
hundred different species in our body. In a healthy person the oral microflora is stable and diverse, and consists mainly of
beneficial bacteria. Our modern lifestyle, however, has caused an ecological catastrophe in our mouths, referred to as
dysbiosis. New research suggest that the diversity of oral bacteria decreased dramatically when processed sugar and flour
became widely available owing to the industrial revolution. Simultaneously, the number of bacteria associated with gum disease
and dental caries, such as Streptococcus mutans, has increased in the oral cavity. Restoring these reduced numbers of
beneficial bacteria via probiotics might be of considerable interest in the prevention and treatment of plaque-related periodontal
diseases.

The adjunctive use of oral healthcare products containing chemotherapeutic agents for the local use in the oral cavity have
taken a variety of forms over the years. Unfortunately the side effects of the compounds currently available, primarily staining
and taste, tend to limit compliance and therefore, reduce efficacy. Probiotics could offer a natural regiment to treat the condition,
without side-effects. Nevertheless, clinical studies on the effects of probiotics in different fields of oral healthcare have been
published such as; halitosis, oral candidiasis, and tooth decay. It yet remains to be seen for which oral diseases and conditions
the probiotics used in oral care will be the most successful.
Crucial factors for players in the oral care industry.
Market research shows that interest in probiotics for oral healthcare is very high among the dental profession and consumers.
But as illustrated even by fluoride toothpaste in it's early days, new innovations in oral care take a long time to establish
themselves. A key to their success will be the endorsement of the the new category by the dental community. This will happen
through the conducting of large scale clinical trials that demonstrate the health benefits of specific probiotic strains. A key
technical issue that remains to be solved is the stability of probiotic strains in toothpaste and mouthwash products. Today,
probiotics for oral health are delivered in lozenges and chewing gums, which in spite of their simplicity and convenience, are not
yet considered part of a serious oral prevention regime.
What should a company do to be a probiotic leader in in oral care?
There is a very limited number of players in the market today. In our view, in order to be a probiotic leader, a company will really
need to fulfil three important criteria. It needs to be able to present peer-reviewed and published, placebo controlled clinical
trials supporting the health benefits of their products, it needs to be able to deliver its probiotics in attractive product formats

both for the dentist and the consumer, and finally, it needs to have a defined and well-proven business model applied to selling
the products

Recommended by : Steve Rogers ( steve_rogers2014@outlook.com )