The special segment keeps strengthening

From 100 Hungarians only 9-10 can say that they have no teeth problems. It is especially people above the age of 35 who suffer from bleeding gum or dental plaque – informs dentist Dr Milán Gyurkovics about the results of a survey, conducted with support from Oral-B blend-a-med Research. Actually, gum diseases more often cause tooth loss than dental caries. What is more, through the inflamed, bleeding gum bacteria from the mouth can enter the bloodstream and cause circulatory disorders and cardiovascular diseases or worsen already existing diabetes. Luckily, a growing number of radio and television programmes speak about oral care. Acidic food and beverages can also do harm to the tooth enamel and many manufacturers focus on special products repairing these damages, e.g. the new Colgate Sensitive Pro-Relief Enamel Repair toothpaste, Vademecum Expert Pro Medic, the blend-a-med Expert Clinic Enamel Regeneration product line, Sensodyne Pronamel and the elmex Erosion protection product range. Hungarians use 1 toothbrush/person and 2.5 tubes of toothpaste/person a year. Two thirds of the population only see a dentist if they have a tooth problem. Consequently, education activity and awareness raising programmes are of utmost importance. Szilvia Baranyi, brand manager with Henkel Magyarország Kft. told our magazine that on 1 July 2012 they launched their Vademecum money-back guarantee programme, which lasts until 31 December; the goal is to urge people to try Vademeceum toothpastes. They did not forget about children either: the company prepares for the new school year by giving away children’s shower gel and toothpaste with 3D plastic glasses. The company’s complete assortment can now also be purchased at www.schwarzkopf.shopline.hu Colgate’s campaign tries to get through dentists’ recommendation – one has to change their toothbrush every 3 months – via a campaign called ‘Nasty Little Invisible Foes’. They try to convince people to change their toothbrush every season. The mouth care month is traditionally the period when brand manufacturers and retailers join forces to popularise mouth care products and to educate consumers. As for the toothpaste market, value sales are stable and there has been a small decline in terms of volume. This means that consumers trust higher-priced, quality products that typically try to solve special problems. Currently whitening is the biggest segment among toothpastes in Hungary and in Central Europe, followed by sensitive and Medical products. Márió Végh, category activation manager with GSK Oral Care informed Trade magazin that in the second half of 2012 Sensodyne, Parodontax, Aquafresh and Corega product launches will help consumers to find the best solutions to their problems. Sensodyne Repair & Protect is now available in a whitening version too. Sensodyne Extra Fresh is another novelty, which refreshes the mouth with its mint flavour. Colgate hit the shops with Max White One Fresh. Products in the blend-a-med Pro-Expert Clinic line contain the Stannous Complex formula, fighting calculus and bacteria efficiently.