Challenger oral care brand OZEN launches into 800+ Boots stores

OZEN, a new challenger oral care brand founded by NHS maxillofacial surgeon Dr Niall Kent, has launched into more than 800 Boots stores across the UK. The brand enters a $2.3bn sensitivity category with AeroGraft™, the first new patented toothpaste technology for sensitive teeth in almost 30 years.

"The sensitivity category is broken — you are more likely to have sensitivity between the ages of 20 and 40, yet 75% of category customers are 45+," co-founder Harry Zalk told The Checkout. "There has been no new innovation for decades and the customer has learned to settle for mediocre solutions."

How AeroGraft works

OZEN's patented AeroGraft™ technology was developed over ten years of research at University College London. It is made from aerogel — one of the lightest solid materials known to science, used in NASA space missions.

Most sensitive toothpastes work in one of two ways. Either numbing the nerve, or gradually blocking the microscopic channels (tubules) inside the tooth over days or weeks. AeroGraft takes a different route. The material activates on contact with saliva, physically sealing exposed tubules while releasing calcium and phosphate ions that form a protective mineral layer on the tooth surface. The brand says it starts working within minutes and is resistant to acidic conditions.

In a consumer trial of 1,140 adults run by the brand, 84% said OZEN outperformed their current sensitive toothpaste.

Kent discovered aerogels while helping his brother, a sculptor, research new materials. "We borrowed from aerospace and art to do what dentistry had not. No one had thought to look there," Kent said.

OZEN’s debut range

OZEN launches with a daily-use toothpaste at £10 (fresh mint and mild mint) and an Oral Gel at £15 (mint free and mild mint). The gel is a concentrated, on-the-go format, and the first product of its kind in the category, taking sensitivity relief beyond the twice-daily bathroom routine.

"The Gel is perfect for enjoying cold drinks or to be used immediately after tooth whitening treatments," Zalk said.

A decade in the making

"True innovation is not fast or easy. Niall has been developing the technology for a decade and it took us more than four years to industrialise and formulate AeroGraft into the products that are on shelf today," Zalk said. "This is a first of its kind in the category — formulating with new materials throws up challenges every day."

It's a once in a generation opportunity to challenge a stagnant category on behalf of the consumer, especially with true innovation.

For Zalk, the journey has been worth it: "It's a once in a generation opportunity to challenge a stagnant category on behalf of the consumer, especially with true innovation."