The Keratin Toothpaste That Rebuilds Enamel

“When it’s gone, it’s gone” is the common belief when it comes to tooth enamel. Nevertheless, there are such things as hydroxyapatite toothpaste which is not only as pathogen-killing as fluoride, but also has the added bonus of being based on one of the main minerals our teeth are made of (hydroxyapatite is a calcium phosphate compound), so it does aid in rebuilding,

There are pros and cons to both, by the way: Fluoride Toothpaste vs Non-Fluoride Toothpaste – Which is Healthier? ← with interesting numbers on the toxicity of each!

In that comparison (we compared fluoride to hydroxyapatite) we picked the fluoride on the basis of “they both do the job equally well, and they’re both very safe, but technically everything has a toxicity level, and fluoride’s is the relatively safest of these two very safe products”.

However, that’s assuming for the general job of “keeping teeth healthy”. If your teeth need remineralizing, hydroxyapatite will better promote that.

For more details, see: Tooth Remineralization: How To Heal Your Teeth Naturally

So, what’s this about keratin?

As you may be aware, keratin is a protein that can be used to make everything from your eyelashes to the horn of a rhinoceros to the wool of a lamb. Also, less usefully, sebaceous cysts, which (despite the name) or not filled with sebum, but keratin. See: How To Get Rid Of A Sebaceous Cyst

Researchers (Dr. Sara Gamea et al.) have discovered that when combined with calcium and phosphate from saliva (or, indeed, from hydroxyapatite), keratin self-organizes into a crystal-like framework that mimics natural enamel, gradually forming a dense, mineralized barrier over tooth surfaces.

And, which will be a huge relief to many, the keratin layer blocks nerve channels responsible for pain, protects against acid erosion, and prevents further enamel loss, offering both immediate comfort and long-term defense.

You can read the paper in full here: Biomimetic Mineralization of Keratin Scaffolds for Enamel Regeneration

While it’s not on the shelves just yet (discoveries do not leap straight from laboratories to supermarkets), Dr. Gamea and her team expect that the material could appear in consumer toothpaste or dentist-applied gels (like nail varnish) within a few years.

Why a few years? Because that’s how science and industry works: a discovery is made, and while that study is peer-reviewed, the important thing then is for others to also test it and see if they get the same results. So, that’ll require teams of scientists to beg on their hands and knees apply for grant money (often tied to the academic year), perform the studies (which will typically take months), get their work published (they hope), and finally get a commercial interest to take it up and mass produce it, and then a distributor to distribute it, and a retailer to retail it, all with contract negotiations in between each step.

So, while you’re waiting…

Want to learn more?

You might also like to read our own three-part series on dental health:

• Toothpastes & Mouthwashes: Which Help And Which Harm?
• Flossing Without Flossing?
• Less Common Oral Hygiene Options ← we recommend the miswak! Not only does it clean the teeth as well as or better than traditional brushing, but also it changes the composition of saliva to improve the oral microbiome, effectively turning your saliva into a biological mouthwash that kills unwanted microbes and is comfortable for the ones that should be there.

Take care!