Hydroxyapatite is one of our favorite ingredients to talk about because it’s a big part of why you love your favorite Wellnesse products!

For all the comments we get about this ingredient, we also get plenty of questions, the most common one being:

“Why do you use micro-hydroxyapatite instead of nano-hydroxyapatite?”

So today, we’re getting into all the details behind the nano vs. micro debate, why we use hydroxyapatite in the first place, and why we’re proud to provide you with the ingredients and formulas we do!

First, let’s discuss why we don’t use the most widely-known toothpaste ingredient: Fluoride.

Support your smile with clean, natural, effective products; add our bestselling glycerin-free hydroxyapatite toothpaste to your oral care routine today!

Why Not Fluoride?

Oral health professionals have hailed fluoride as the holy grail for strengthening and remineralizing teeth for decades. It’s included in communal water sources, in mouthwash and fluoride toothpaste, and is typically applied to the teeth during dental care appointments.

But what is fluoride, and why do we refuse to use it in our oral hygiene products when it seems to be the most common ingredient amongst all conventional toothpaste?

Fluoride became popular with dentistry professionals in the early 1900s when a handful of small U.S. communities that drank from naturally fluoridated water sources were discovered to have a lower rate of dental caries (cavities). This realization created a push for community water sources - and, eventually, oral care products - to start using fluoride. However, many people don’t realize that most fluoridated water and products contain industrial fluoride, not calcium fluoride (the natural form).

The push for using fluoride began to weaken and the controversy of fluoride vs. anti-fluoride emerged as early as the 1960's.

Those who have opposed the use of fluoride in drinking water (and in toothpaste) argue that fluoride is not an essential nutrient and no disease has ever been linked to a fluoride deficiency. In addition, they are concerned when fluoride is presumed to be safe for pregnancies and developing brains without studies on safety.

Providing even more cause for concern, multiple studies have established a correlation between fluoride and thyroid dysfunction, reduced IQ, and lower cognitive function.

In recent years, fluoride has been formally classified as a developmental neurotoxin, and some have raised the possibility of a connection between fluoride toxicity and skeletal fluorosis. What is skeletal fluorosis? It is a metabolic bone disease caused by too much fluoride in the bones, which weakens them and changes their structure

At Wellnesse, we will never use synthetic ingredients or take risks with your health. We’re committing to being fluoride-free, so we were determined to find a better, healthier, stronger alternative. And we did!

Enter: Hydroxyapatite.

What is Hydroxyapatite (HAp)?

Hydroxyapatite (calcium apatite) is a mineral that strengthens the teeth, remineralizes tooth enamel, and fills in the tiny cracks that can appear on the tooth surface over time. In other words, hydroxyapatite does what fluoridated products claim to do, but without any of the downsides. The best part? This miracle mineral naturally occurs in human bones and teeth! Not only does hydroxyapatite work with our bodies, but it’s biologically compatible (biocompatible) with helping our teeth repair themselves!

Over the years, this superstar ingredient has become extremely popular in the natural health world, with countless brands releasing their own hydroxyapatite toothpaste, floss, and mouthwash.

So, if we went from having zero hydroxyapatite toothpaste options to having multiple, isn’t that good news?

Well, yes and no.

We’re thrilled that people are realizing the truth about fluoride and seeking healthy alternatives. However, even in the hydroxyapatite world, what type you use matters.

Nano-Hydroxyapatite vs. Micro-Hydroxyapatite

To begin with definitions, ‘micro’ (bigger) and ‘nano’ (smaller) refer to the size of the rod-shaped hydroxyapatite particles. Many people assume that nano-sized particles should be more effective at remineralizing teeth because of their smaller size, so they wonder why we didn’t choose this option (nano-particles) for our toothpaste formula.

Our answer is simple.

The first reason is that micro-hydroxyapatite particles are more than small enough to absorb into the surface area of the teeth. But the second and bigger reason we made this ingredient choice is:

Micro-hydroxyapatite occurs naturally, while nano-hydroxyapatite (n-ha) is obtained synthetically.

We want to pause for just a minute and sit with the above statement. If the nano-hydroxyapatite is synthetic, what does that mean?

The word synthetic is defined as: (a substance) made by chemical synthesis, especially to imitate a natural product. Nano-hydroxyapatite is synthetic and is not a clean particle to be putting into your most important gateway of your health - your mouth and saliva.

In addition, the last few years have seen concerns about the potential side effects of using synthetic nano-particles in the mouth, where they are easily absorbed into the bloodstream and spread through the rest of the body and organs. Though research is still limited and ongoing, these concerns include body cell and DNA alteration.

While some other brands try to tout their nano-hydroxyapatite and claim that smaller is better, we don't believe that is the case when there is a concern that too small of particles (and synthetic particles!) can enter every nook and cranny of your body.

In addition, this study shares that remineralization of 5% micro-hydroxyapatite is similar to that of 5% nano-hydroxyapatite. In other words, there is no significant reason to potentially put your health at risk and believing the claims that nano is better for tooth remineralization.

In other words, using hydroxyapatite nanoparticles would require that we use synthetic ingredients that may harm your health in your all-natural products, and that’s a compromise we won’t make!

Why We’re Proud to Use Micro-Hydroxyapatite

We use nothing but the absolute best ingredients for all our formulas, and that’s why we’re proud of our decision to use all-natural micro-hydroxyapatite in each of your favorite Wellnesse toothpaste formulations! Not only is our particle size small enough to repair the enamel surface, but it’s derived from 100% natural sources. We source and harvest our micro-hydroxyapatite from calcium carbonate mineral deposits in France!

Choosing micro-hydroxyapatite has been carefully and thoughtfully considered over the years and we stand by our decision to use the cleanest, most natural form we could find.

Although natural toothpaste is a favorite use of hydroxyapatite, when it comes to such an incredible ingredient, we can’t limit ourselves to just one! (Spoiler: We’re the only ones around to add the benefits of hydroxyapatite into our oral probiotic/breath mints!)

While our all-natural hydroxyapatite works toward enamel remineralization, our other powerhouse ingredients (like peppermint oil) whiten the teeth, support the oral microbiome, and eliminate the bacteria responsible for gum disease, tooth sensitivity, and tooth decay.

Shop Wellnesse Oral Care today and treat yourself to products

you know, love, and trust. 

Resources:

Impact of a toothpaste with microcrystalline hydroxyapatite on the occurrence of early childhood caries: a 1-year randomized clinical trial https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-81112-y

The Untold Story of Fluoridation: Revisiting the Changing Perspectives
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6309358/

Estimated “Threshold” Doses for Skeletal Fluorosis
https://fluoridealert.org/studies/skeletal_fluorosis04_/

Neurobehavioural effects of developmental toxicity
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4418502/

Comparative Evaluation Of Enamel Re-Mineralization Potential Of An Indigenously Prepared Dentifrice Containing 5% Micro-Hydroxyapatite With Commercially Available Fluoridated Dentifrice
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/352255891_Comparative_Evaluation_Of_Enamel_Re-Mineralization_Potential_Of_An_Indigenously_Prepared_Dentifrice_Containing_5_Micro-Hydroxyapatite_With_Commercially_Available_Fluoridated_Dentifrice_By_Surface_Micr