Projected to grow at a CAGR of around 4%, electronic toothbrush market is expected to witness a significant growth over the forecast period owing to increasing consciousness of consumers regarding oral hygiene and plague formation problems. Affordability among high disposable income consumers and high purchasing power in developed countries are to drive the market growth over the forecast period..
In addition to high income, consumers in developed countries such as Western Europe view higher priced products as offering better quality and more helpful to dental hygiene. Growth of electronic toothbrushes is also driven by product updates and advanced technology. Procter & Gamble introduced the Oral-B SmartSeries electronic toothbrushes that come with Bluetooth connectivity that sends information such as time spent in brushing to the smartphone. Similarly, Koninklijke Philips launched Philips Sonicare DiamondClean toothbrushes with good design, induction charging glass, five operating modes and two-minute timer that can efficiently clean hard to reach areas. These new product introductions have stimulated consumer interest in dental hygiene and improved cleaning results.
Electronic toothbrushes are easy to travel with since it doesn’t require batteries or charging outlets. Good battery life that can give around 42 cleans once full-charged in advanced electric toothbrushes is to spur the market growth over the forecast period. Manufacturers are offering ceramic-like paint coatings that are non-slip for comfortable brushing. Also, these toothbrushes are available in sleek design and different colors. Toothbrushes for children are also available which has 3D motion sensors that detect how children brush and interactive real-time fun education games which keeps children entertained while teaching them hygiene habits. These product features are to accelerate the market growth over the forecast period. Electronic toothbrushes offer cleaning technology with oscillating action, sonic technology and rotating motion that helps in protection against plague.
However, high cost of these toothbrushes in comparison to manual ones is to hamper the market growth over the forecast period. Dentists recommend their patients to change these toothbrushes after every three months for better cleaning which leads to higher maintenance charges. Consumers in emerging countries rely more on teeth cleaning and whitening via dentists since they find it more affordable than buying electronic toothbrushes. The aforementioned points pose a threat to this market. Moreover, technology innovation that reduces the time of brushing and internet connectivity that teaches how to brush the teeth are to provide opportunities in this market.
The market can be segmented on the basis of type of action and speed of their movements. On the basis of type of action, the toothbrush market can be categorized into vibration and rotation-oscillation motion. On the basis of speed of their movements, electronic toothbrushes are classified into sonic and ultrasonic toothbrushes. Certain toothbrushes have both ultrasonic and sonic movements.
Western Europe dominates the market currently led by France, Italy and Germany owing to the factors such as high disposable incomes of consumers, advanced technology and premium dental care. Market growth in emerging countries such as India, Brazil, Indonesia and Vietnam remain insignificant on account of increasing sales of affordable manual toothbrushes. The UK market is to witness a significant growth over the forecast period on account of gradual shifting of consumers towards the idea of more effective toothbrushes to maintain dental hygiene.
Key players in this market are Koninklijke Philips N.V., Procter & Gamble, Kolibree, Colgate-Palmolive Company, Panasonic Corporation, Water Pik Inc., Church & Dwight Co., Inc., Conair Corporation, Mouth Watchers, Omron Healthcare, Inc. and Summer Infant. These companies are coming up with innovative technologies in their toothbrushes to increase their market share.
In June 2016, Koninklijke Philips N.V. launched the smart electric toothbrush called Philips Sonicare Flexcare Platinum that can record the brushstrokes and the speed and force of brushing. This data can be then sent to smartfone via Bluetooth that allows seeing the effect of brushing in real time.
