When artificial sweeteners became widespread in the early 1960s, the formula was changed to use saccharin instead of sugar, and Sugar-Free Trident was introduced in 1964 with the slogan "The Great Taste that Is Good for Your Teeth." American Chicle's marketing was one of the first national campaigns to promote dental health through chewing gum. For years, Trident was promoted with the slogan, “Four out of five dentists surveyed recommend sugarless gum for their patients who chew gum.” This slogan is believed to have been based on the results of a survey of practicing dentists with either D.D.S. or D.M.D. degrees, apparently conducted in the early 1960s, whose patients included frequent users of chewing gums; the percentage of respondents to the survey whose responses indicated they would make such references to their patients is believed to have been approximately 80%, rounded off to the nearest full percentage point, of the total number of respondents. It became strongly associated with the Trident brand. As of the middle of June 2014, however, Kraft Foods's Cadbury Adams group, whose parent company, Mondelēz International, had become owners of the Trident copyright and patents, was not known to have made any public disclosures of any details about the survey, presumably citing the proprietary nature of the survey data and conclusions as its rationale. In the early 2000s, "See what Unfolds" became the new slogan for the brand. Trident gum contains the sugar alcoholxylitol, which is known as a "tooth-friendly" sugar. Use of the chemical has been subject to controversy, as it is highly toxic to dogs.
Products and flavors
Original Trident flavors
Original Trident, a soft gum packaged in a unique rectangular shape, is sweetened with xylitol, a sugar alcohol that reduces plaque and protects teeth against decay associated with dental caries by helping to maintain a neutral pH balance in the mouth. It is also sweetened with sorbitol, Mannitol, Aspartame, Sucralose and Acesulfame potassium.
Trident White
Trident White, a pellet gum, does not contain xylitol. It contains aspartame. Trident White no longer contains Recaldent, a milk-derived ingredient that aids in the remineralization of teeth.
Trident Splash is also a pellet gum, except each piece is filled with a gel-like liquid that is flavored differently from its outer shell. Trident splash contains the ingredient gelatine and thus is not suitable for vegans or people who eat only kosher meat or foods, except for the products produced for the Israeli market which are made with kosher beef gelatin under rabbinical supervision and approval of the Israeli Chief Rabbinate. Introduced in 1990.
Trident Layers is a soft gum with a flavored layer between two normal sized pieces of different flavors of Trident gum. It is sugar free and is sweetened with artificial sugars. It arrived in Canada by 2010, then in the United States in 2011 to compete against Excel Mist.
This gum contains soy lecithin, aspartame, phenylalanine, and other sweeteners. It also contains Gelatin and hence is not suitable for vegans or those who consume kosher or halal food. The Tangy Citrus flavor is mostly composed ofgrapefruit
Trident Xtra Care (discontinued)
Trident Xtra Care was a soft gum that was very much like the original Trident, except for that it contained Recaldent. Recaldent is a type of calcium that is claimed to be absorbed into the tooth, strengthening teeth against plaque acids. It is said to protect the teeth from future damage and make them stronger.
Trident gum was introduced to the British market in 2007. Seven flavours of Trident currently exist in the UK, after a period of new flavours and discontinuations.
Trident Soft
Trident Soft are long, thin strips of gum. They are sold in packs of 14 pieces and in four different flavors:
