How do fluoride and hydroxyapatite stack up against each other?

Dentists have been recommending fluoride toothpaste for decades to make teeth stronger and less likely to get cavities. Even though there are safety issues, it is still seen as the "gold standard" in dental schools.But now there is a new ingredient that has been shown to work just as well as fluoride and is completely safe.The name for it is hydroxyapatite. Fluoride toothpaste is no longer what I tell all of my patients to use. Instead, I tell them to use hydroxyapatite toothpaste. What is, though, hydroxyapatite toothpaste?In this blog post, we'll find out about hydroxyapatite and see how it compares to fluoride.

How does tooth paste with fluoride work?

The hard, top layer of your teeth is called enamel. It is made of calcium and phosphate. Your saliva also has calcium and phosphate, which keep your teeth clean and healthy. Your teeth stay strong because of these minerals.

Bacteria that live in holes can break down bits of food and make your mouth more acidic. This harsh acidic climate can remove these good minerals from the tops of your teeth. The name for this process is demineralization.

Fluoridated toothpaste contains fluoride, which works by combining with the calcium and phosphate in your saliva and teeth to make a substance called fluorapatite. This chemical substance looks like an apatite crystal structure.Covering demineralized enamel with fluorapatite, which is more resistant to acid. This gives the teeth back their minerals, makes them stronger, and keeps acid from doing more damage. How does tooth paste with hydroxyapatite work?

Hydroxyapatite is a type of calcium that makes up 97% of the enamel on your teeth and almost 70% of the dentin.

Water, collagen, and other proteins make up the rest of your enamel.

Hydroxyapatite is taken in by the teeth, where it fills the cracks in the enamel caused by loss of minerals.

Nano-hydroxyapatite is the type of hydroxyapatite that has been studied the most. The size of the particles in nano-hydroxyapatite toothpaste ranges from 20 to 80 nanometers (nm). Because it is so small, it can fit into very small places, which makes it more useful.

Fluoride doesn't work, but hydroxyapatite does:

Remineralizing enamel from the inside, all the way to the center of a holePlaque and bad germs in our mouths cause bad breath.

There is no real difference between hydroxyapatite and fluoride toothpastes when it comes to how well they work.

In one study, 10% hydroxyapatite was put up against 500 ppm F (amine fluoride), which is what dentists usually recommend. Researchers found that 10% hydroxyapatite worked just as well as 500ppm F at remineralizing and reducing lesion depth (LD).

The study's result was that hydroxyapatite toothpaste is just as good as toothpaste with fluoride.

Both fluoride and hydroxyapatite can help rebuild tooth structure, but I prefer hydroxyapatite over fluoride for the following reasons:

Friendly to the oral microbiome: Even though both chlorine and fluoride kill bacteria, fluoride kills bacteria that cause tooth decay and some good bacteria. hydroxyapatite, on the other hand, does not kill the germs. It keeps germs from sticking to the enamel and making it sick.Fortifies enamel: Hydroxyapatite can make enamel a little bit harder. The teeth are stronger when they have a coating of hydroxyapatite than when they have a coating of fluorapatite.Biomimetic hydroxyapatite is not poisonous. Hydroxyapatite doesn't have any side effects. It's safe enough to eat the whole tube of toothpaste! Fluoride, on the other hand, has a poison control warning on the tube, and too much of it can cause fluorosis of the teeth and bones.Kid-friendly: Children don't have full control over their eating when they are young, so they can eat a lot of toothpaste. When this happens, the fluoride in your toothpaste can get into your system and change the way your teeth look. This is called dental fluorosis. Fluorosis is less likely to happen if your toothpaste has hydroxyapatite in it.Whitens: Studies have shown that hydroxyapatite toothpaste can lighten the color of teeth without using any extra abrasives or whitening agents.

Fluorapatite doesn't dissolve as well as hydroxyapatite does. This means that fluorapatite is stronger and less likely to lose minerals when it is in an acidic environment.

But this doesn't mean that fluorapatite toothpaste is better than hydroxyapatite toothpaste. Studies have shown that hydroxyapatite toothpaste is just as good as fluorapatite toothpaste, and it also helps with sensitive teeth.

I think this is clear-cut. Why wouldn't you use something better than fluoride toothpaste if it doesn't hurt you?

This is also a no-brainer for most dentists. However, fluoride is still taught as the "gold standard" in dental schools, and some dentists may still be wary of hydroxyapatite. Send the study to your dentist if this is the case.

I think everyone should talk to their dentist about moving to hydroxyapatite toothpaste, but here are some groups of people who should do so in particular:

Pregnant womenPeople who live in places where the water supply is fluoridatedBabies and young children, especially those younger than 6 years old.People with sensitive teeth can use hydroxyapatite because it solves the problem at its source.

The biggest benefit of using toothpaste with hydroxyapatite is that it remineralizes your teeth without giving you any side effects. Fluoride, on the other hand, can be harmful if you use too much of it.

I suggest two types of hydroxyapatite toothpaste to my readers. I think you should look at them and decide which one is best for you.

Boka Ela Mint Toothpaste

RiseWell Toothpaste with Minerals

RiseWell Mineral Toothpaste for Kids (tastes like birthday cake)

Hydroxyapatite is found naturally in our bodies and makes up most of our tooth enamel.

Both fluoride and hydroxyapatite have been shown by science to stop tooth decay, so why not choose the one that is less dangerous?