Teeth Whitening Market

Market Overview

The global teeth whitening market size was valued at USD 6.22 billion in 2022. It is estimated to reach USD 10.63 billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 6.14% during the forecast period (2023–2031). Factors such as growing incidences of teeth discoloration and increasing marketing and promotional activities, significantly drives the teeth whitening market demand by 2031.

The teeth whitening process is a dentistry cosmetic method used to whiten the teeth' color by removing extrinsic and intrinsic stains. This process uses bleaching and non-bleaching products that can be used at home or by professionals in dentist clinics. These whitening products come in toothpaste, gels, strips, trays, and other solutions. Among bleaching products, hydrogen peroxide is the ingredient that is widely used in the teeth whitening process.

In addition, the most often used active ingredient in whitening solutions, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), is available as carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide. Like carbamide peroxide, hydrogen peroxide is released when the stable compound comes into contact with water. When hydrogen peroxide diffuses into the tooth, it acts as an oxidizing agent and breaks down to produce unstable free radicals. These unstable free radicals connect to organic pigment molecules in the gaps between the inorganic salts in tooth enamel, forming tiny, less-colored components. These smaller molecules produce a "whitening effect" by reflecting less light.

Market Dynamics

Global Teeth Whitening Market Drivers

Growing Incidences of Teeth Discoloration

The discoloration of teeth is one of the major factors driving the overall demand for teeth whitening products in the market. Teeth stains occur on the outer and inner surfaces. The discoloration of teeth is largely caused due to the excessive consumption of beverages such as coffee, wine, tea, and tobacco, such as chewing tobacco or smoking cigarettes, and the consumption of medicines such as fluoride and tetracycline.

Vendors and professionals are expected to spend a lot of money and time to improve the overall appearance of their teeth. Consequently, consumers should experience a significant increase in the use of whitening treatments over the coming years. Similarly, the increasing incidence of teeth discoloration is expected to propel the need for teeth whitening procedures during the forecast period.

Increasing Marketing and Promotional Activities

Marketing plays a pivotal role in product development by providing relevant information, enhancing product positioning decisions, and contributing to the overall expansion of the business or industry. Moreover, the process also provides the link between consumers and products, thereby satisfying the needs of consumers. Different marketing activities help in adding value to the products being sold, stimulating the effectiveness of intermediaries and consumer purchases. Vendors need to understand the end-user segments to cater to, along with their needs and requirements.

With the increasing financial burden of developing new products and gaining regulatory approval, suppliers are introducing creative marketing techniques to drive the changes in the product mix. Various advertising and marketing strategies focus on trademarks, brands, and features of the products. Several dental professionals prescribe safe and effective teeth whitening products to consumers. Therefore, they can help market such products since they can explain the composition of these products to their patients. Such factors drive market growth.

Global Teeth Whitening Market Restraint

Unregulated Practices of Teeth Whitening

Unregulated practices of teeth whitening procedures offered by non-professional staff are increasing among consumers owing to the cheaper rates. A registered cosmetic dentist is anticipated to offer the teeth whitening treatment/procedure in a highly regulated, safer, and controlled environment. However, the non-dental professionals offering the same service at a lesser price are expected to impact demand for the same among individuals. Moreover, the teeth whitening industry is considered unregulated, wherein many practitioners perform procedures without proper dental training. These practitioners are not qualified to treat patients with restorations, cavities (in case of cavities, teeth whitening cannot be performed), and cracked enamel, leading to problems after the procedure. The increasing number of unregulated practices and non-compliance products are expected to hamper the overall teeth whitening market growth during the forecast period.

Global Teeth Whitening Market Opportunities

Technological Innovations in Teeth Whitening Products

Vendors are focussing on offering new and updated solutions for teeth whitening products. The growing demand for whiter teeth is expected to bolster the development of various innovative techniques. With advancements in teeth whitening materials, one of the major trends includes introducing OTC whitening products. These products offer consumers varied materials and methods at a lower cost. New technologies, procedures, and materials are expected to play a significant role in the aesthetic dentistry segment, particularly in teeth whitening. Advanced intraoral scanners, sophisticated 3D imaging software, and cutting-edge CAD/CAM systems are used to simplify the treatment process and diagnostics.

