Colgate Total Active Prevention: A Complete Oral Health System
The new Colgate Total Active Prevention delivers advanced preventative care—empowering people to feel confident about their oral health.
Category
Innovation
Published
February 4, 2025
To maintain good oral health, prevention is paramount. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), most oral health conditions, including dental caries (tooth decay), periodontal diseases (gum diseases), and oral cancers, are largely preventable with proper care. Caries and periodontal disease alone affect more than 3 billion people globally.
If bacteria go unchecked, unnoticed, or uncontrolled, they can multiply rapidly—resisting the effects of brushing and leading to oral health issues.
To address this global oral health challenge, Colgate developed Colgate Total Active Prevention, a preventative oral health system that features innovative toothpaste, toothbrushes, and mouthwash.
Among the innovations in Colgate Total Active Prevention is a groundbreaking technology that enhances the effectiveness of stannous fluoride, a chemical compound proven to reduce caries and gingivitis.
“It’s fantastic to see such a technology showcased in such a way,” said Carl Myers, Director of Oral Care Product Development at Colgate-Palmolive. Myers and a team of scientists at Colgate-Palmolive were awarded the Edison Patent Award—New Jersey’s highest recognition for inventors and innovation—for their work on the technology found in Colgate Total Active Prevention toothpaste.
“This award puts a spotlight on the technology’s novelty, but more importantly, it demonstrates Colgate’s commitment to delivering oral health in the most innovative ways possible,” Myers said.
Driven by innovative science and real consumer insights, Colgate Total Active Prevention empowers individuals to feel confident in their oral health—supporting Colgate-Palmolive’s mission to reimagine a healthier future for all.
The science behind Colgate Total Active Prevention
The journey to reinvent Colgate Total Active Prevention toothpaste began with a challenge: stabilizing stannous fluoride. The chemical compound is notoriously difficult to stabilize, particularly in a neutral, aqueous environment (like the inside of the mouth).
“Our goal was to break down the unusual experimental results we observed and bring all aspects of this technology to the next level,” Myers said. This challenge was taken up by a dedicated team of scientists at Colgate-Palmolive, including Myers, Guofeng Xu, Shaoyi Zhang and former CP employee Saide Tang.
By continuing to conduct experiments and gather data, the team successfully stabilized stannous fluoride, significantly reducing its dissipation under high temperatures and humidity. For consumers, this translates into a brushing experience with enhanced health benefits.
Colgate Total Active Prevention started as a small project. But it quickly grew into a global initiative, with over 300 people contributing to the development and implementation of this groundbreaking technology.
An innovative oral health system
Colgate Total Active Prevention is more than just toothpaste—it’s a comprehensive oral health regimen designed to fight the root causes of gingivitis, tartar buildup, plaque, cavities, bad breath, and stains.
With a history of toothbrush innovation—Colgate holds the most toothbrush patents in the world—Colgate Total Active Prevention provided an opportunity to create a new design for both manual and electric toothbrushes.
On just one Colgate Total Active Prevention toothbrush, there are more than 5,000 bristles designed to enhance the toothpaste’s foaming action. (On regular toothbrushes, often there are 1,500 or fewer bristles.)
While the new toothbrushes feature sleek, ergonomic handles that have 12% less plastic than Colgate 360°, they still manage to feature two distinct types of bristles—End-Round and Floss-Tip®—that help to polish away plaque and surface stains and provide a deeper, gentler clean between teeth and along the gum line.
To complete the Active Prevention regimen, Colgate Total Active Prevention mouthwash offers a zinc-enriched formula for added freshness and 24-hour antibacterial protection to complete the Active Prevention regimen. The mouthwash is the first daily alcohol-free anti-plaque and antigingivitis mouthwash to be accepted by the American Dental Association. Colgate Total Active Prevention is the first DAILY alcohol-free (anti) plaque and (anti)gingivitis mouthwash to be accepted by the American Dental Association.
As Colgate Total Active Prevention debuts in markets around the globe, Colgate remains dedicated to advancing oral care through continuous innovation and a strong focus on consumer needs, ensuring individuals feel confident about their oral health.
Colgate Total Active Prevention toothpaste is currently available in Latin America. Toothpaste and mouthwash will launch in North America in late 2024 and early 2025. Colgate Total Active Prevention toothbrushes will be available in late 2024.
1 Caused by bacteria
2By removing plaque
3 By removing surface stains
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