Only 8% of the world’s population brush regularly with fluoride toothpaste (WHO stats)

In nearly every country (including the UK), toothpaste is treated as a cosmetic and so is subject to taxes and tariffs.

In Burkina Faso, taxes add 55% to the price of most toothpastes.

For some workers in Zambia, buying one tube of toothpaste can cost 5 days of household expenditure, compared to just 0.025 days in the UK!

The WHO estimates that 5 billion of the world’s 6 ½ billion population will suffer from dental caries, making it the most common non-communicable disease.

For most of the world’s population, relief from the pain of dental decay is only available by DIY or “street dentistry” – with no anaesthetic or cross infection control! 

Western sweets and fizzy drink brands are available and aggressively marketed in even the poorest countries of the world.

Chew sticks work well, but without fluoride toothpaste are of limited benefit.

In Cambodia, the average six year old has over 8 decayed, missing or filled teeth (DMFT score) compared to just 1 per child in the UK.