‘This can’t be f**king real. Eight f**king pound ten for some toothpaste,’ a disgruntled mum shouted into her phone in the supermarket.

Next to it, you can find a standard sized 75ml tube of Colgate Max White Ultimate Whitening Toothpaste for £23.

For reference, that money could buy you four rump steaks from Waitrose, a 5.99kg whole turkey from Sainsbury’s, or a flight to Marrakech with £8 left to spend.

And Colgate isn’t the only brand with pricey paste. If you opt for Oral-B’s Pro Science Clinical Intensive Clean Toothpaste, it’ll set you back £10, as will Sensodyne’s Clinical Repair.

Shoppers are becoming increasingly incensed, taking to TikTok claiming the basic toiletry is being made a ‘luxury item’.

To rub salt in the wound, consumer watchdog Which? recently revealed the oral hygiene product was one of the biggest culprits for shrinkflation, with the price per 100ml rocketing by 105%.

For example, Aquafresh’s Complete Care Original Toothpaste climbed in price from £1.30 to £2, but the amount fell from 100ml to 75ml.

‘What is going on in the world today? £8 for toothpaste, this is flipping ridiculous. Something needs change man, that’s crazy work,’ ranted TikToker Petal.

‘I think they’re going to have to start doing disposable teeth so we don’t have to brush them,’ shared Lynn.

Another said: ‘What in the cost of living crisis is this? £6 for toothpaste – that’s blown my mind.’

Consumer champion Martin Newman can see why shoppers are disgruntled, telling Metro: ‘We’ve crossed a line when the cost of brushing your teeth feels like a privilege rather than a basic hygiene routine.

‘Should it cost £8 to brush your teeth? Absolutely not. That’s a symptom of a market that’s lost touch with the consumer reality many households face.’

Why is toothpaste so darn expensive?

Put simply, Martin explains prices have surged because of three main reasons: inflationary pressure, supply chain costs, and premiumisation.

‘The cost of ingredients, transport, packaging, and marketing has all gone up in the last two years, and big brands have passed much of that onto consumers,’ he says.

‘At the same time, brands have become very good at “premiumising the basics” — convincing us that we need whitening technology, enamel repair, or charcoal cleansing to get a better result. What used to be a £2 essential is now sold as a £6–£8 science-driven solution.’

Now, you could argue that Colgate’s £23 tube of whitening toothpaste must have extra special ingredients in that warrant that price tag, but dentist Dr Sulaman Anwar, Specialist Periodontist and Implant Surgeon of Serio Dental, disagrees.

‘They key additions are sodium polyphosphate, potassium citrate, and a blend of more refined hydrated silica polishing agents,’ Dr Anwar tells Metro.

For those without a dentistry degree, Dr Anwar explains that ‘polyphosphates are commonly used in whitening products because they help disrupt how stains attach to the tooth surface.

‘Potassium citrate is included as a desensitising agent for people who experience sensitivity.

‘The silica particles provide polishing, and in higher-priced toothpastes these particles tend to be more uniform and designed to remove stains more gently.’

It sounds pretty advanced, but Dr Anwar explains, while these ingredients elevate the formulation above basic budget toothpastes, they aren’t exclusive or unusual within the wider whitening category.

‘In my professional view these ingredients don’t justify the £23 price tag,’ he adds. ‘While the ingredients are effective in supporting stain removal, they are not significantly different from what you would find in many whitening toothpastes priced far lower.

‘The cost reflects branding, marketing, and the “at-home whitening” positioning, rather than a genuinely superior or advanced formula.’

But brushing our teeth sadly isn’t something that can be avoided (as much as we might wish we could) so brands can push up the price without losing too many sales.

It’s a tough pill to swallow when more than 7 million low-income families are going without essentials in 2025, according to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Not to mention financial hardship is likely to deepen as disposable incomes, after housing costs, are projected to fall by £690 by 2030.

They bank on our ‘consumer inertia’, which Martin explains is the assumption we won’t take the initiative and switch brands. But that trend can’t continue forever.

‘I think we’re nearing consumer pushback territory — people will start trading down to supermarket own-labels or discount brands, which often perform just as well for a fraction of the price,’ Martin adds.

At the end our two minute teeth brushing, Martin says it all comes down to this: ‘Value isn’t always about price — it’s about fairness.

‘Consumers are willing to pay for genuine innovation or sustainability, but not for marketing spin on basic needs.’

Metro has contacted Colgate for comment.

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