Picking the best toothpaste can be a challenge, especially with newer ingredients being added to the market. Nano-hydroxyapatite is a timely example and the star ingredient for popular brands like Boka and Davids. Amidst health concerns around fluoride and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., US Secretary of Health and Human Services, proposing to remove it from public water, nano-hydroxyapatite has been promoted as an effective alternative to fluoride in toothpaste. Many claim that it can repair enamel, prevent cavities and even whiten teeth.
"As ingredient labels shift toward cleaner, fluoride-free formulas, one compound is taking center stage in modern oral care: nano-hydroxyapatite," Dr. Pia Lieb, DDS, cosmetic dentist and clinical assistant professor emerita at NYU College of Dentistry, explains. Marketed as a biomimetic, enamel-restoring alternative to fluoride, this ingredient has gained a loyal following, but does the science justify the hype?
To find out if nano-hydroxyapatite toothpaste is worth incorporating into your dental care routine, and if it's a viable replacement for fluoride toothpaste, we reached out to dentists for the potential benefits, side effects and their expert opinions.
What is nano-hydroxyapatite?
"Nano-hydroxyapatite is a synthetic calcium phosphate compound that's used in some oral care products, including toothpastes," explains Dr. Ada Cooper, consumer advisor and spokesperson for the American Dental Association, says. "[It] has a structure that is similar to hydroxyapatite found in enamel, and nHAP gets incorporated into the tooth structure preferentially in demineralized areas."
Nano-hydroxyapatite is also abbreviated as n-HA and n-HAp.
Dr. Royce Lai of King Village Dental adds that this is technically a two-part question, since "hydroxyapatite has been around for decades and has been studied for at least 20 years." Newer and less studied, nano-hydroxyapatite is a version of hydroxyapatite with small, rod-shaped particles.
"Hydroxyapatite is natural. It is a type of calcium that makes up bones and teeth," says Lai. "Nano-hydroxyapatite relates to the particle size. These are between 20 and 80 nanometers and are much smaller than the hydroxyapatite tubules that are a part of your teeth."
According to Dr. Daniela Eversgerd, a cosmetic dentist and the founder of Allure Dental, nano-hydroxyapatite was developed by NASA in the 1970s for astronauts dealing with bone and enamel loss during long periods of space travel. Since the early 1990s, it has been approved for oral care products in Japan.
Potential nano-hydroxyapatite toothpaste benefits
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