Elmex toothpaste

Elmex is a historically significant oral care brand that originated in Switzerland in 1962. It was developed by GABA International AG (Goldene Apotheke Basel), which originally grew from a pharmacy founded roughly 400 years ago. Elmex became a pioneer in the dental industry by being the first toothpaste to utilize amine fluoride (olaflur) for effective cavity protection, a technology developed in collaboration with Professor Hans R. Mühlemann at the University of Zurich.

In 2004, the brand gained global reach when the GABA Group was acquired by the American multinational Colgate-Palmolive for approximately $841 million. Today, while Elmex retains its Swiss medical heritage and rigorous scientific image, its production has expanded significantly. Much of the manufacturing for the European market is centered in Poland (specifically at the Colgate-Palmolive facility in Świdnica), though corporate oversight remains under the global umbrella of Colgate-Palmolive based in the United States.