The rise of Big Toothbrush: how did our mouths become such a lucrative market?

People in the UK are more interested in oral health than ever - and you can now buy prebiotic toothpastes and brushes that cost up to 600. Yet we remain in the midst of a serious dental crisis

A December 1969 report from the consumer magazine Which? explored a relatively new gadget that, it predicted, many people would be giving as Christmas presents: the electric toothbrush. For those who hadn't yet seen one, the magazine described it as not that much different in principle from an ordinary brush - you have a stick with a brush on the end. The difference is that an electric one moves the brush head for you". Progress indeed.

Nearly six decades on, electric toothbrushes can do a lot more than merely jiggle, offering multiple speeds and movement sensors for real-time tracking of where you've brushed - some even promise gum-massage or tongue-cleaning modes. Prices range from about 25 for a basic Oral B model to 599.99 for a Philips Sonicare model that gives smart coverage feedback". The latest super-toothbrush - a mere 419.99 - features a camera and a built-in water jet to clean between teeth, using AI to identify gaps. Created by Dyson, it's still, essentially, a stick with a brush on the end (although there is another toothbrush on the market that's shaped like a mouthguard, with individual brushes, that claims to clean your teeth in 20 seconds).