No more bathroom battles - Bring fun and games to teeth cleaning with the new GUM Playbrush for children

• The GUM Playbrush toothbrush and app gets even the most reluctant brushers excited about cleaning their teeth

• Start a lifetime of healthy cleaning habits – The only 100% interactive toothbrush and app where children control the fun games with their brushing movements – with up to 13 motivational games, a toothbrushing coach and cleaning reports

• Research shows that children brush twice as long and more regularly through interactive toothbrushing with games¹,²

Forget those bathroom battles, the new GUM Playbrush® children’s electric toothbrush and app will bring fun and games to teeth cleaning – and help start a lifetime of healthy cleaning habits.

With research¹,² showing that children brush twice as long and more regularly through interactive toothbrushing with games, the GUM Playbrush sonic toothbrush and app will get even the most reluctant little brushers cleaning their pearly whites thanks to its 13 motivational games and toothbrushing coach features.

Putting an end to bathroom dramas, with Utoothia Paint to Dayo Cart, children can find their inner hero, fend off attacking tooth monsters, release their creativity to turn their toothbrush into a paintbrush, or even dance their way to toothbrushing stardom!

While the toothbrushing coach will guide tiny hands and mouths to learn the COI teeth cleaning method (Chewing surfaces, Outer surfaces and Inner surfaces) - and help older children perfect their brushing technique.

With daily cleaning statistics into a child’s brushing behaviour included in the app, shouts of “I’m done!” can be fully fact-checked, from how long they have cleaned for, to the amount of brushing coverage and frequency. Children are also awarded “Dayo coins” in the app according to their teeth cleaning effectiveness and can redeem them in “My Buddy Dayo” to take care of a cute virtual pet.

Supporting parents to educate their children on good oral care practice, the GUM Playbrush sonic toothbrush is the only 100% interactive toothbrush and app where children control the fun games with their brushing movements. By using guided gamification and fun rewards, children can playfully learn how to thoroughly brush their teeth without tears.

With nearly a quarter of five-year-oldsᵌ found to have experienced tooth decay last year, the new GUM Playbrush sonic toothbrush uses sonic technology for 17,000 cleaning movements per minute and pairs GUM’s expertise in oral health with best-in-class software. Each brushing tracks speed, pressure, position, duration and regularity in the app, while age-appropriate head sizes, ‘Kids 3+; and ‘Junior 6+’, ensure optimal teeth cleaning for smaller mouths.

Taking the hard work out of effective toothbrushing for children (and parents trying their best to help), brushing movements are transferred to the app via Bluetooth, so children can control the fun games with their own cleaning movements, while its sophisticated algorithm acts as a toothbrushing coach to guide them to brush long enough and everywhere in the mouth. For those who do not always want to brush with an app, the progress made is saved offline on the brush for six months and can be subsequently synchronised in the GUM Playbrush app.

Two cleaning modes – ‘Sensitive’ for beginners or those with super sensitive teeth, or ‘Power’, for more advanced cleaners/non-sensitive teeth are included - while a pressure sensor helps protect tender gums.

Special brush head features include:

Kids 3+

● Extra small brush head specially adapted to the mouth of children from 3 years and with raised front bristles to clean hard-to-reach areas.

● Extra soft bristles and padded head to gently clean milk teeth and sensitive gums.

● Toothpaste section to help parents apply the right amount of toothpaste (the size of a pea).

Junior 6+

● Small brush head specially adapted to the mouth of children from 6 years old and with raised front bristles to clean hard-to-reach areas.

● Extra soft bristles and padded head to be gentle on teeth and sensitive gums to clean.

As well as offering a smart choice for parents who want to make children’s toothbrushing less of a chore, both models include a long-lasting battery with up to two months of battery power to avoid frequent recharging, or the need to pack a charger on holiday trips.

The GUM Playbrush sonic toothbrush is available in two bright colour options – blue/turquoise and pink/turquoise and retails at £29.99 from www.playbrush.com - the GUM Playbrush app can be tested free of charge for 30 days with the first purchase.

