It takes all your life to get healthy teeth. Even if you are told that your teeth are beautiful, it is important to take all of the correct steps each and every day to ensure that you are taking proper care of them and in order to prevent various problems. This involves getting the correct dental care products and paying attention to your daily oral care habits.

As such, it’s important to know which toothpastes are best for tooth care. If you’re reading this, you have likely researched various kinds of ingredients in kinds of toothpaste and reached this article to help you determine whether hydroxyapatite or fluoride is better for your teeth.

That’s precisely what we aim to answer here today. But before we get started, let’s go over some basics in tooth care to ensure that everyone is on the same page. 

Caring for Your Smile

Brushing your teeth is indeed an essential part of tooth care. But it doesn’t end there. In fact, there are numerous applications you can implement into your daily regimen to ensure optimal oral health and hygiene. 

As such, let’s take a moment to examine these helpful tips to ensure that you are getting the most out of your tooth care.

Brush Your Teeth Correctly

The method in which you brush your teeth is incredibly important. As a matter of fact, a bad brushing habit is nearly as harmful as avoiding brushing your teeth at all! Therefore, it is vital that you take your time, ensuring that you are moving your toothbrush - see out top Sonic Toothbrush offer - in gentle circular motions to aid in the removal of plaque. 

Any plaque that gets left on your teeth might harden, leading to the accumulation of calculus and, ultimately, gingivitis, and an early form of gum disease.

Get 15% Off with discount code (use at checkout): BLOG15

Brush at Least Once Per Day

It is generally recommended to brush at least twice a day. This is no secret. Despite this, many of us still neglect to brush our teeth at night. But brushing your teeth before going to bed can remove bacteria and plaque that have accumulated throughout the day.

Brush Your Tongue, Too

Did you know that dental plaque might also accumulate on the surface of your tongue? It’s true, and this causes not only bad breath but also a litany of oral health concerns. Gently brushing your tongue whenever you are brushing your teeth will go a long way in ensuring optimal dental health.

Don’t Forget to Floss

Many people who brush their teeth often neglect to use dental floss. It’s important to note that flossing shouldn’t be reserved for only the times when you have tiny food particles stuck between the spaces of your teeth. Actually, flossing helps to stimulate your gums and can therefore help to reduce plaque and inflammation.

Flossing once every day is usually sufficient to obtain these benefits. And while flossing may prove challenging, it’s very important to maintain a healthy flossing regimen to ensure a healthy smile. Instead of giving up, you should look for helpful tools that will assist you in flossing your teeth, such as dental floss picks.

Try Using a Mouthwash

Commercials make mouthwashes seem to be a necessary routine for maintaining optimal oral health. However, a lot of people don’t like to use mouthwashes due to them not understanding how it works. Most dentists will tell you that mouthwash can help you in three profound ways: 

• Cleans those hard-to-reach areas by your gums
• Reduces acid in your mouth
• Re-mineralizes your teeth

By maintaining a strict dental care schedule and adding mouthwash to the mix, you can look forward to excellent oral health and hygiene. 

Get 15% Off with discount code (use at checkout): BLOG15

 

Eat Right and Drinks Plenty of Water

Lots of pre-made foods are indeed convenient, but they may not be so convenient for your teeth. As such, eating fresh and crunchy produce ensures that you are getting healthy fiber and is also an optimal choice for improving your teeth. These types of foods work wonders on your teeth and should be introduced to children at an early age (when safe).

There are indeed benefits to eating many ready-made food items, but they are mostly centered on convenience. Take the extra time to prepare fresh fruits and veggies and reap the rewards of doing so.

Furthermore, don’t neglect drinking water. It’s still the best drink for your overall health, and that includes your oral health. What’s more, dentists will tell you that you should be drinking water following every meal. 

Doing this might help eliminate many of the negative side effects of foods, especially those that are overly sticky or acidic. The same applies to a wide variety of beverages, so make sure you’re getting in plenty of brushings between meals and drinks.

