• by Les Luchter , April 14, 2025

Consumers who experience tooth pain or discomfort from hot and cold drinks, sweets, acidic food, or pressure while brushing have a sensitivity problem, for which a growing market has come to the rescue.

Led by toothpaste brands like Colgate and Haleon’s Sensodyne, the tooth desensitizer market also has room for mouthwash, such as Kenvue’s Listerine.

That brand’s latest mouthful, Clinical Solutions Sensitive Teeth, launched recently with marketing support from digital ads, social ads and influencer marketing, as well as retail media and in-store sampling coming soon via Walmart, Target and Amazon.

The new mouthwash “provides 24-hour relief and is clinically proven to reverse tooth sensitivity with continual use,” Kamran Shahzad, Kenvue’s head of U.S. Oral Care, tells Marketing Daily. “Our goal is to reach both new consumers seeking relief from sensitivity and existing Listerine users looking for a formula tailored to their unique oral care needs.”

“We’re leading with our dentist and dental hygienist high-reach ambassadors who are helping educate their audiences about the efficacy of the product,” he says, “as well as tapping into community-driven conversations through culturally relevant lifestyle influencers.”

Those dental influencers explain the problem as well as Listerine’s solution.

Fast-talking hygienist Michaela Diehl, for example, uses several locations while explaining that sensitivity is caused by erosion or recession of the tooth’s enamel (the white outside portion).

As that enamel breaks down, buoyant “tooth fairy” Corina Monroe, another hygienist, tells how dentinal tubules underneath get exposed, thus receiving a stimulus that travels to the nerves and causes the pain, but that Clinical Solutions Sensitive Teeth blocks those tubules.

Dr. Humie, a serious-sounding dentist, shows scientific images to demonstrate how the brand uses trademarked Crystal Block technology  “clinically proven to reduce tooth sensitivity with continual use.”

Sensitive Teeth Mouthwash joins three other Clinical Solutions brands introduced in 2023. They are Antiseptic Gum Health, which promises to reduce gingivitis and decrease in gum bleeding by 64% within one week: Teeth Strength, promising teeth that are three times stronger and longer lasting, thanks to increased fluoride uptake and remineralization ; and Breath Defense, said to provide 24 hours of  fresh breath when used twice daily, due to “zinc chloride and technology that neutralizes and transforms odor molecules, as well as four essential oils to kill bacteria.”

Agencies working with Kenvue on the Clinical Solutions Sensitive Teeth launch include: Vidmob, creative; OneVue, media; Billion Dollar Boy, influencer marketing; and Hunter, PR.

Listerine says that 42% of Americans suffer from sensitive teeth, with 77% of that group modifying how they eat because of it.

Last month, Persistence Market Research projected that the global teeth desensitizer market will grow from $1.38 billion in 2023 to $2.11 billion by the end of 2030, with the U.S. currently accounting for 40.5% of sales.

The research noted that tooth sensitivity can be caused by acidic diets, aggressive brushing habits, and dental procedures such as teeth whitening. “The aging population, which is more susceptible to oral health problems, further drives market growth,” Persistence added.