Recently, Crest (P&G) invented an at-home teeth whitening product, 3D Whitestrips, which is gaining popularity among youngsters. Laser teeth whitening, also referred to as power whitening, also solves discolored teeth problems. This mode of treatment is preferred since it does not damage the structure of the teeth or gums of the patient. The laser teeth whitening procedure uses peroxide bleaching solution on the teeth surface and is activated by laser energy, thereby speeding up the whitening process. Therefore, technological innovations in teeth whitening create opportunities for the market to expand.

Regional Analysis

Based on region, the global teeth whitening market share is bifurcated into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa.

North America Dominates the Global Market

North America is the most significant global teeth whitening market shareholder and is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 5.59% over the forecast period. The increasing number of periodontal diseases and dental caries, along with the rising spending power of consumers on dental healthcare, is expected to favorably impact the overall demand for oral healthcare products among consumers in the region during the forecast period. The increasing discoloration of teeth among individuals due to overconsumption of stain-causing drinks and food, poor dental hygiene, and the presence of fluoride in water are considered viable factors for the increasing demand for teeth whitening solutions in the market. In addition, smoking has a major impact on dental aesthetics, proving to be the cause of several oral diseases. In North America, smoking has decreased; however, as per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2017, nearly 34 million American adults were still active smokers. Smoking is expected to lead to staining of the tooth edges and the gum line. Hence, using teeth whitening products can reduce these to a maximum extent, thereby driving the regional market growth.

Europe is anticipated to exhibit a CAGR of 6.07% over the forecast period. The increasing number of oral diseases in the region has led to the growing consciousness among individuals for dental health; they are hence adopting solutions to maintain oral health. However, according to the European Council's Directive, teeth whitening products with more than the specified peroxide content should be earmarked for in-office use by dentists. Hence, the increasing approvals from such dental associations are anticipated to encourage consumers to increase their investments in teeth whitening products to enhance their overall appearance. Moreover, the growing trend of product recommendations from dentists is also expected to favorably impact the overall market growth of these products during the forecast period.

The Asia-Pacific market is expected to witness a surging demand during the forecast period owing to the increased spending power of consumers. Moreover, the rising responsiveness among consumers in realizing how important or good oral hygiene is and how to prevent the problems related to the same is expected to favorably impact the overall dental care and hygiene products demand during the forecast period. Moreover, the increasing number of small/private clinics and rising dental healthcare expenditure are anticipated to boost the overall regional oral care market demand. In addition, the growing awareness of oral care hygiene among consumers is expected to propel the adoption of dental healthcare practices and products along with dentist guidance regarding teeth whitening products. For instance, in Australia, consumers will likely spend nearly USD 7.62 in dental fees per week.

In Latin America, political, demographic, and economic factors ensure that the demand for dental care services will experience a significant rise during the forecast period. This can be attributed to the growing number of dental diseases and proper awareness among individuals to prevent the same with oral care products. The growing oral hygiene awareness is anticipated to be one of the key contributors to the overall market growth of dental products and technological developments, driving the market growth in the region.

In the Middle East and Africa, the increasing consumption of food that causes stains, such as coffee, tea, wine, and tobacco, causes teeth discoloration and is also anticipated to impact the teeth whitening products market in the region favorably. The key vendors in the region are increasingly focusing on developing several innovative products that help in enhancing the smile, thereby favorably impacting the sales of the overall teeth-whitening products in the region.

Segmental Analysis

The global teeth whitening market is bifurcated into whitening products, applications, composition, and distribution channels.

Based on whitening products, the global teeth whitening market is bifurcated into toothpaste, gels, strips, and others. 