Cut Down on Sugary Foods and Beverages

This is a tough one for many people, but it’s important to try. Eventually, sugar will be converted to acid inside your mouth. This will erode the tooth enamel. These kinds of acids are the cause of tooth decay. Acidic fruits, coffee, and tea may also wear away tooth enamel. Although you don’t necessarily need to avoid all types of these foods, there is no harm in staying vigilant.

Ensure Regular Dental Visits

Finally, it is vital that you see your dentist at least twice a year. Your own daily habits are vital to your dental health. Nevertheless, even dedicated brushers and dental flossers should see the dentist regularly. 

Or at the very least, you should go to the dentist for cleaning and examination twice per year. Dentists can not only remove dental calculus, as well as check for cavities. They can also identify potential problems and provide treatment solutions. 

Hydroxyapatite vs Fluoride: A Comparison

For decades, dentists recommended the use of fluoride toothpaste to make stronger tooth decay. Despite safety issues, this type is still seen as the best choice for dental schools. But there is a new compound around that has proven effective. In fact, it may be just as safe and effective as fluoride. Best of all, it is non-toxic. 

It is called hydroxyapatite. For many dentists, hydroxyapatite toothpaste is replacing fluoride toothpaste, with them recommending hydroxyapatite to all patients. But what exactly is this new hydroxyapatite toothpaste?

Let’s examine each type of toothpaste to help you determine which one is the better fit for yourself and your family.

What Is Hydroxyapatite Toothpaste?

Hydroxyapatite is a type of calcium, which accounts for 97% of tooth enamel. Plus, about 70% of tooth dentin. The remainder of tooth enamel is really made up of collagen, water, and additional proteins. Hydroxyapatite gets absorbed by your teeth and works to fill in the enamel cracks caused by the process of de-mineralization. 

Unlike fluoride, the role of hydroxyapatite is to do the following in your teeth:

• Re-mineralize your tooth surface from the inside to the innermost portion of the cavity 
• Combine with dental harmful bacteria and plaque in the mouth

This is all done in an effort to eliminate harmful compounds in your mouth and leave you with a bright, beautiful, and healthy smile. 

Get 15% Off with discount code (use at checkout): BLOG15

Now that you have a better understanding of hydroxyapatite toothpaste let’s switch our focus to its fluoride counterpart. Most people are familiar with this one, as it has been around for decades and stands tall as the most widely used type of toothpaste… until now.

What Is Fluoride Toothpaste?

Everyone’s teeth have a special shell called “enamel.” This is composed of phosphate and calcium. Did you also know that your saliva contains phosphate and calcium, as well? As such, these minerals serve to continuously cover your teeth, helping to keep your teeth nice and strong. 

The bacteria found in tooth decay can break down various food particles and cause the formation of an acidic atmosphere in the mouth. This atmosphere is very harsh and can even remove those beneficial minerals in your mouth and away from your teeth’s surface. 

This is a process known as de-mineralization. Moreover, the fluoride found in fluoride toothpaste works in the following ways: 

It combines with calcium and phosphate in saliva and teeth to form a compound called “fluoroapatite.”

It covers the de-mineralized enamel using a more powerful fluoroapatite that is acid-resistant. This restores the strength of each tooth, re-mineralizes them, and protects them from undergoing any additional acid damage.

Get 15% Off with discount code (use at checkout): BLOG15

 

Which Toothpaste Is More Effective?

Speaking of which type of toothpaste is more effective, there really isn’t any difference between fluoride toothpaste and hydroxyapatite toothpaste. In fact, a study compared equal parts of each toothpaste and came to the conclusion that both types were just as effective in their application.

So, why would anyone want to switch from fluoride toothpaste and try hydroxyapatite toothpaste? Well, it really gets down to who you talk to. Some people are adamantly against giving their children fluoride and feel safer using hydroxyapatite toothpaste.

But let’s examine some of the known benefits of hydroxyapatite toothpaste so you can decide for yourself which one is better suited to you and your family. 

Hydroxyapatite Toothpaste Benefits

While it’s true that both hydroxyapatite and fluoride can re-mineralize your tooth structure, there are some other notable benefits of hydroxyapatite that you might want to consider.

