The Sunstar GUM® Story

The Sunstar GUM ® story

Our story has two beginnings: when Dr John O. Butler started his company in the USA in 1923, and when SUNSTAR was founded in Japan in 1932.

Dr Butler, a dentist from Chicago, introduced a new 2-row toothbrush that could clean teeth and gums much more effectively than the large and bulky models available at that time. Thanks to his dedication to preventive dentistry, quality and innovation, the company soon began to thrive.

Meanwhile, in Japan, SUNSTAR had begun manufacturing tubes of glue for bicycles, before realising that the tubes could be used to package toothpaste, which had generally been sold in powder form until then. The first tubes of toothpaste went on sale in 1946, in a move that would transform the oral care industry.

SUNSTAR took ownership of GUM in 1988, bringing together these two strong backgrounds in creating cutting edge oral care solutions.

Today, SUNSTAR and the GUM brand continue to invest in research and development to offer powerful solutions based on solid science. We understand that gum health extends beyond oral care and that it can have a positive influence on overall health. Under the leadership of SUNSTAR, GUM is also pioneering new ways to help combat conditions such as diabetes.

The future looks bright for the brand, with technological advances offering more opportunities to innovate than ever before, and people around the world becoming more conscious of the need to take good care of their teeth and gums, to enjoy optimum health.