From Space to Smiles: How NASA Research Brought us Hydroxyapatite Toothpaste

When you think of crystals you probably think of gem stones or beautiful jewelry. However, crystals are also an important part of the enamel of your teeth. These kinds of crystals are what make teeth and bones strong and resilient. Many toothpaste brands, including Wellnesse, use hydroxyapatite crystals to benefit oral health, but their origins have a surprising story to tell. The journey starts with astronaut research, semi-conductors, and NASA.

NASA and the Mineral Insight

In the late 1960s, inside the short-lived NASA Research Center in Massachusetts, senior scientist Bernard Rubin was focused on a challenge that had nothing to do with teeth. He was trying to grow structurally perfect semiconductor crystals using gel diffusion systems instead of water. But as his crystals formed, Rubin noticed something unexpected and impressive: the gel-based process closely resembled the way bones and tooth enamel naturally grow their own mineral structures. The very same calcium-phosphate crystal known as hydroxyapatite (nature’s building block for teeth) was forming in his lab.

At the same time, there was a very real problem with the bone and oral health of our astronauts. With zero gravity, astronauts were dealing with bone and tooth mineral loss. 

The first observations in the mid-1970s showed astronauts losing 1-2% of their bone mass monthly, a rate much faster than age-related loss on Earth. This loss was mainly found in the hips, spine, and legs (weight-bearing bones), as well as teeth. This initial data established microgravity-induced bone loss as a major health risk for spaceflight, setting the stage for future research and countermeasures.  

NASA found that astronauts also experienced mineral loss from their teeth due to microgravity, which prompted NASA to develop new dental care methods. 

So Rubin and a colleague filed a patent in the early 1970s for a method of repairing teeth.
If these crystals could grow in gel the way they did in the human body, could they be encouraged to grow on damaged tooth surfaces? 

The Forgotten NASA Patent

Rubin’s patent laid the foundation. However, the Research Center where he worked closed after just six years. By the time the patent was granted in 1972, Rubin had moved on and the technology was never used or fully tested in a real life situation. 

Two years later, in 1974, Japanese entrepreneur Shuji Sakuma was scanning NASA patents and came across Rubin’s idea. In November 1974 he sent a dentist and a professor from Nippon Dental University to meet Rubin and discuss the technology and lab-made hydroxyapatite. Sakuma was impressed enough he bought the patent and started lab research to get the idea into toothpaste.

Sakuma proposed simply loading a toothpaste with pre-formed nano-hydroxyapatite particles and by the late 1970s the clinical work was underway, and in 1980 Sangi launched its first nano-hydroxyapatite-based toothpaste in Japan (Apadent). 

Why Japan Was the Right Launch Pad

The timing and the market conditions happened to align perfectly. Japan was slow to adopt fluoride treatments, so it wasn’t a big ingredient there like it was in the US. This made a fluoride-alternative like hydroxyapatite toothpaste more appealing.

It took a few decades, but research mounted showing hydroxyapatite’s benefits for remineralization, sensitivity relief, and enamel strength. Once the research was there, more government agencies allowed toothpastes to make claims about hydroxyapatite. 

Regulatory Patchwork: How Different Countries Recognize Hydroxyapatite

While there are now plenty of studies on hydroxyapatite’s benefits for teeth, how these toothpastes are allowed to market depends on the country. 

• In Japan, hydroxyapatite was officially recognized as an anti-cavity agent in 1993.

• In Europe, hydroxyapatite is widely acknowledged for sensitivity relief and remineralization.

• In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn’t allow cavity-fighting claims for toothpastes without fluoride. Instead it’s approved for medical applications and is used “off label” for toothpaste.  

Depending on where you live, you might see different claims on the label, like whitening, enamel repair, sensitivity relief, or anti-cavity. This approach reflects regulatory nuance more than the science, which continues to grow and support hydroxyapatite. 

Nano vs. Micro Hydroxyapatite

Although nano-hydroxyapatite is what early toothpastes used (thanks to Sangi’s pioneering work), there are some questions and concerns raised about nanoparticles being created in a lab. Especially potential absorption and long-term safety, including in children. Many brands point to how well nano-hydroxyapatite can penetrate into enamel for repairs. But are the unknown risks of nano-hydroxyapatite worth the remineralizing benefits?  We don't think so.

At Wellnesse, we choose natural micro-hydroxyapatite because it offers the biomimetic benefits (whitening, enamel strengthening, sensitivity relief) while remaining aligned with a caution-first wellness philosophy. Hydroxyapatite is an innovative alternative to fluoride toothpastes using a substance our body naturally has. Micro is just the gentler, more natural, yet still effective way to do it. 

How This Translates To Healthier Teeth

NASA’s original research and further exploration by Sakuma paved the way for the hydroxyapatite toothpastes we have today. So what does this mean for you?

Hydroxyapatite offers a great way to remineralize and repair enamel naturally. This leads to less sensitivity and whiter teeth.  While the initial research all began with nano-hydroxyapatite created in a NASA lab, there is another form of hydroxyapatite that is safe, natural, and effective. 

In all of the Wellnesse products, you will find only the natural version of micro-hydroxyapatite. It is effective at filling in the cracks in your enamel, whitening your teeth, and doesn't bring any of the questionable downsides of nano-hydroxyapatite.

Shop Wellnesse Micro-Hydroxyapatite Toothpaste

Sources:

1. Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS). (2023, March 23). Expert opinion

Hydroxyapatite (nano) Final Opinion. European Commission. 

2. Polyakova, M. et al. (2020). Qualitative and Quantitative Assessment of Remineralizing Effect of Prophylactic Toothpaste Promoting Brushite Formation: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Journal of International Society of Preventive & Community Dentistry, 10(3), 359–367. 

3. NASA. (2024, January 29). Semiconductor Research Leads to Revolution in Dental Care Crystals grown for space electronics lead to profusion of remineralizing toothpastes. NASA Spinoff.

4. DiCicco, M. (2024, March 5). Tech Today: Semiconductor Research Leads to Revolution in Dental Care. NASA.

5. Marquez, N. (2024, June 26). Hydroxyapatite Remineralizing Toothpaste. Space Foundation.

6. SANGI CO.,LTD. Japan (N.D.) MEDICAL HYDROXYAPATITE Our Pioneering Role.