Oral-B

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Oral-B is a brand name of toothbrush and other dental care products (such as dental floss) manufactured by Procter and Gamble who acquired Gillette in 2005. The brand also includes power toothbrushes and interdental products (such as irrigators and oral care centers).

Gillette claims that Oral-B toothbrushes are "used by more dentists and consumers than any other brand in the U.S. and in many international markets."^[1]

Contents 1 Products 2 History 3 See also 4 Notes and references 5 External links

[edit] Products

The Oral-B product line contains the following:^[2]

[edit] History

Pre-1980s

• 1921 - Max Braun started an appliance workshop in Frankfurt, Germany.
• 1950 - The first Oral-B toothbrush was designed and patented in California by Dr. Robert Hutson, a California periodontist. The first product was called "Oral-B 60," as it had 60 bristles. Dr. Hutson started a family-owned company based on the brush.
• 1958 - Braun received honors from The Museum of Modern Art in New York and the World's Fair in Brussels.
• 1963 - Braun developed an electric toothbrush prototype called "Mayadent."
• 1967 - Braun was purchased by Gillette.
• 1969 - An Oral-B toothbrush is the first to go to the moon. It rode on the Apollo 11 mission.
• 1978 - The electric toothbrush called the "D1" was mass produced, simulating the manual side-to-side movements of a manual brush. It was sold predominantly in Europe.

1980s

• 1981 - The "Oral-B Right Angle" was introduced.
• 1984 - Oral-B was acquired Gillette. Braun introduced the first power toothbrush that combined vertical and horizontal movements. The Star Wars toothbrush is released for children.
• 1986 - Muppets toothbrushes and toothpaste for children were launched.
• 1987 - The Oral-B Ultra Plus is released, the first Oral-B product design with Braun collaboration.

1990s

• 1991 - The D5 was released and clinically proven to clean better than a manual toothbrush. The Oral-B Indicator was released with fading bristles. The Chilean business Duralon was acquired.
• 1992 - The Oral-B Plaque Control Center, OC5, was released with a power toothbrush and oral irrigator.
• 1993 - The Oral-B Advantage toothbrush was released featuring multilevel trim patterns.
• 1994 - The D7 (with indicator bristles and nonslip gripping) and the Oral-B Compact Interdental brush were launched.
• 1995 - The Squish Grip and Gripper brushes were released. Oral-B UltraFloss dental floss is launched. The Pro business in Latin America was acquired.
• 1996 - The Advantage Control Grip toothbrush was released featuring micro-textured bristles and an ergonomic dual material handle. The D9 (Oral-B Plaque Remover) and the Oral-B Interclean Interdental Plaque Remover were launched.
• 1997 - Oral-B partners with Nickelodeon. Oral-B acquired the Prudent business in India.
• 1998 - The Oral-B 3D Plaque Remover, Oral-B CrossAction toothbrush and SATINfloss were released.

2000s

• 2000 - The Oral-B 3D Excel, Oral-B Kids' Power toothbrush, and the Oral-B Battery Toothbrush were launched.
• 2001 - Oral-B entered into an exclusive license agreement with Disney to release products including manual, battery, and rechargeable power toothbrushes, showcasing Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh, Buzz Lightyear, and the Disney Princesses.^[3]

[edit] See also

• Toothbrush
• Oral care
• Gillette
• Braun

[edit] Notes and references

1. ^ About Oral-B and Gillette. OralB.com. Retrieved on November 21, 2005.
2. ^ Toothbrushes, Toothpaste, Floss and more dental hygiene products from Oral-B. OralB.com. Retrieved on February 14, 2006.
3. ^ Oral-B Toothbrush and Company History. OralB.com. Retrieved on November 21, 2005.

[edit] External links

• Official Oral-B Site

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