Fighting toothpaste decay

In recent months, Colgate-Palmolive has been very active in the dental care market in India. Challenged seriously as it is by Hindustan Lever's activities in this market, and having lost share to its dental archrival, C-P is making enough noises for consumers to notice the din.

Besides aggressively pushing its Colgate Total brand on the basis of what it describes as 12-hour bacteria protection, it has launched its new Colgate Double Protection and Colgate Sensation Whitening toothpaste that claims to have an advanced whitening formula that makes the teeth whiter and shinier. CSW comes in a dazzling hologram foil packaging.

Even the basic Colgate Dental Cream has not been neglected. The company claims to have done extensive research and garnered feedback from consumers to develop Colgate Dental Cream with "Super Shakti", a formulation with more power to fight odour-causing food particles and decay-causing bacteria.

This improvement is aimed at revitalising Colgate Dental Cream, which for decades has been advertised as a dentist-recommended toothpaste that "Stops bad breath, fights tooth decay".

And then there've been two new launches in toothbrushes, another brand-active segment of the dental care category. Colgate-Palmolive recently launched its "technologically advanced, new generation" toothbrush, Colgate Total Toothbrush. The brush has a "3-way bristles system" which, the company claims, has been clinically proved to help remove plaque.

The brush uses DuPont Tynex bristles in three different lengths to achieve new levels of brushing effectiveness. With a sleek, rubberised grip on the handle, the brush comes for Rs 20 apiece.

Following the Colgate Total Toothbrush, the company launched another toothbrush, Colgate Active Flexible, from C-P's global portfolio of brands. This product, the company claims, is designed to adjust to the contours of the mouth and teeth, has a dual-component handle with an active hinge and a flexible upper end.

These features enable the toothbrush to move not only backward and forward, but also sideways. And, adds the company, the soft, flexible handle helps absorb excess brushing pressure and helps prevent gum irritation and damage.

The DuPont Tynex bristles, in different lengths and designs, are designed to give a more gentle inter-dental clean and the diamond-shaped head makes access to the back of the mouth easier. With a rubberised thumb grip on the handle, this product comes for Rs 25.