Almost half of Britons avoid ice cream and cold drinks due to sensitive teeth, reveals OZEN
LONDON, June 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Polling commissioned by sensitive toothpaste brand OZEN found that 87% of UK adults have experienced tooth sensitivity, with millions making everyday compromises to avoid the sharp pain triggered by hot, cold or sweet food and drinks.
Yonder Consulting surveyed 2,106 UK adults between 27th and 28th May. It found 27% of Britons make constant micro-compromises every single day as a result of their sensitive teeth. 30% have waited for tea or coffee to cool before drinking it, while 42% have held back from cold food and drink such as ice cream or cold water.
The research also found that almost half of UK adults (47%) did not know whitening treatments can increase sensitivity, despite whitening now being used by nearly one in five Britons (18%).
The results come as new sensitive toothpaste brand OZEN officially launches exclusively in 800 Boots stores, using AeroGraft™ — the first new patented sensitive teeth technology in nearly 30 years, developed by NHS maxillofacial surgeon Dr Niall Kent at University College London.
AeroGraft™ is made from aerogel, one of the lightest solid materials known to science which is used in NASA space missions.
Unlike most sensitive toothpastes — which work by either numbing the nerve or slowly blocking tiny channels inside the tooth over days or weeks — AeroGraft™ works within minutes. It physically seals exposed tubules while releasing calcium and phosphate ions to form a protective mineral layer on the tooth surface.
The inspiration for AeroGraft™ came not from dentistry but from art. Dr Kent was helping his brother, a sculptor, research new materials when he came across aerogels.
This led him to explore whether the same material science could be adapted for dentistry, using aerogels to help support the natural mineral repair process and protect the surface of sensitive teeth.
Dr Niall Kent, Founder of OZEN, said:
"Sensitive teeth affect millions of people and can have a significant impact on their lives. It stops people enjoying an ice cream, a hot drink, or sweet foods. I've even seen people attending A&E from the pain.
I knew the existing treatments were masking the problem rather than solving it. The technology had not changed in decades.
We borrowed from aerospace and art to do what dentistry had not. No one had thought to look there. This really is sensitivity done different."
Anni Seaborne, Team Dentist at England Rugby, said:
"Tooth sensitivity remains one of the most undertreated conditions in dentistry.
The treatments most people reach for work by plugging microscopic channels in the tooth, and that protection disappears the moment you eat or drink. Patients have been managing sensitivity, not protecting against it.
The mechanism behind AeroGraft™ represents the first serious attempt to change that."
OZEN launches with two products: a daily-use toothpaste (£10) and an Oral Gel (£15), designed to be applied directly before common triggers like hot drinks, cold food or whitening treatments.
For more information visit: www.weareozen.com
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