While both types consist of antibacterial properties, it is fluoride that eliminates bacteria that causes decay, as well as some beneficial bacteria. And then there’s hydroxyapatite. It does not eliminate bacteria. Rather, it prevents damaging bacteria from fastening to your tooth enamel.

Hydroxyapatite can also serve to enhance the microhardness of your tooth enamel. The 4-hydroxyapatite coating has a better effect on teeth strengthening than the fluoroapatite coating. 

What’s more, hydroxyapatite contains biomimetic properties. This means that hydroxyapatite has no side effects. In fact, your kids can swallow safely a whole tube of it without concern (see the best organic toothpaste for kids here). On the other hand, for fluoride, there is a poison control label on the tube, and excessive exposure can cause tooth and bone fluorosis. 

At a very young age, children cannot fully control swallowing and may ingest large amounts of toothpaste. When this happens, the fluoride in your toothpaste will be absorbed into the blood and cause dental fluorosis, which are changes in the appearance of tooth enamel. 

I advise everyone to discuss switching to a hydroxyapatite toothpaste with their dentist, especially those who fall under the following headings:

1. Expecting mothers
2. Those who reside in places where the water supply is fluoridated
3. Infants and young children, especially those under the age of six.
4. As hydroxyapatite tackles the underlying cause of sensitivity, those with sensitive teeth.

Get 15% Off with discount code (use at checkout): BLOG15

Toothpaste containing hydroxyapatite can reduce the risk of fluorosis. Hydroxyapatite toothpaste is now proven to lighten color of teeth without using whitening agents or abrasives.

In Closing

As you can see, both types of toothpaste are equal in their application, but hydroxyapatite looks to be the safer choice, especially if you have children. Plus, you don’t have to buy additional whitening products to enjoy whiter teeth.

 

FAQs

1. Is fluoride better than hydroxyapatite?

There are many debates surrounding fluoride and its use in dental hygiene. Some people believe that fluoride is the best way to protect your teeth from decay, while others think that hydroxyapatite is a better option. Here is a look at the pros and cons of each:

Fluoride has been shown to be effective in preventing tooth decay. It works by strengthening tooth enamel, making it more resistant to acid erosion. In addition, fluoride can help remineralize teeth that have started to decay.

However, there is some concern about the potential fluoride toxicity. Too much fluoride can cause fluorosis – a condition where the teeth become discolored and brittle. Hydroxyapatite, on the other hand, is non-toxic and does not seem to cause any adverse side effects.

2. Is hydroxyapatite good for teeth?

Dental health is determined by a strong, healthy tooth enamel. Hydroxyapatite can help protect the outer layer of your teeth, prevent demineralization, and regenerate enamel.

3. Can fluoride remineralize teeth?

You may be wondering how you can encourage tooth remineralization. There is good news, however, in that certain products, such as fluoride toothpastes, fluoride mouth rinses, and fluoride treatments administered by a dentist, can help remineralize tooth surface if detected early enough.

4. How effective is hydroxyapatite?

The use of 10% hydroxyapatite was as effective as fluoride at 500 ppm in preventing early dental caries and demineralizing teeth. Therefore, this study confirms that HAP toothpaste is equivalent to fluoride toothpaste.

5. Can hydroxyapatite reverse cavities?

Hydroxyapatite is a mineral that is found in teeth and bones. It is thought to play a role in the formation and maintenance of bones and teeth. Some research suggests that hydroxyapatite may also help to reverse cavities.

One study found that synthetic hydroxyapatite paste was able to remineralize early carious lesions in teeth. The paste was applied to the teeth for two minutes, twice a day, for two weeks. The remineralization process was observed using scanning electron microscopy. The results of the study showed that the hydroxyapatite paste was able to significantly reduce lesion depth and increase lesion hardness.

Another study looked at the effect of fluoride on cavity reversal. The study found that fluoride varnish was more effective than fluoride toothpaste at reversing cavities in children.