Toothpaste that amazes your mouth

As part of our commitment to the health and well-being of our consumers, we have set a target of changing the oral care behaviour of 50 million people worldwide by 2020.

Brushing teeth twice daily with a fluoride toothpaste can reduce tooth decay among children by 50%, compared to once-daily brushing – and we are always looking out for technological developments that will improve and differentiate our toothpastes.

We'd be interested in working with partners who are developing ways to create a 'wow' factor in toothpaste, through new sensory experiences – taste, texture, even sound – new flavours, or new ingredients. This might mean a toothpaste that fizzes, or pops, or conjures a completely novel taste. As long as it leaves the mouth with a sense of freshness – and consumers will love it – we'd like to hear about it.

We have some ideas of where innovation could help meet this challenge:

• new ingredients or cooling agents which impart a feeling of freshness

• phased sensory release methods

• new natural ingredients like essential oils

• technology from other industries - for example, makers of novelty confectionery

• agents with enhanced foaming properties

• particulate inclusion methods for delaying the release of sensations

We'd particularly like to hear from potential partners who have developed a technology that is either nearly or actually commercially available, and work with them to adapt their technology for our products. Any solution must achieve:

• an impact on the tooth-cleaning experience for consumers

• stability in aqueous solutions

• required regulatory approvals

If you have a design or technical solution that could help us meet this challenge, we'd like to hear from you.