UK-developed protective toothpaste available without fluoride

LONDON, UK: For individuals who want to protect their teeth, but do not wish to or cannot use fluoride, BioMin Technologies has recently launched a new toothpaste. Instead of fluoride ions, the BioMin C releases chloride ions through a patented calcium chloro-phosphosilicate to replace minerals lost from tooth surfaces, the company said.

According to BioMin, the new toothpaste was developed for use in regions of the world where fluoride is already available in high levels in the water supply, such as India and China. In addition to remineralising tooth surfaces, it may further help protect teeth by reducing sensitivity and diminishing the risk of initial dental caries.

“A large portion of what we eat and drink is either acidic or contains sugars that bacteria use to form acids,” said Prof. Robert Hill, Director and Chief Scientific Officer of BioMin Technologies and head of the Dental Physical Sciences unit at Queen Mary University of London. “These acids attack the tooth enamel and dissolve calcium and phosphate from the surface.”

“BioMin C works when water and saliva in the mouth help to slowly release the calcium and phosphate ions contained within the toothpaste. These ions then rapidly form the tooth mineral on the tooth surface, which effectively seals open dentine tubules,” he further explained.

BioMin C is a complement to the fluoride version of the toothpaste, which was launched to the market in April last year. CEO Richard Whatley said that the new version will capitalise on the established distribution network in the UK, parts of Europe and countries around the world, including India, China and Australia.

“Distribution contracts have also been established in the Middle East and Canada, and introduction is planned later this year in the USA. Negotiations with potential distributors and licence holders are on-going in ten further countries,” he said.

Developed at Queen Mary University of London, the BioMin technology received the Armourers and Brasiers’ Venture Prize in 2013, an annual award given to breakthrough innovations in materials science from the UK. A bioactive glass, it has been developed to adhere to tooth structure through a special polymer, from where it slowly dissolves into ions that form fluorapatite—a mineral also found in shark teeth—over an 8–12-hour period to make teeth more resistant to acids from food.