Zero Waste: Consumers' Perception of the Use of Eco-friendly Toothpaste Tablets-A Quasi-experimental Study.

Abstract

Aims: The purpose of the study was to evaluate consumers' perception of the use of eco-friendly toothpaste tablets and evaluate whether there would be a perception difference by consumer demographics: Gender and age.

Materials and methods: Participants (N = 152) received one packet of toothpaste tablets (Denttabs GmbH, Berlin, Germany). Participants were instructed to brush using toothpaste tablets twice daily. At the end of the 1-week period, participants completed a 10-item questionnaire on their satisfaction of the use of toothpaste tablets. Pearson's Chi-squared test was used to test the distribution of positive and negative responses by gender and by age. Tests of hypotheses were two-sided with α = 0.05.

Results: The majority responded favorably to cleanliness after usage, flavor, ease of use, importance of eco-friendliness of toothpaste products, intention to switch to tablets, and overall satisfaction with the texture. However, 59.9% of participants disliked the texture of tablets. Based on Pearson's Chi-squared test, there were no statistically significant differences in the distribution of positive and negative responses by gender except for flavor (p = 0.013), where more males responded negatively (27.4 vs 11.5%). Participants were further categorized by age and respective generation (n = 38/age generation type). There were no significant differences in the distribution of positive and negative responses by age generation except for flavor (p = 0.023) and potential switch to toothpaste tablets (p = 0.030). For both items, millennials showed a greater proportion of negative responses than the other generations.

Conclusions: Toothpaste tablets offer an effective and eco-friendly alternative to traditional toothpaste. While patients generally view them positively, texture remains a major factor influencing acceptance.

Clinical significance: Consumer responses indicate a positive perception of toothpaste tablets, supporting their potential as a sustainable alternative to conventional dentifrices. Clinicians should highlight both the environmental benefits and the sensory differences when recommending toothpaste tablets to support patient adoption and align with growing sustainability trends. How to cite this article: Sandhu J, Calderon B, Park B, et al. Zero Waste: Consumers' Perception of the Use of Eco-friendly Toothpaste Tablets- A Quasi-experimental Study. J Contemp Dent Pract 2025;26(4):333-338.