The Himalaya Drug Company, a leading herbal health and personal care
company has entered into the oral health space with a range of products.
The herbal products launched under the brand 'HiOra', have undergone
extensive studies proving safety and efficacy for treatment of teeth and
gum ailments. The range, will be promoted through dentists and doctors.
The company already had a dental cream which is one of the fastest
growing products in its consumer care portfolio.

With the launch
of HiOra, Himalaya has become India's first herbal player in the
prescription oral care segment. All products in this range are 100 per
cent vegetarian and clinically proven.

According to Philipe
Haydon, president & CEO, Pharmaceuticals, The Himalaya Drug Company,
with rising awareness about oral hygiene, acceptance for herbal
products across categories, wide consumer base, focus on health-
oriented lifestyle products and increasing visits to dental clinics led
the company to enter the segment. The company has a strong equity in the
herbal healthcare space with its products known to be backed by
extensive research and is widely prescribed by doctors.

There is a
huge opportunity in the prescription oral health and currently there is
no herbal care range in this segment. The estimated patient base is
105,09,00,000 in India. With a total global population of 1.15 billion,
28 per cent suffer from some kind of dental problems and 25 per cent
experience dental sensitivity, he added.

According to ORG Mat
2010, the oral disease prevalence in India indicates that over 80 per
cent of children and 60 per cent of adults suffer from dental caries.
More than 90 per cent of adults in the age-group of 30 years suffer from
periodontal diseases. In the Decayed Missing Filled Teeth (DFMT1) score
for teenagers is 2.4 and for 35-40 age-group is 5.4.

Haydon also stated that the personal oral care (FMCG) market in India is worth around Rs.4,400 crore. The ethical oral care market is worth Rs.250 crore and growing at approximately 21 per cent year-on-year.