The Missing Factor: To Remineralize Your Teeth With Hydroxyapatite Toothpaste, Quality Matters

The Missing Factor: To Remineralize Your Teeth With Hydroyxapatite Toothpaste, Quality Matters

So far in this 3-part series about finding the best hydroxyapatite to remineralize tooth decay, we’ve covered the significance of the hydroxyapatite’s particle size and quantity.

In our first article, Nano or No-No? Hydroxyapatite Particle Size Matters, we explored some research on the benefits and safety risks of nano- vs. micro-sized hydroxyapatite. We also explained why we chose to steer clear of nanoparticles in our formulas.

In our second article, Why the Quantity of Hydroxyapatite in Toothpaste Matters for Remineralizing Cavities, we highlighted how the amount of functional ingredients in an oral hygiene product directly impacts its ability to create positive change for the user.

In today’s article, we’re going to share why the quality of hydroxyapatite in oral hygiene products is so important for preventing cavities as well as stopping, and even possibly reversing tooth decay.

Let’s start by establishing an understanding of the main sources of hydroxyapatite, and figuring out which one includes natural cofactors that can help boost the hydroxyapatite’s remineralization potential.

How is hydroxyapatite sourced (where does it come from)?

Hydroxyapatite (HA) is a relatively new ingredient in oral hygiene products, and right now, there are three main sources for it.

Nano-sized hydroxyapatite (nano-HA) is synthetically produced in a lab. There are various methods for producing it, and the end result is hydroxyapatite that’s in a super teeny tiny (nano) particle size. This is currently the most common form of HA that companies are using in oral hygiene products.

Thankfully, for anyone who is trying to avoid the potential risks of nanoparticles, with some research, it is possible to find non-nano hydroxyapatite products (aka micro-hydroxyapatite products, like ours!).

Micro-HA can be lab-synthesized or naturally sourced.

The second most popular form of HA in oral hygiene products right now is lab-synthesized micro-HA. To make it, one common manufacturing method starts with a kind of chalk called calcium carbonate (derived from mollusk shells or from a mined source, like limestone). Scientists expose the calcium carbonate to phosphoric acid, producing a chemical reaction that creates a calcium carbonate core that’s surrounded by hydroxyapatite.

Naturally sourced micro-HA (MCHA) is produced by nature and prepared by humans, and it’s the least common form of HA found in oral hygiene products. It starts with bones from cattle, fish, or chickens. (Side note: bones are made of proteins (like collagen), trace elements, water, and minerals like–you guessed it–hydroxyapatite. Although we mentioned hydroxyapatite last in that list for a dramatic effect, HA is actually the main component of bones, providing structural support to keep them strong.)

To convert the cattle, fish, or chicken bones into HA that can be used in products, companies dry and pulverize them into various particle sizes based on the intended application. This is the primary type of HA (to be more specific, from cattle bones) that we prefer to use in our products. Here’s why…

Why we prefer cattle-bone-based hydroxyapatite…

In 2016, we launched our OraWellness Shine Remineralizing Tooth Whitening Powder, which introduced hydroxyapatite into the US oral hygiene product market. Up until then, the only hydroxyapatite oral hygiene products we found were coming out of Japan, and they were using nano-HA.

At that time, we’d been searching and praying for a solution to help our community stop tooth decay and protect against future cavities. We learned about hydroxyapatite’s great remineralization potential, decided we wanted to go with a non-nano, bone-based option for our remineralization products, and chose to avoid any option derived from CAFO (concentrated animal feed operations) cattle. We were thrilled when we found a high quality, super clean form of hydroxyapatite from grass-fed and finished cattle living on the green pastures of New Zealand. That’s what we used in Shine (and later, in our other Paleo remineralizing formulas, too).

We feel it’s the highest quality HA because it’s in the most natural, wholesome state, as nature intended (which, as you’ll see, comes with some additional advantages over lab-created HA).

