Rethinking your routine: Not all oral care is created equal

A modern guide to what’s in your bathroom cupboard

Oral care is something we’re taught from a young age, but how often do we stop and question the products we’re putting in our mouths every single day?

In this guide, we explore the evolution of dental products, from ancient pastes to futuristic LED treatments. We’ll explore the variety of options available today, how ingredients and regulations shape our choices, and how sustainability is shifting consumer expectations. It’s time to rethink what good oral health really means.

A brief history of toothpaste and mouthwash

Toothpaste as we know it has undergone a major transformation. Ancient Egyptians used a mixture of crushed ox hooves, myrrh, and eggshells over 5,000 years ago. Fast forward to the 1800s, chalk-based pastes and powdered bicarbonate soda were common. But the real toothpaste boom began in the late 19th century, when fluoride was added for cavity protection and mass manufacturing took off.

Mouthwash, meanwhile, was born in 1879. Dr Joseph Lawrence created “Listerine” as a surgical antiseptic. It wasn’t marketed for bad breath until 1914, when it also became available over the counter.

Today’s dental toolkit: Beyond paste and rinse

The modern oral care aisle is crowded. Here are the most common categories you’ll find:

• Toothpastes: Traditional fluoride-based pastes, natural alternatives, charcoal-based options, sensitivity-specific products.
• Mouthwash: Alcohol vs alcohol-free, essential oils, whitening formulas.
• Floss & Interdental tools: Waxed and unwaxed floss, floss picks, interdental brushes, water flossers.
• Tongue Scrapers: Usually copper or stainless steel; rising in popularity for fresh breath.
• LED Devices: Blue light for whitening, red light for gum health and inflammation.
• Chewable tablets & powders: Toothpaste and mouthwash in solid forms for sustainability and travel-ready.
  
  

Image Suggestion: <Flat lay of a modern dental kit: toothpaste tablets, mouthwash, floss, LED device, scraper>

Premium versions are also rising, think sonic toothbrushes with app connectivity, UV sterilisers, and subscription models delivering curated, minimalist routines to your door.

What’s Actually in These Products?

Let’s look at some common toothpaste ingredients:

Regulations in Western Europe are relatively strict. EU Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 governs cosmetic products and ensures ingredient safety, labelling, and environmental compliance【5】.

Usability and costs: From everyday to exclusive

At one end, supermarket brands sell toothpaste from £1–£3 per tube. At the other, boutique pastes can go for £15+ with natural ingredients, sustainable packaging and branding appeal. Likewise, LED devices can start from £30 and run well into the £100s for medical-grade equipment.

Usability is improving too, think chewable tablets, waterless formulations, and travel-ready kits are replacing tubes and liquids. This isn’t just convenient. It’s a growing reflection of what consumers are demanding from personal care products.

Sustainability: The future of oral health

The Problem:

• 1.5 billion toothpaste tubes are thrown away globally each year - almost all of them un-recyclable due to mixed materials【6】.
• Mouthwash is over 90% water, making it costly to ship and package unnecessarily.
  
  

The Response:

• Toothpaste tablets remove the need for plastic tubes and water-based formulas.
• Refillable containers, glass bottles, and compostable packaging are replacing plastic.
• Ingredient transparency is becoming a consumer right rather than a luxury.
  
  

Consumer trends clearly favour natural, minimal, and eco-conscious brands. Nielsen data shows that over 60% of consumers in Europe consider sustainability when making purchasing decisions【7】.

NUEOS: The next generation of oral health

NUEOS was created in response to these very shifts. It’s more than just toothpaste and mouthwash, it’s a complete reimagining of the oral health experience.

• Natural, effective ingredients in tablet form. Plus correctly portioned!
• Monthly subscription, making dental wellness effortless.
• No plastic tubes or wasteful packaging. All of our packaging is recyclable or is designed to last a lifetime.
• LED Light Bath device powered by red and blue  LED with clinically proven wave lengths - supporting enamel health, gum healing, and bacterial balance.
  
  

“We don’t just want to clean teeth. We want to elevate the whole oral health ritual.” – Annemari. NUEOS founder

It’s convenient, conscious and clinically forward. And it’s changing the way we think about what belongs in our bathroom cabinet.

Consumers are re-evaluating the new “what’s good enough”

Not all dental products are made equal, and not all oral care is created with your health and the planet in mind.

The next time you pick up a toothbrush or squeeze a tube, think about what’s in it, what it’s doing for you, and what it’s leaving behind. The future of oral health is already here, and it looks a lot like NUEOS.

Let the light in.

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Sources

1. American Dental Association, “History of Dentistry”
2. Smithsonian Magazine, “The Curious History of Mouthwash”
   
3. NHS UK, “Fluoride and Dental Health”
   
4. European Commission, “Cosmetic Ingredient Database”
   
5. EUR-Lex, EU Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009
   
6. BBC Future, “The problem with toothpaste tubes”
   
7. Nielsen Europe, “The Evolution of the Eco-Conscious Consumer”