Oral‑B Announces The Big Rethink 2026, Launching One of Europe’s Largest Disability‑Focused Oral Health Studies

BARCELONA, Spain--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 13, 2026--

Oral‑B today announces The Big Rethink 2026, the next evolution of its flagship oral health inclusion programme, developed in partnership with the International Association for Disability and Oral Health (iADH). The new phase introduces Project Steady, one of Europe’s largest real‑world studies exploring oral care experiences among people with disabilities, their carers and dental professionals. The programme aims to reduce everyday barriers to oral care through inclusive design, evidence-based research and professional education.

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Oral health for Whole-Body Health

Since its launch in 2022, The Big Rethink has been grounded in a clear belief: oral health is fundamental to whole‑body health, confidence and quality of life. For people with disabilities, barriers to daily oral care can have wider health and social implications - making inclusion an essential part of improving oral health outcomes.

The mouth is the gateway to the body and therefore acts as a mirror to your overall health. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) oral disease affects nearly 3.5 billion people, 1 Oral-B is on a mission to make the invisible connection between oral health and whole body health visible and to empower people to take their health into their own hands.

A growing and unequal challenge

New research from the Oral-B European Disability Study 2025 reveal that 41% of Europeans identify as living with a disability, representing a four‑point increase wave‑on‑wave 2, driven by a broader range of visible and invisible conditions. Based on a survey of more than 9,000 adults across nine European markets 3, the findings reveal a significant disparity in daily oral care experiences.

Project Steady: One of Europe’s largest real‑world oral health studies

At the heart of The Big Rethink 2026 is a six‑month, multi‑country study gathering real‑world feedback from people with disabilities, their carers and dental professionals across Europe. The study known as Project Steady represents the next wave of The Big Rethink, focused on understanding lived experience and identifying practical ways to remove everyday barriers to oral care. The Europe‑wide study builds on learnings from an earlier pilot phase led by dental professionals, which highlighted how everyday usability challenges can disrupt oral care routines.

In the pilot case study of dexterity impaired patients run in February-March 2026 in collaboration with Dr Ana Molina, 90% reduced areas with high amount of plaque after one month of using the accessory with Oral-B iO2, with 40% also showing improved gum health5.

Consumer feedback highlighted practical everyday benefits, with consumers commenting:

From insight to action

As part of the large study, participants will use Oral‑B’s iO2 electric toothbrush alongside a new adaptive accessory, designed to address two common, practical challenges to brushing:

The expected outcomes are:

Oral-B Disability Champion Programme

Oral-B has recently launched a test for 200 Disability Champions across Europe to test the adaptive accessory with respective patients

Oral-B launched the Disability Champions Award Programme as part of its ongoing mission to make oral care for accessible to everybody. In partnership with the iADH, the programme aims to make the dentist office experience across Europe more inclusive and positive for those with disabilities and their caregivers.

A long-term commitment to inclusion

The Big Rethink 2026 complements Oral‑B’s ongoing initiatives:

By pairing large‑scale research with inclusive design and professional education, The Big Rethink 2026 marks a decisive step in addressing barriers to oral care and supporting better whole‑body health for more people.

Paolo Grue, Senior Vice President, Oral Care Europe, Procter & Gamble, said: “We are incredibly proud to be continuing and evolving The Big Rethink. Since its launch, it has shown that oral health is not an isolated issue - it is fundamental to whole‑body health, confidence and quality of life. With Project Steady, we are building on that commitment by launching one of our most ambitious research initiatives to date listening directly to people with disabilities and translating real‑world insight into practical, inclusive solutions. This is how we create real, lasting progress. When inclusion leads, better oral health and better overall health follows."

Professor Pedro Diz Dios, President, International Association for Disability and Oral Health (iADH) said: “The link between oral health and general health is well established, yet many people with disabilities still face daily obstacles to basic oral care. Research of this scale, rooted in everyday experience, is essential if we are to develop evidence‑based solutions that genuinely improve oral health outcomes and advance health equity.”

Regina Rubio Odgers, Senior Scientist– Oral Care R&D, Oral‑B, said: “What we heard consistently through earlier phases of The Big Rethink was that small, everyday design challenges can have a significant impact on people’s ability to maintain oral care routines. This study allows us to take those insights into real‑world testing -ensuring solutions are shaped by lived experience and designed to work in everyday life.”

Dr. Ana Molina, Dental Professional and Clinical Lead, Oral‑B Pilot Study, said: “Running the pilot study showed us how small, practical barriers can quickly disrupt daily oral care routines. By testing solutions in real‑world conditions with patients and carers, we were able to generate insights that are directly relevant to both clinical practice and product development. This next phase allows those learnings to be scaled and strengthened.”

