Dental caries is a worldwide challenge for public health. In a new double-blinded, randomized, clinical trial, scientists from Poznan University of Medical Sciences in Poland and elsewhere compared the caries-preventing effect of the newly-developed fluoride-free, hydroxyapatite toothpaste and a toothpaste with sodium fluoride in adults.
Most toothpastes use fluoride, a powerful tool for oral hygiene.
However, fluoride can pose health problems in some cases, especially for children who consume too much fluoride by swallowing most of their toothpaste: children normally use only a tiny dose of toothpaste to avoid these problems, but that reduces toothbrushing efficacy.
In the search for alternatives, Poznan University of Medical Sciences Professor Elzbieta Paszynska and her colleagues identified a hydroxyapatite toothpaste that works just as well as fluoride toothpaste to protect against cavities.
“Hydroxyapatite is a safe and effective alternative to fluoride in caries prevention for daily use,” Professor Paszynska said.
Hydroxyapatite is a calcium phosphate mineral found in the skeleton. It’s known to be very safe for human consumption and has previously been shown to help with oral conditions like periodontitis.
It can both inhibit the demineralization of teeth, a key step towards a cavity, and contribute to remineralization, which reinforces damaged tooth surfaces.
“Currently, in dental care, the aim is to use ‘minimally invasive dentistry’ as often as possible,” Professor Paszynska said.
“This means trying to preserve as much tooth tissue as possible, including those altered by initial caries that still show the ability to remineralize.”
“The use of remineralization compounds is a boon, as it may limit the need for invasive treatment of carious lesions with a drill.”
To see if it would help patients without specific dental conditions, the clinicians recruited 189 adults aged 18-45 to take part in an 18-month-long double blind…
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