Cutting Through the Confusion About Hydroxyapatite

Whenever something starts getting trendy – a fashion, a celebrity, a health hack, whatever – you can be sure to hear a lot of not-exactly-accurate information about it as the online chatter around it builds.

For instance, about 10 years ago, interest in natural tooth remineralization exploded along with claims about “curing” tooth decay through nutrition. Though rooted in the excellent and important work of Dr. Weston Price, he never claimed that a tooth could heal in such a way that it would look exactly as it did before decay set in. What he described was a process “similar to petrification.”

With an adequate improvement in nutrition, tooth decay will generally be checked provided two conditions are present: in the first place, there must be enough improvement in the quality of the saliva; and in the second, the saliva must have free access to the cavity. Of course, if the decay is removed and a filling placed in the cavity, the bacteria will be mechanically shut out. One of the most severe tests of a nutritional program, accordingly, is the test of its power to check tooth decay completely, even without fillings. There are, however, two further tests of the sufficiency of improvement of the chemical content of the saliva. If it has been sufficiently improved, bacterial growth will not only be inhibited, but the leathery decayed dentine will become mineralized from the saliva by a process similar to petrification. Note that this mineralized dentine is not vital, nor does it increase in volume and fill the cavity.

Somehow, those details got lost in the shuffle. Biological dentists started getting calls from patients who wanted their mercury fillings removed but didn’t want new restorations placed. They said they had heard that teeth could be remineralized naturally and believed they could regrow the lost tooth structure on their own – despite the fact that once your teeth have developed, you no longer have the cells needed to make new enamel.

We also heard from well-meaning parents who were sure they had cured their child’s tooth decay, since their teeth were no longer hurting them. We had to gently explain that the lack of pain in this case wasn’t a sign of healing; it was a sign that decay had likely moved into the living tissues of the tooth, the pulp, and, if so, the tooth was dead.

Today, the thing that’s been trending hard in the holistic dental world involves the related matter of hydroxyapatite (HAP) toothpaste to help keep tooth enamel strong. HAP is the mineral compound that enamel is actually made of – calcium and phosphorus that join in a tight, intricate crystalline structure that makes it super strong. It’s continually being reinforced by minerals delivered by your saliva. Hydroxyapatite toothpaste delivers even more.

Research has consistently shown HAP to be at least as effective as fluoride but with none of the toxicity concerns. Who wouldn’t get excited about that?

So it’s no surprise to see so many new oral hygiene products containing HAP instead of fluoride – enough that you might find it hard to distinguish which ones will be most helpful. Does the type of hydroxyapatite matter? Should it be micro or nano? What concentration of HAP do you need to get good results?

To help cut through the confusion, Dr. T invited Dr. Jennifer Eisenhuth and Peter Eisnhuth to a conversation on her rising podcast, Your Mouth Matters. The Eisenhuths are the great minds behind the Dr. Jen line of natural hydroxyapatite toothpastes (including their brand new Eggshell Nano variety), and they shared a ton of amazing and useful information not only about Dr. Jen but what the science says about HAP and its role in oral hygiene.

Together, they sort through the various claims about HAP to get to the truth of how it can help you keep your teeth healthy and whole for a lifetime – and your kids’ teeth, too!

Listen now…