Since Shine’s launch, thousands of people around the world have successfully used it to improve their oral health and reduce cavities. (To read some of the inspiring stories, feel free to check out our customers’ stories in the Shine Testimonials section of our site, as well as the star reviews on Shine’s product page.)

We thought those great results were simply because we’d chosen a grass-fed, cattle-bone-based MCHA. While that certainly plays a part in our MCHA’s success, over the years, we discovered that we were very fortunate with the specific cattle-bone-based MCHA that we chose (which is why, years later when we were formulating our OraWellness Smile Hydroxyapatite Toothpaste, we used this exact same MCHA in the paste’s Paleo formulas). This MCHA has the potential to provide extra remineralization benefits, thanks to our supplier’s special production methods…

We’ll explore why our supplier’s production process is so beneficial in a moment, but first, let’s set the stage for that discussion by taking a small detour to talk about proteins, peptides, and amino acids.

Proteins, peptides, and amino acids (oh my!)

Proteins and peptides are made of the same material: amino acids. The difference between proteins and peptides is the length of their amino acid chains. A chemist friend (and great teacher!) once explained it to us this way…

Amino acids are the building blocks that make up peptides, and peptides are the building blocks that make up proteins. If you imagine an amino acid is the size of a small car, peptides would be the size of a bus, and proteins would be the size of a train.

For those of you who keep an eye on emerging information in the health and wellness sphere, you’ve probably been hearing plenty about the amazing health benefits that some peptides can provide. We’ve found this ‘car/bus/train’ analogy helpful when reviewing the benefits of this emerging field of peptides.

Now let’s circle back to the topic of our MCHA to see why this information is relevant to today’s article…

Why our MCHA mineral/protein complex is unique in oral hygiene products…

As we shared above, most hydroxyapatite used in oral hygiene products is produced in a lab, regardless of whether it’s nano- or micro-sized particles.

It’s a lot less common for oral hygiene product companies to use naturally sourced, animal-bone-based hydroxyapatite in their formulas, maybe in part because there are only a handful of HA suppliers that produce it. And among that handful of suppliers, the methods they use to process their HA makes all the difference. What makes our MCHA mineral/protein complex unique in the cattle-bone-based HA market is the special process that our production team uses to clean and dry the cattle bone.

Most naturally sourced hydroxyapatite is dried using a process called ‘ashing’. Ashing uses very high heat to remove any organic materials (including proteins), leaving behind only the hydroxyapatite mineral.

Our MCHA production team does not follow this typical process. Instead, they use a temperature that’s high enough to fully dry the bones, but not so high that it ashes them. Why is this so important for stopping cavities? Because it creates an end product that contains both the bone minerals (hydroxyapatite) AND the proteins.

That’s why in the list of ingredients for our Paleo remineralizing products, to help differentiate our MCHA from any others on the market, we refer to it as “microcrystalline hydroxyapatite mineral/protein complex” or “MCHA mineral/protein complex.”

(Side note: While we tend to use the term ‘protein’ to describe the material in our MCHA mineral/protein complex, some of the proteins are so short that one could consider them peptides.)

And as it turns out, the proteins are important when it comes to preventing or reversing cavities…

So what’s so special about this MCHA mineral/protein complex?

Our teeth are made of hydroxyapatite crystals and proteins. Cattle bone is made of the exact same minerals and proteins as our teeth, and the mineral/protein ratios are very similar, too. That shouldn’t surprise any of us, as our teeth are simply bony tissue.

The mineral-to-protein ratio differs in each layer of our teeth. For example, enamel is around 95% HA with 5% protein, and dentin is approximately 70% HA with 30% protein.

The ratio for our MCHA mineral/protein complex comes in right between our tooth ratios, with 75% HA and 25% protein.

But what kind of proteins are we talking about, exactly?

Why the types of proteins in our MCHA matter…

Our MCHA mineral/protein complex includes the following beneficial proteins:

  • Type 1 collagen (peptides)
  • Growth factors including IGF1 & 2 and Transforming Growth Factor (TGF1)
  • Bone morphogenetic protein
  • Glycosaminoglycans, including chondroitin sulfate
  • Osteocalcin

Let’s take a quick tour of the benefits of these proteins.

