Den-Mat and Carter Wallace enter into a consent decree; Carter Wallace admits that Pearl Drops ads claiming whitening superiority over Rembrandt were not sufficiently substantiated.

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 16, 1995--Den-Mat Corp., manufacturer of Rembrandt Whitening Toothpaste, and Carter Wallace, manufacturer of Pearl Drops Toothpolish, have recently entered into a consent decree regarding Pearl Drops comparative advertising campaign claiming whitening superiority over Rembrandt.

According to Elhanan C. Stone of Hall, Dickler, Kent, Friedman & Wood, attorneys for Den-Mat, Carter Wallace has been ordered to permanently cease these comparative advertisements based on findings that the laboratory testing method, Stookey Testing, was invalid and unreliable.

"Carter Wallace has in fact admitted in the consent decree that the testing method does not provide sufficient substantiation for Pearl Drops to make a comparative whitening claim," said Stone.

The 1994 advertising campaign in contention made claims that Pearl Drops is "more effective in whitening teeth than Rembrandt." Den-Mat immediately sought a legal injunction against the Pearl Drops ad campaign and has since demonstrated that the Stookey Test is not valid to compare Pearl Drops, which cleans and whitens with abrasives, to Rembrandt which works through an enzyme-based composition.

The consent decree entered at the United States District Court, Southern District of New York, states "significant doubts about the validity of Stookey Testing as a predictor of how Rembrandt Whitening Toothpaste, or other dentifrices with a substantially identical enzyme-based chemical composition, will perform in cleaning or removing stains from teeth in actual use ... and that Stookey Testing cannot, therefore, at this time be relied upon with sufficient confidence to constitute proper substantiation for advertising claims which compare the cleaning or stain removal ability of Rembrandt ..."

"We are satisfied with the outcome of these proceedings," said Dr. Robert Ibsen, president of Den-Mat. "Rembrandt Whitening Toothpaste is a superior everyday dentifrice and it helps whiten teeth with a very low abrasion factor. Most other whitening brands on the market do not whiten beyond wearing away stain. Rembrandt actually whitens teeth almost two shades lighter than most stain-removing toothpastes. We will continue to challenge any competitor if their advertising is misleading or inaccurate."

Low-abrasion Rembrandt Whitening Toothpaste, a leading dentifrice among consumers, helps whiten teeth without any bleach, acid or peroxide. It contains patented Citroxain, which helps reduce plaque, tartar and stain as well as inhibit new tartar and stain from forming. Research has demonstrated that Rembrandt has the ability to whiten teeth by one to two shades without the risk of high abrasion associated with many over-the-counter whitening kits.

Den-Mat, manufacturer of Rembrandt Oral Care Products, is one of the nation's largest manufacturers of professional dental materials. The company is based in Santa Maria, Calif.

CONTACT: Kip Morrison and Associates, Los Angeles 

Bette Light, 310/274-6726