TORONTO: Researchers at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Toronto, have recently found that new fluoride-free toothpaste with hydroxyapatite (HAP) provides equivalent protection to those containing fluoride.
Fluoride has been used to prevent dental caries. Still, due to decreased acceptance among the public and the risk of fluorosis in children, effective alternatives have been needed.
Kelsey O'Hagan-Wong, the lead author of a review paper, and colleagues investigated the efficacy of fluoride-free hydroxyapatite toothpaste on re-mineralizing and therefore repairing teeth.
The authors found no difference between HAP-containing and fluoridated toothpaste at demineralizing enamel blocks. Moreover, an in-vitro study found that HAP-containing toothpaste produced increases in enamel surface hardness comparable to regular fluoride (1450 ppm F) containing toothpaste.
Hydroxyapatite has been the main mineral of human tooth enamel and can be used as a biomimetic active ingredient in toothpaste. Its products can be considered an alternative in young children where fluorosis is a concern.
The paper concluded that HAP's caries prevention property had been tested in vivo, in situ, and in vitro with a high safety profile and no risk of fluorosis and was a biomimetic oral care agent. However, more research has been needed to confirm the clinical effectiveness of HAP at preventing and arresting dental caries. While the research suggesting its equivalency to fluoride toothpaste has been promising.
The paper 'The use of hydroxyapatite toothpaste to prevent dental caries' has been published in Odontology.