Type 1 collagen – a critical structural element of bone that provides tensile strength. Studies (1, 2, 3) have shown that supplementing with hydrolyzed type 1 collagen can stimulate bone-forming cells (osteoblasts).

Growth factors like IGF 1 & 2 – growth factors play a significant role in the maintenance of bone tissue. In one study, researchers pointed out that bone contains the most complex spectrum of polypeptide (protein) growth factors of any tissue that’s been researched. Research suggests that these growth factors that are naturally present in bone “. . . may act locally to modulate bone formation by stimulating osteoblast formation and activity.” Osteoblasts are bone cells that promote growth and heal existing bone tissue.

IGF-1 is a natural hormone for bone formation that stimulates bone-regenerating osteoblast cells while decreasing the activity of osteoclasts (a type of bone cell responsible for degrading bone tissue to remodel bone and redistribute minerals in the body). (4)

Transforming Growth Factor (TGF) – research suggests (5, 6, 7) that TGF is a major regulator of bone metabolism.

Glycosaminoglycans, including chondroitin – not officially a protein, but it is found within the collagen mesh of bone. Research has demonstrated that chondroitin sulphate (one of the compounds in glycosaminoglycans) has bone-building properties.

Osteocalcin – ‘the conductor.’ This protein is responsible for binding calcium to bone and helping to regulate the alignment of hydroxyapatite crystals. Those of you who have been reading our material for a while might recall our discussion about the importance of osteocalcin in our articles centered around vitamin K2. If you’d like a refresher, check out our articles, An easy step toward stopping tooth decay and What TO eat to support greater oral health.

This is precisely why including proteins with hydroxyapatite enhances remineralization potential.

The way we view this is that the proteins in our MCHA mineral/protein complex help maintain an environment that encourages healthy bone structure by ‘guiding’ the minerals to be optimally deposited right where they’re needed in teeth.

Why is this protein complex not present in other HA sources?

Well, if the HA is produced in a lab, it’s just the HA minerals. But what about other sources of naturally formed HA from animal bone? Do they contain the proteins?

Unfortunately, most don’t.

You see, most companies that produce HA use that high heat ashing process that we mentioned earlier. Why? Because it speeds up their production capabilities. However, this burns off the proteins in bone tissue. And while the resulting HA product has a higher calcium and phosphorus content, research shows that ashed HA is not as effective for bone support.

How does our mineral/protein complex stack up when compared to other hydroxyapatites or calcium carbonate?

Research pretty convincingly shows that an MCHA mineral/protein complex (which the study refers to as ‘ossein-hydroxyapatite’) significantly outperforms both ashed HA and calcium carbonate. Here’s what they had to say (note: the “In conclusion . . .” part of the quote is only visible in the full study, not in the abstract):

“These results indicate that ossein-hydroxyapatite compound has a beneficial effect on the process of bone healing but that this effect is lost if the organic components of the compound are destroyed or if pure calcium carbonate treatment is substituted. This strongly suggests that organic components of ossein-hydroxyapatite compound have osteogenic effects, enhancing the utilization of the mineral intake . . .

In conclusion, these results have demonstrated that components of ossein-hydroxyapatite compound have osteogenic potential which enhances the utilization of the mineral components. Ossein-hydroxyapatite compound, therefore, should not be regarded as a simple mineral supplement but, rather, as an agent with specific, sophisticated and perhaps unique properties in relation to the treatment of various bone diseases.”

How exactly do these proteins support remineralization?

To get an understanding of how these proteins help support greater remineralization, we need to step back for a moment and discuss plaque.

Most of us have been taught that ‘all plaque in the mouth is bad’, but this isn’t true.

In fact, it’s not possible for us to keep our teeth free of plaque. And even if it were possible, it wouldn’t be good for our teeth because, like we discussed in this article, plaque actually protects our teeth from acids in the foods and drinks that we consume.

