Nano-Hydroxyapatite (NHAP) Toothpaste: What Is It and How Does It Compare To Fluoride?

The Short Answer
1. Hydroxyapatite is what your natural tooth enamel is made of; Calcium, phosphorus, and oxygen bonded together.

2. Toothpaste containing Nano-hydroxyapatite revealed higher remineralizing effects compared to amine fluoride toothpastes according to this study in the Journal of Dentistry.

The Long Answer...
 
What is Hydroxyapatite?
Hydroxyapatite is a combination of natural calcium, phosphorus, and oxygen bonded together to form a strong crystal.  It is naturally present in the human body. It’s what your tooth enamel is made of so when your enamel needs repair, it only makes sense to use more enamel material to fix it.

So What is Nano-Hydroxyapatite?
Natural hydroxyapatite particles from natural sources are too big to be used by the human body. Nano-hydroxyapatite is hydroxyapatite that has been made into very small bioavailable particles. Because of their small size your body can use them without breaking them down and lessening their potency.  These particles can be used by the body to rebuild its natural bone material and fortify tooth enamel.

What Are the Benefits of Nano-hydroxyapatite for Teeth?
Nano-hydroxyapatite stimulates bone growth, and remineralization. It also helps repair damaged teeth caused by cavities and bonds to plaque and bad bacteria while brushing your teeth.

  • Teeth are Whiter and Glossier
  • Reduces Tooth Sensitivity
  • Fights soft tissue infections
  • Remineralizes and repairs teeth
  • Bonds bones
How is Nano-Hydroxyapatite Better Than Fluoride?

Fluoride also works to do the same thing, but it comes with certain risks that many people don’t find to be worth the potential reward.  Fluoride is completely non-nutritive to the body and is not an essential mineral or a nutrient. It’s been used to fortify teeth instead of hydroxyapatite, because before nanotechnology made it possible to increase the bioavailability of hydroxyapatite, fluoride was the only option.
Nano-hydroxyapatite is something your body can utilize because it is what your enamel is made of. It doesn’t build up internally like Fluoride, and there are no known medical conditions that result from using it. It’s bioidentical to your tooth enamel and specifically designed for the purpose of repairing your teeth. 

What About Whitening?
Without any whitening ingredients, Nano-hydroxyapatite toothpaste may help to brighten and whiten your teeth.

Toothpaste is a polishing dental product. This means that it isn’t necessary for the disorganization of the bacteria on your teeth (which is the point of brushing teeth) but is actually meant to polish teeth.

While NHAP doesn’t change the “polishing” activity of toothpaste, it adds a whitening element not otherwise seen by standard toothpaste.

It’s Also Good For The Oral Microbiome!
Using NHAP toothpaste will help protect your teeth from “acid attacks” by bacteria, but without wrecking your oral microbiome. Fluoride, on the other hand, is bactericidal and tends to kill off bacteria in the mouth.

Many oral care products think that by eliminating bacteria, they’re improving the health of the mouth.  According to Mark Burhenne, DDS, a practicing functional dentist for 35 years, they’re not.

The oral microbiome needs a good balance of bacteria to function properly and keep your mouth healthy. Agents like chlorhexidine, alcohol, or triclosan may temporarily alleviate bacterial overgrowth problems, but they cause far more issues over time than they help.

Hydroxyapatite particles in toothpaste prevent bacteria from attaching to the enamel of teeth just as effectively as antibacterial agents, but without killing the actual bacteria.

This is a huge benefit, as bacteria congregating on your teeth in one area is what leads to “acid attacks” (when bacteria “poop” out the high-carbohydrate food particles in your mouth). Those attacks are what cause tooth decay.

Not only does it help prevent acid attacks, it won’t destroy your precious oral microbiome.

Summary
Nano-hydroxyapatite is a very safe and valuable addition to your oral care routine, and the argument can easily be made that it is a superior mineralizing ingredient for tooth care over fluoride.

Because of this long list of benefits and because its a safe, organic substance found naturally in our bodies, we're proud to announce that we now carry Nano-hydroxyapatite toothpaste tablets in plastic-free packaging.  They are available in two flavors; Peppermint and Berry for kids: Super Whitening NHAP Toothpaste Tablets and Very Berry NHAP Toothpaste Tablets For Kids.

If you have questions about Nano-hydroxyapatite toothpaste tablets, or have a success story we'd love to hear your comments below!

Lee


Sources:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405844018368944
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4252862/
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db53.htm
https://askthedentist.com/hydroxyapatite-studies/

2 comments

  • Linda, great question. Thank you for asking. The short answer is no.
    According to a study done in 2019 “Our results for both types of nano-hydroxyapatite showed that the nanoparticles did not penetrate the stratum corneum in SkinEthic HGE samples and penetrated only the outermost layer of cells in SkinEthic HOE samples without stratum corneum, and no permeation into the deeper layers of the epithelium in either tissue model was observed.” Here’s the pubmed link – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31013294/

    That said, Hydroxyapatite is a substance that naturally occurs in our bodies already. It’s non-toxic and biocompatible material so it can be ingested, making it safer for human consumption over other dental products. In other words, even if you swallow it studies have been conducted around the world including a number in Japan (where is has been the standard for years over fluoride) by the Sangi Co LTD to demonstrate its effectiveness and safety. (source: https://eagleharbordentist.com/nano-hydroxyapatite-safe-for-family/)

    Lee

    lee anderson
  • If the particles are so small, can’t they enter the mouth tissue and blood stream? Might their process of being beneficial for tooth enamel cause a problem for other ares they would contact?

    Linda

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