<Fact-Finding Survey on Teeth Whitening* and Hypersensitivity> About 70% of those who have experienced teeth whitening* have experienced uncomfortable symptoms! 1 in 3 people who felt 'stinging teeth' gave up on continuing whitening*
A survey by Haleon Japan reveals that 70% of teeth whitening users experience discomfort, with 45.3% suffering from hypersensitivity. Taking preventive measures significantly boosts whitening satisfaction to 80.3%.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 9, 2026 at 00:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 8, 2026 at 15:30
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 20, 2026 at 14:33 (287h 3m after Collected)
Haleon Japan K.K. (Representative Director and President: Mari Nogami, Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo), against the backdrop of the recent rise in oral healthcare awareness and the gathering attention to teeth whitening as care for one's appearance that influences first impressions*1, conducted a "Fact-Finding Survey on Teeth Whitening* and Hypersensitivity" to clarify the actual situation of uncomfortable symptoms associated with whitening* and the status of countermeasures.
*In this release, refers to both medical teeth whitening and self-whitening. "Medical whitening" refers to that performed in a dental clinic under the guidance of a dentist or dental hygienist, or at home under guidance, while "self-whitening" is defined as that performed by oneself without the guidance of anyone other than a dentist or dental hygienist, or without guidance.
This survey was conducted in February 2026 targeting 6,663 men and women in their 20s to 40s residing in the Tokyo metropolitan area. When asked about their "awareness regarding the appearance of teeth," 65.1% of the total answered that "whiteness of teeth" influences the impression of their appearance. In addition, about half of the total answered that they are concerned about their own teeth "when meeting someone for the first time," followed by "when going on a date" and "business scenes such as sales or presentations," indicating that adjusting the "appearance of teeth" is regarded as important as one of self-care in business and interpersonal relationships where first impressions are emphasized.
When a fact-finding survey was conducted by extracting 300 people who had experienced teeth whitening* from among the subjects, it was found that about 70% of the total experienced some uncomfortable symptoms during or after whitening*. Among them, the number of people who experienced the hypersensitivity symptom of "stinging teeth" reached 45.3%, and it was found that about 1 in 3 of them gave up on continuing the whitening*. It has come to light that while seeking ideal whiteness, this hypersensitivity symptom is becoming a "wall to continuation" that causes care to be stopped.
On the other hand, it was also found that the satisfaction rate with whitening* among the group taking preventive measures to alleviate the stinging symptom before the procedure reached 80.3%, showing a gap of about four times compared to the 19.7% of the group taking no measures. In order to obtain ideal whiteness and maintain it without stress, it was suggested that it is important to carry out daily preventive care in parallel with the procedure, such as using toothbrushes and toothpastes exclusively for hypersensitivity.
Survey Summary
1. About 2 in 3 men and women in their 20s to 40s answered that "whiteness of teeth" is important in the impression of appearance.
2. About 70% of those who have experienced teeth whitening* experienced uncomfortable symptoms. Among them, 45.3% experienced the hypersensitivity symptom of "stinging teeth."
3. It was found that 1 in 3 people who experienced the hypersensitivity symptom of "stinging teeth" gave up continuing teeth whitening* due to pain. "Hypersensitivity symptoms" become an obstacle to achieving ideal whiteness.
4. The key that determines satisfaction with teeth whitening* is "preventive measures against stinging symptoms." The satisfaction rate of the group taking preventive measures reached 80.3%, a gap of about four times compared to 19.7% of the non-measure group.
Survey Background
The sales amount of the toothpaste market in FY2024 was 142.9 billion yen, and the growth rate of the entire market was +10% (+12.4 billion yen) over three years from FY2022. Among them, toothpaste for hypersensitivity that cares for the stinging symptom when eating cold foods...
*In this release, refers to both medical teeth whitening and self-whitening. "Medical whitening" refers to that performed in a dental clinic under the guidance of a dentist or dental hygienist, or at home under guidance, while "self-whitening" is defined as that performed by oneself without the guidance of anyone other than a dentist or dental hygienist, or without guidance.
This survey was conducted in February 2026 targeting 6,663 men and women in their 20s to 40s residing in the Tokyo metropolitan area. When asked about their "awareness regarding the appearance of teeth," 65.1% of the total answered that "whiteness of teeth" influences the impression of their appearance. In addition, about half of the total answered that they are concerned about their own teeth "when meeting someone for the first time," followed by "when going on a date" and "business scenes such as sales or presentations," indicating that adjusting the "appearance of teeth" is regarded as important as one of self-care in business and interpersonal relationships where first impressions are emphasized.
When a fact-finding survey was conducted by extracting 300 people who had experienced teeth whitening* from among the subjects, it was found that about 70% of the total experienced some uncomfortable symptoms during or after whitening*. Among them, the number of people who experienced the hypersensitivity symptom of "stinging teeth" reached 45.3%, and it was found that about 1 in 3 of them gave up on continuing the whitening*. It has come to light that while seeking ideal whiteness, this hypersensitivity symptom is becoming a "wall to continuation" that causes care to be stopped.
On the other hand, it was also found that the satisfaction rate with whitening* among the group taking preventive measures to alleviate the stinging symptom before the procedure reached 80.3%, showing a gap of about four times compared to the 19.7% of the group taking no measures. In order to obtain ideal whiteness and maintain it without stress, it was suggested that it is important to carry out daily preventive care in parallel with the procedure, such as using toothbrushes and toothpastes exclusively for hypersensitivity.
Survey Summary
1. About 2 in 3 men and women in their 20s to 40s answered that "whiteness of teeth" is important in the impression of appearance.
2. About 70% of those who have experienced teeth whitening* experienced uncomfortable symptoms. Among them, 45.3% experienced the hypersensitivity symptom of "stinging teeth."
3. It was found that 1 in 3 people who experienced the hypersensitivity symptom of "stinging teeth" gave up continuing teeth whitening* due to pain. "Hypersensitivity symptoms" become an obstacle to achieving ideal whiteness.
4. The key that determines satisfaction with teeth whitening* is "preventive measures against stinging symptoms." The satisfaction rate of the group taking preventive measures reached 80.3%, a gap of about four times compared to 19.7% of the non-measure group.
Survey Background
The sales amount of the toothpaste market in FY2024 was 142.9 billion yen, and the growth rate of the entire market was +10% (+12.4 billion yen) over three years from FY2022. Among them, toothpaste for hypersensitivity that cares for the stinging symptom when eating cold foods...