To maintain great oral health, one of the important puzzle pieces is to maintain a thin biofilm on our teeth. Thin plaque supports probiotic, health-giving microbial species. However, if we allow the biofilm (plaque) to thicken, the colonies of microbes living within it shift to disease-provoking microbes that cause chronic inflammation in the mouth and body.

When we remove the biofilm via consistent, daily oral hygiene activities like brushing and flossing, within minutes, the oral microbiome begins to rebuild the biofilm to protect our teeth. The initial phase of the biofilm is called the ‘pellicle’ and it’s made of proteins.

It turns out that these proteins self-assemble into a matrix on the surface of our teeth, and they have a negative charge, which attracts hydroxyapatite.

As long as there are enough minerals available to remineralize teeth, this matrix serves as the scaffolding onto which hydroxyapatite mineral crystals arrange themselves. This process of the protein matrix providing a specific site for the HA crystal structure to begin to assemble is called ‘nucleation’, and the proteins are called ‘nucleators.’

One study states, “Nucleators act to bring together constituent mineral ions from the surrounding disorganised ionic mileu within the tissue fluids into a highly ordered crystal lattice structure by stabilising critical nucleii to permit crystal growth.”

This organization from random minerals to a highly ordered crystal lattice structure is what we mean by ‘guiding’ the remineralization process.

And, scientific studies strongly suggest that the proteins in cattle bone in particular help guide the hydroxyapatite molecules right where they’re most needed to support regeneration of bony tissue.

Rather than just exposing mineral-rich materials to our teeth, the non-ashed, cattle-bone-based MCHA in OraWellness’ Paleo remineralizing products provides the minerals and the proteins that teeth need so the body can initiate real repair.

This is how customer Tara from Canada was able to reverse 10 out of 11 cavities (all but the deepest) that her dentist wanted to drill and fill.

In Tara’s story, after using OraWellness Shine for a few months, she went back to the same dentist, and the hygienist asked her what dental office she had gone to to get her cavities filled. When Tara explained that she had simply been using our products, the hygienist was stunned. You can read Tara’s full story in her own words here.

How we addressed this for our OraWellness Smile Toothpaste Vegan formulas…

Over the years, many members of our community have requested vegan-friendly remineralization products.

This has been a challenge for us, since we’ve been using our specially processed cattle-bone-based MCHA mineral/protein complex to support remineralization.

After lots of research, our wonderful product developers found a lab-synthesized, vegan, micro-hydroxyapatite option that’s produced by exposing calcium carbonate (derived from limestone) to phosphoric acid.

That gave us the calcium carbonate core that’s surrounded by HA. This is the type of vegan-friendly MCHA we used on our Fantastic Floss.

As we continued to develop more vegan remineralization products, our next task was to find a substitute for the protein component that’s inherent in our cattle-bone-based MCHA mineral/protein complex.

To mimic the protein component, we included organic pea protein in our subsequent Vegan remineralizing formulas.

For full transparency, we don’t know for sure whether the pea protein is going to have the same powerful functionality as the naturally occurring proteins in our OraWellness Smile Hydroxyapatite Toothpaste Paleo formulas’ cattle-bone-based MCHA complex (because after all, nature tends to include everything we need in one convenient package, and it’s difficult for human formulators to accurately imitate that). However, even if the organic pea protein doesn’t provide the same amazing remineralization boost as the bone-based HA complex, the combination of vegan hydroxyapatite and non-GMO xylitol alone still provides excellent support.

Hydroxyapatite + proteins = enhanced remineralization

The bottom line is that the quality of the hydroxyapatite in our oral hygiene products matters.

With the right option, we can provide our teeth the exact same materials that they’re made of: minerals and proteins.

By choosing products with the right quality of hydroxyapatite (and proteins!), in the right quantity, and in the right particle size, we can empower ourselves on our journeys to greater oral health, and create strong, healthy, and happy smiles.

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