About Oral-B

Oral-B® was founded in 1950 by a California periodontist, who invented an innovative toothbrush to help his patients achieve healthier teeth and gums at home. Oral-B® continues to stay true to his mission and is today the worldwide leader in the over $5 billion brushing market. Part of the Procter & Gamble Company, the brand manufactures electric toothbrushes and toothpaste for adults and children, oral irrigators, and interdental products.

About the International Association for Disability and Oral Health (iADH)

The iADH is a global organization with over 8000 members from all sectors of health and social care interested in disability and oral health who work to share their scientific knowledge, research, clinical skills and collective experience to reduce barriers to care and improve oral health outcomes for people with disability.

1Oral Healthhttps://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/oral-health(Accessed April 2021)
2 2025 base n=9085; Showing data from Oral-B European Disability Study 2025; Increases and Decreases wave-on-wave are highlighted – these are from comparisons against data collected between 2021 and 2023
3 2025 base n=9085; Showing data from Oral-B European Disability Study 2025; Increases and Decreases wave-on-wave are highlighted – these are from comparisons against data collected between 2021 and 2023
4 2025 base n=9085; Showing data from Oral-B European Disability Study 2025; Increases and Decreases wave-on-wave are highlighted – these are from comparisons against data collected between 2021 and 2023
5 Oral-B Pilot Case Study report

Oral B Announces The Big Rethink 2026, Launching One of Europe’s Largest Disability Focused Oral Health Studies

Oral B Announces The Big Rethink 2026, Launching One of Europe’s Largest Disability Focused Oral Health Studies

LONDON (AP) — Britain’s Princess Catherine is set to make her first overseas trip since announcing her cancer was in remission, traveling to Italy for a two-day tour starting Wednesday focused on early childhood education that will undoubtedly receive widespread media attention.

The princess, commonly known as Kate, will travel to Reggio Emilia in northern Italy to learn about its child-centered approach to early education, which has become a focal point for educators around the world. The trip is part of what her office called an international “fact-finding mission” to explore different approaches to supporting young children and their carers.

The choice of destination for Kate’s first trip abroad since her 2024 cancer diagnosis is no coincidence as early years development is the signature cause of the mother of three who will one day be queen.

“She wants to make a point that she is going to keep making this her cause," said Joe Little, managing editor of Majesty Magazine.

The Reggio Emilia approach is based on the idea that young children have many different ways of thinking, understanding and expressing themselves, and that teachers need to work with their students to help them learn.

The visit will highlight the idea that the environment and human relationships that surround children are crucial to laying the foundations for a resilient and healthy future, Kensington Palace said in a statement.

“The Reggio Emilia approach clearly suits the narrative at the start of international operations,’’ Little said.

The visit is part of her work with the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, which she founded in 2021 to increase public understanding of the importance of supporting children in the first five years of life.

One of Britain’s most popular royals, the Princess of Wales has proved to be adept at focusing attention on matters she cares about.

When Kate announced that she had completed chemotherapy treatment in a soft-focus, Insta-ready video, she ventured into realms not previously inhabited by the royal family, whose members traditionally shied away from talking about their health.

And she did it in a new way, using social media to share the fact that for all her wealth and privilege, her life had been upended by cancer, like so many others.

Then, later, when she announced she was in remission, she spent the day supporting other cancer patients at the hospital where she received treatment.

In a statement on social media, she offered her thanks to everyone who helped her and her husband, Prince William, as they navigated the ups and downs of treatment and recovery. She hugged patients at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London and described her own treatment as “exceptional.”

“It is a relief to now be in remission and I remain focused on recovery," the princess, now 44, wrote in a note signed with her initial, C. “As anyone who has experienced a cancer diagnosis will know, it takes time to adjust to a new normal."

Her new normal involves becoming the go-to advocate for early years education, which refers to the learning and development of children from birth to five years of age.

There’s lots to do in Britain, where advocates say there aren’t enough spaces to go around and many teachers don’t have the training they need.

Edoardo Masset, associate research director at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, said Kate’s focus on early childhood development is important because it brings attention to an issue that really matters to children.

“This relationship between early years education and success later in life is supported not only by strong theoretical arguments, but also by a large body of evidence on the effectiveness of programs for preschool children,’’ Masset said in a blog post.

FILE - Britain's Princess Kate is seen at the British Fashion Council at 180 Studios in central London on May 13, 2025. (Aaron Chown, Pool Photo via AP, File)