I do this funny thing when I’m composing content for this blog. I’ll start writing something like a compilation post and then I realize I’ve written three paragraphs about one thing. Oop, that needs its own post. So here we are because last week, I talked about some things I prioritize spending on (in contrast with what I don’t). One thing that I initially wrote way too much about was my toothpaste: Apagard Premio Nanohydroxyapatite Toothpaste.
Aside: Man, it’s been so long since I’ve typed a long product name here.
At least its not L’Oreal Infalliable Never Fail Because You Sold Your Soul For a Thiccer Lashline.
“Gee, Editor,” you may be thinking. “Nearly $30 is a bit wild for two 100g (~7oz total in freedom units) tubes of toothpaste.”
Let’s Start with Why I Do This
My results are why I insist on continuing this luxury. I haven’t had a cavity since the one identified and filled during my Invisalign treatment. Since my teeth, to put it gently, fucking suck, this is well worth it to me.
So yes, around $13 a tube is certainly luxurious. But the alternative is fluoride being inadequate (for me) and my teeth basically disintegrating.
Why Are You a Fluoride Hater?
Let me be very clear: I am not a tinfoil hat fluoride/mind control person! (However, lobbying is garbage and is definitely a problem.) Fluoride is not a BAD thing in and of itself. Fluoride is effective at preventing tooth decay. Treating municipal water supplies with fluoride has been life-changing for MANY people over the decades. It is a chemical, not a black-and-white bad thing!
For what its worth, I also use a fluoride toothpaste: every other day, I swap it in for one of my two brushings. I also drink water that is fortified with fluoride.
The Risk of Too Much of a Good Thing
Here's the rub with fluoride - there is such a thing as too much, especially for kids. High levels of fluoride exposure in still-developing humans can lead to conditions such as dental fluorosis or skeletal fluorosis. To put those in layman's terms - too much fluoride can adversely affect your teeth and bones, making them brittle (hey, kinda like keratin and hair!) among other things. Most typically, those conditions result from large levels of fluoride exposure and ingestion as a kid, but still. I have mild dental fluorosis which affects the color of my teeth, for example. Many people do.
Anyway – Back to The Nanohydroxyapatite
The key takeaway here is this: however effective fluoride is at bolstering tooth enamel, nanohydroxyapatite is better. By a lot.
What Makes Apagard Premio Nanohydroxyapatite Toothpaste Special
Nanohydroxyapatite is a synthetic version of a mineral (hydroxyapatite) that already exists in our teeth, bones, and saliva. Used in toothpaste, it does a hell of a job remineralizing tooth enamel. (It has other uses too, but that’s beyond the scope of this post).
It doesn’t work the same way fluoride does: fluoride creates conditions for your saliva to be more effective at remineralizing your teeth, and conditions that are inhospitable to decay. Nanohydroxyapatite penetrates the tooth and does the remineralizing. It isn’t a miracle substance: it isn’t as impervious to acids as fluoride is, which is why a routine that features both is a nice one-two punch.
All of that lowers your risk of cavities and helps with sensitivity. Unlike Sensodyne, which treats a sensitivity as a symptom, this treats the root cause.
So, Where Is It?
“Gee Editor,” you may be thinking, “Why don’t we see nanohydroxyapatite toothpaste at Target, then?”
A-HA, but there is! Here’s this one, Davids. They’re currently out of Boka Ela (but I included an Amazon link to one of their eccentric flavors in the meantime). I may try them, eventually, but I’m happy with what I’m using and have a spare, unopened tube.
The American National Institute of Health DOES know about it, and has this to say:
In terms of restorative and preventive dentistry, nano-hydroxyapatite has significant remineralizing effects on initial enamel lesions, certainly superior to conventional fluoride, and good results on the sensitivity of the teeth.
Pepla E, Besharat LK, Palaia G, Tenore G, Migliau G. Nano-hydroxyapatite and its applications in preventive, restorative and regenerative dentistry: a review of literature. Ann Stomatol (Roma). 2014 Nov 20;5(3):108-14. PMID: 25506416; PMCID: PMC4252862.
And of course America knows about it: the first medical use was for NASA astronauts who had lost mineral density from time spent in low/no gravity. We then sold the rights to hydroxyapatite to a Japanese company in 1970; they launched Apadent eight years later. The same company went onto release Apagard Premio.
The material is used A LOT in orthopedic and surgical applications, including and especially dental and maxillofacial ones. So why isn’t more abundant on shelves HERE?
Beats me. As soon as Crest decides its worth a damn, I’m sure Proctor and Gamble will have it out there – just like they have aluminum-free deodorants for women now.
The Bottom Line
I haven’t had a cavity in years since I started using Apagard Premio Nanohydroxyapatite Toothpaste. And if you aren’t a long time reader, I’ve had a LOT of dental trouble in the past due to weak enamel so this is a really amazing result for me. I’ve recently changed dentists; both my former and my current confirm that I am definitely doing something right. It makes a difference for me in a way that fluoride alone just wasn’t for years.
If it makes you curious, I’d encourage trying it – don’t walk away from fluoride altogether, maybe split half and half. I’d also encourage talking to your dentist about it BUT BE AWARE that not all of them are educated on the benefits of nanohydroxyapatite, especially if they aren’t studious regarding developments in their field. This article may be of interest to them.
In my opinion, if they AREN’T keeping up with (or willing to keep up with) changes it may be worthwhile to shop around. Medicine is science, and our understanding of things changes. It behooves them to pursue continuing education!