ALTERNATIVE TO FLUORIDE : Benefits of Fluoride and nano<mHAP>
Fluoride causes remineralization indirectly. A highly active element, it promotes the uptake of calcium and phosphate ions from saliva and other sources into tooth enamel to form a new substance, fluorapatite, on the tooth surface, more resistant to acids than the enamel’s original hydroxyapatite. Fluoride's benefit in reducing dental caries has long been established, and when introduced into drinking water in the U.S. in the 1950s, it was shown to reduce caries in schoolchildren by 35-60%.
In contrast, SANGI's nano<mHAP> remineralizes teeth directly. Almost identical in composition and size to the enamel's natural hydroxyapatite, it fills and repairs surface microfissures and restores density to areas below the enamel surface from which mineral has been dissolved out by acids. Unlike fluoride, nano<mHAP> adds nothing new to the teeth, simply providing replacement mineral. But during field trials in Japan in the 1980s, it similarly reduced new caries in schoolchildren by 36-56%.
One difference between the two is that excessive intake of fluoride can lead to dental and systemic fluorosis, so the amount allowed in oral care products and community water systems is strictly controlled. In the case of nano-hydroxyapatite - biocompatible, edible, and not known to have toxic effects - no such restrictions apply.
Studies increasingly show that both agents offer equivalent remineralization and anti-caries benefits, and as some people prefer toothpaste without fluoride, especially for young children, by not including fluoride in our toothpastes we offer consumers an alternative choice.