Hydroxyapatite in Toothpaste is Safe, Effective in Preventing Dental Caries

A team of international researchers has found that toothpaste containing hydroxyapatite—a calcium phosphate mineral found in the skeleton—is a safe and effective alternative to traditional fluoride toothpaste and prevents dental caries.

Researchers conducted an 18-month double-blinded, randomized, clinical trial that compared the dental caries-preventing effect of hydroxyapatite toothpaste and a toothpaste with sodium fluoride in adults. The study’s primary endpoint was “the percentage of subjects showing no increase in overall Decayed Missing Filled Surfaces (DMFS) index,” the authors wrote.

The study included 189 adults with 171 participants completing the study per protocol. After per-protocol analysis, researchers found no DMFS index increases in 89.3% of individuals who used hydroxyapatite compared with 87.4% of individuals of the fluoride group.

This study had limitations. For example, the study population mostly consisted of healthy, young adults without oral health issues. Additionally, the study population had dental visits every 6 months, which is not the case for the general population.

Still, the authors highlighted their study results regarding the efficacy of hydroxyapatite.

“The hydroxyapatite toothpaste was not statistically inferior to a fluoride toothpaste with regard to the primary endpoint,” the researchers concluded. “Hydroxyapatite was proven to be a safe and efficient anticaries agent in oral care.”

Reference:

Paszynska E, Pawinska M, Enax J, et al. Caries-preventing effect of a hydroxyapatite-toothpaste in adults: a 18-month double-blinded randomized clinical trial. Front. Public Health. Published online July 18, 2023. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1199728