Mentadent is a brand name for a line of dental products manufactured by Unilever everywhere but United States and Canada, where it was acquired by the Church & Dwight Company in 2003.
The brand was introduced around 1982 by Unilever, and sold to Church & Dwight in 2003, where it is operated as a subsidiary brand of Arm & Hammer.
In 2016, Church & Dwight announced the discontinuation of the Mentadent brand effective Spring 2017.
Toothpaste
Mentadent SR (formerly Gibbs SR) is a brand of toothpaste owned by Unilever. The product was originally named after its active ingredient, sodium ricinoleate.
Gibbs SR was the first product to be promoted on UK television. The introduction of commercial television advertising was due to the Television Act of 1954 which created the commercial broadcaster ITV. The advertisement was first shown on 22 September, 1955 at 8:12 pm, with a voiceover by Alex Macintosh. The advertisement was written and produced by Brian Palmer.
Mentadent is most notable for its unique toothpaste dispenser: a dual chamber pump. This design is intended to keep two ingredients separated until they are dispensed. Upon brushing, the ingredients will react with each other in the mouth. Both the toothpaste (formula) and the design of the pump were originally invented and then patented by Hans Schaeffer - who later sold the patent.
In the majority of their toothpaste lines, the two separate ingredients are baking soda and peroxide. Upon brushing, baking soda and peroxide will combine to release oxygen bubbles. It is claimed that these bubbles will clean, whiten, and freshen the mouth.