A new toothpaste for sensitive teeth, created by a former global head of the Sensodyne brand and backed financially by a group of UK dentists, has gone on sale in the UK.
S3 Sensitivity Science, with a recommended retail price of £19.99, was developed by Mick Cox, who headed up Sensodyne for eight years, and Majedeh Mazraei, a former formulating chemist at GSK who worked on the formulation of dental products there.
Dentist backing and university testing
The brand said it had the financial backing of more than 20 practising dentists. Independent testing at Reading University suggested S3 was effective at blocking dentine tubules – the channels that can cause sensitivity when exposed, according to S3.
Triple-action formula
Cox said S3's “triple-action approach” – using 5% potassium nitrate to calm nerves, 10% nano-hydroxyapatite to block the dentine tubules, and biomimetic-hydroxyapatite and fluoride to protect teeth – was a “genuine step-change for the category and, more importantly, for the patients that suffer from sensitive teeth”.
The UK oral care market is worth more than £1 billion, with sensitivity representing approximately 50% of the category, according to Market Data Forecast figures.
