Do you know how many new varieties of toothpaste were released in the U.S. last year? Sixty nine. And that's positively modest compared to the 102 new kinds released in 2007. Why so many? Well:

Each new benefit is a chance for toothpaste makers to push prices upward and drive sales. With some 93% of U.S. adults using toothpaste, according to Mintel, there's little room to recruit new users.

I hope you picked up on the disturbing part of that: Only 93% of adults use toothpaste? I mean I guess Water Pik users could be, like, another 1%, but who are the rest? The toothless? How can such a large percentage of adults in the world's richest nation be toothless?

I'll tell you how: from McDonald's oatmeal.

[WSJ. Photo: AP]