BOCA bespoke toothpaste

Oral excellence using customised botanical actives and personalised flavours

As cosmetics and skincare increasingly become personalised, now it is the turn of the humble tube of toothpaste. BOCA (Bespoke Oral Care Advantage) claims to be the world’s first toothpaste designed and handmade for each customer. “BOCA bespoke formulations are designed for each individual’s oral challenges,” says dentist Toby Talbot of The Talbot Clinic in Bath and spokesperson for BOCA. “It is very difficult for one formulation to be successful at being all things to all people because oral bacteria are adept at adapting to their environment.”

The process starts with a chauffeur-driven car to take the client to meet a BOCA dentist – if you prefer they will meet you at your usual dental practitioner’s or at your office or home. A series of tests establishes dental issues that need to be addressed and the type of oral bacteria targeting the mouth. BOCA’s Active Cycling Technology then selects botanical actives to build tolerance to these specific bacteria.

The flavour is composed like a perfume. “We create flavours with top, middle and bottom notes,” says Talbot. Frankincense, ginger, fennel, nutmeg, cranberry and liquorice, as well as traditional flavours such as mint and clove, are available, and three or four notes will be used to create the perfect blend. Two toothpastes are then made – one for use in the morning and the other for nighttime.

The whole process takes up to four months, from soup to nuts, and costs £3,000. (Each additional two-month prescription is £120, and a change of flavour or prescription is £800). Each formula is free from peroxide, preservatives and sodium lauryl sulphate (which Talbot believes can permeate the membrane of the cells in the mouth), while botanics include aloe vera, camomile and valerian propolis harvested from the beehives at the BOCA headquarters in Bath.

An assessment of the mouth is taken again every eight weeks, “so the active ingredients can be amended to account for any changes in a client’s needs”. Sounds like time for a brush-up.