The whitening toothpaste segment dominates the global market and is projected to exhibit a CAGR of 6.07% over the forecast period. Teeth whitening toothpaste is projected to witness rising demand over the forecast period due to the quick results offered by the same, affordable prices, easy accessibility, and various additives and abrasives that enable easy stain removal. Furthermore, the presence of abrasives such as silica, dicalcium phosphate dihydrate, and alumina in the toothpaste formulation helps promote stain removal.

Whitening toothpaste includes polishing or chemical agents that offer additional and effective stain removal. Whitening toothpaste help remove surface stains despite the bleaching content being comparatively lesser than the solutions used by dentists for whitening teeth. Whitening toothpaste sold in the market contains hydrogen peroxide that lightens the color of teeth. This toothpaste can lighten teeth by 3−4 shades with regular brushing, but in-office treatment can lighten the teeth by 6−8 shades.

Based on application, the global teeth whitening market is bifurcated into at-home and in-office segments. 

The at-home segment owns the global market and is predicted to exhibit a CAGR of 6.47% over the forecast period. Consumers are shifting their preferences to several at-home teeth whitening services owing to the benefits offered by the same. The changing lifestyles of consumers are expected to impact the purchase decisions of consumers, thereby prompting them to shift their preferences to flexible, easy, and convenient techniques at any point in time, along with the reduction of time taken to use the same. Moreover, the cost associated with at-home whitening procedures is much lower than the in-office whitening treatments, which is further anticipated to bolster the demand for the same among consumers. These over-the-counter at-home techniques comprise lower strength of bleaching agent, with nearly 10–22% of the carbamide peroxide content/concentrations, which amounts to approximately 3% of hydrogen peroxide content.

Based on composition, the global market for teeth whitening is segmented into bleaching agents and non-bleaching agents. 

The bleaching agent segment dominates the global market and is predicted to exhibit a CAGR of 5.94% during the forecast period. The global teeth whitening industry has been expanding recently due to increased oral hygiene awareness and the accessibility of teeth whitening solutions. In bleaching materials, carbopol (carboxy polymethylene) is the most used thickening agent. It typically has a concentration of 0.5% to 1.5%. There are two key benefits of using this high-molecular-weight polyacrylic acid polymer. First, it makes the bleaching components dense, which improves the bleaching gel's ability to stay in the tray.

Second, it extends the bleaching material's active oxygen-releasing time up to 4 times. In addition, glycerin and propylene glycol are the most-used carriers in commercial bleaching agents specifically used in in-office teeth whitening procedures. Moreover, whitening gels with surfactants or pigment dispersants may be more effective than those without since the surfactant acts as a surface-wetting agent that permits the active bleaching ingredient to diffuse uniformly.

Based on distribution channels, the global market for teeth whitening is divided into offline and online channels. 

The offline segment is the most significant contributor to the market and is estimated to exhibit a CAGR of 5.97% over the forecast period. Manufacturers sell their products through different retail distribution channels via independent distributors, dealers, mass merchants, and consumer home centers. The entry of new market players poses an opportunity for retailers to capture the core distribution channel. Hence, key market players focus on these retailers to reach their customers. In a few countries, residential or at-home products are sold to distributors, further meant for resale to retailers and dealers. Retail channels for distributing teeth-whitening products include manufacturers, wholesale distributors, retailers, and consumers. In the distribution channel process, manufacturers sell products to wholesale distributors/stockists, which are further sold to consumers in the market.

Recent Developments

• May 2023- Align introduced its first professional teeth-whitening system, which is compatible with Invisalign treatment. The Invisalign Professional Whitening System is designed specifically for Invisalign clear aligners and Vivera retainers.

• February 2023- Colgate® Optic White®, an industry leader in oral care and teeth whitening, introduced two innovative teeth whitening products to revolutionize the teeth whitening process. The Colgate® Optic White® ComfortFit LED Teeth Whitening Kit and Colgate® Optic White® Express Teeth Whitening Pen were created to enhance the user experience while delivering quick results.