Hi everyone!

It’s a source of frustration for many.  We just come to accept that certain thingsToothpaste never change, for example, squeezing every last bit of toothpaste from the tube.  For decades people have tried every conceivable way to COMPLETELY and FULLY wring that plastic tube of its pasty contents, and for decades they have been thwarted.  But it’s as if package designers haven’t been trying to simplify what makes squeezing every bit of toothpaste from the tube so exasperating.

For instance, a senior at Arizona State University, Nicole Pannuzzo, decided to redesign the present-day toothpaste tube design for a recent class project.  Adapting inspiration from origami, Nicole created a helix-shaped cylindrical tube that spiraled down to draw every bit of toothpaste from its confines.  As you use the toothpaste, the tube shrinks and collapses upon itself like an accordion until it’s used up. Nicole also intentionally added a clear view of what was inside the package so that consumers could distinguish between Ultra White and Fresh Mint.  Thanks to Nicole’s imagination, she also transformed Colgate’s signature red ribbon into a diamond shape for branding purposes.  And don’t think for a moment that people didn’t notice.  It wasn’t very long before the packaging and marketing departments at Colgate were taken with her new design as well.

If you what to know the history behind anything at all just search the Web.  Back in 1892 it was Dr. Washington Sheffield, a Connecticut dental surgeon, who not only invented toothpaste but also the collapsible toothpaste tube we’ve come to know today.  Since then millions of people have been obsessed beyond belief in extracting every bit of paste from it.  And up until now toothpaste manufacturers have been confounded as well.

In 2011, Sang Min Yu and Wong Sang Lee of Central Saint Martin’s College of Art & Design (Great Britain, UK), came up with a tube design that completely obliterated the dead space that hides that last bit of excess toothpaste out of reach.  Not only did the design extract every drop, but also this award-winning invention called SavePaste combined cardboard packaging and the tube into one unit.  A design that is not only easy-to-use but reduces waste and decreases distribution and manufacturing costs – sounds like a dream come true.

Until toothpaste tube designs can make use of every morsel of paste, we will have to settle for what we get.  Have you tried the Squeezit Tube Squeezer?  Or for the purists among you, have you ever used the edge of your bathroom counter top?

At Dr. Mark Langberg, DDS, MAGD we know it’s the little things that make a difference.  Regardless of how frustrated you may be with toothpaste packaging, our advice is to never give up the good fight against cavities and gum disease.  If you haven’t done it already, give us a call at 248-356-8790 and schedule a hygiene examination or just a consultation appointment.  We look forward to meeting you and getting you in touch with the best in modern dental health.

Until Next Time,

Mark W Langberg, DDS, MAGD
Your Southfield Family Dentist
Tel: (248) 356-8790