Improving Oral Health with Fluoride-Free Calcium-Phosphate-Based Biomimetic Toothpastes: An Update of the Clinical Evidence

Abstract

As the demand for clinically effective fluoride-free oral care products for consumers increases, it is important to document which types of toothpastes have been shown in clinical studies to be effective in improving oral health. In this review, we included different indications, i.e., caries prevention, improving periodontal health, reducing dentin hypersensitivity, protecting against dental erosion, and safely improving tooth whitening in defining what constitutes improvement in oral health. While there are several professional and consumer fluoride-containing formulations fortified with calcium-phosphate-based ingredients, this review focuses on fluoride-free toothpastes containing biomimetic calcium-phosphate-based molecules as the primary active ingredients. Several databases were searched, and only clinical trials in human subjects were included; in vitro and animal studies were excluded. There were 62 oral health clinical trials on biomimetic hydroxyapatite (HAP), 57 on casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP-ACP), 26 on calcium sodium phosphosilicate (CSPS, or so called Bioglass), and 2 on β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP). HAP formulations were tested the most in clinical trials for benefits in preventing caries, dentin hypersensitivity, improving periodontal health, and tooth whitening. Based on the current clinical evidence to date, fluoride-free HAP toothpaste formulations are the most versatile of the calcium phosphate active ingredients in toothpastes for improving oral health.

Keywords: Bioglass); beta-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP); calcium phosphate; calcium sodium phosphosilicate (CSPS; caries; casein phosphoprotein-amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP-ACP); erosion; fluoride-free; gingivitis; hydroxyapatite (HAP); periodontitis; toothpaste; whitening.

Figure 1

Summary of the search results showing numbers of publications from each database identified and the total records included after screening and exclusion of records.