Two subscription models offer maximum excitement to twice daily brushing. The ‘Motivation set’ for £24.99 provides full access to the app with nine additional games on top of four free ones, plus detailed cleaning reports, while the ‘All-round carefree set’ ideal for time-poor parents comprises the ‘Motivation set’ features and an annual supply of replacement brush heads (six heads) with free automatic delivery throughout the year for just £39.99 (single purchase value £45).

A popular oral care brand in Europe, GUM has a complete range of products for all the family, already available in the UK. With origins in professional dentistry, GUM is recognised worldwide as the creator of the very first rubber-tipped toothbrush.

ENDS

*To download high-resolution press images: https://bit.ly/3NN8KZz

GUM Playbrush sonic toothbrush - product specifications summary

• Sonic teeth cleaning - 17,000 sonic movements per minute
• Age-appropriate brush heads - Kids 3+, Junior 6+
• Extra soft bristles specially developed for children's teeth
• Main material: Plastic
• 2 brushing modes for beginners (sensitive) or advanced (power), as well as a pressure sensor to protect the gums – These can be changed via the GUM Playbrush app and brushing time can also be adjusted in the app (from two minutes to four minutes, with 30-second intervals)
• Up to 2 months of battery for holidays without a charger
• Available in 2 bright colours: blue/turquoise and pink/turquoise
• Connects to the GUM Playbrush app for fun games and interactive brushing coaching
• Made in Europe
• 4.6 out 5 stars rating from over 1,000 parents⁴

References:

1. GUM Playbrush Scientific Study demonstrating the value of electric and manual interactive toothbrushes in the context of toothbrushing 2018.
2. Savill G, McDonald L, Ramsey R, Zillmer R, Bertrand A, Unilever Oral Care London. Demonstrating the value of interactive toothbrushes for children.
3. 'Oral health survey of five-year-old children 2022' - National Dental Epidemiology Programme, Office for Health Improvement & Disparities.
4. Product test 2023.

ABOUT PLAYBRUSH GMBH:

Playbrush GmbH was founded in 2015 by Paul Varga, Matthäus Ittner and Tolulope Ogunsina. Based in Vienna and London, the company aims to provide children and adults with a positive association for their own oral health. Playbrush became known through the investment program "2 Minutes 2 Millions" on Austrian television. Playbrush products are now available in more than 25 countries. The young company, which has won several awards for its innovations, is supported by University College London, Eastman Dental Hospital and renowned dentists, and was most recently recognized by Stiftung Warentest and Google's Black Founders Fund. Playbrush has also been part of the Japanese oral hygiene group Sunstar since 2021.

Website: www.playbrush.com Instagram: @teamplaybrush Facebook: www.facebook.com/playbrush

ABOUT SUNSTAR

GUM Playbrush is part of Sunstar Oral Care, the oral health division of the international healthcare company headquartered in Switzerland, marking its 90^th anniversary this year after being founded in 1932 in Osaka, Japan. Today, SUNSTAR is a leading global company in the Mouth & Body Care field, a major presence in the Health & Beauty Care and the Environment & Amenity business fields, and a world leader in the Safety Support & High Technology fields. In fiscal year 2021, consolidated net sales of the SUNSTAR Group totalled 1,159 million Swiss Francs. The products and services of SUNSTAR are distributed in more than 100 countries, and the company has 4000+ employees worldwide. Under the motto "Always strive to help people everywhere achieve better health and enhance their quality of life", SUNSTAR continuously provides high-value-added products and services all over the world. It is also now prioritising a wide range of sustainability targets including reducing CO² emissions by 85% by 2030, 20% less water consumption,100% renewable electricity in all its facilities and 100% sustainable or RSPO-certified palm oil. www.sunstar.com. GUM® is a registered trademark of SUNSTAR Suisse S.A.

Media contacts:

Becky Charman, TALA/Beth Milton

E: becky.charman@teamtala.com

E: beth.milton@teamtala.com

Elena Alcalde

Global PR Manager

E: elena.alcalde@ch.sunstar.com

+34 669 589 266