Two tubes, one brand, one price, and names that don't quite tell you the difference. If you've been hovering between Biorepair Plus Sensitive Teeth and Biorepair Plus Total Protection, here's the short version from the dentists who chose both for our shop: they share the same fluoride-free hydroxyapatite technology, Sensitive Teeth carries more of it, and the right one comes down to a single question. Do cold things make you wince?
What they share
Both are built on microRepair®, Biorepair's zinc-substituted carbonate hydroxyapatite. Hydroxyapatite is the mineral that makes up 96 to 97 per cent of your enamel by weight, so brushing with it puts back the material your teeth are made of rather than a substitute chemistry. That's what "biomimetic" means.
Biorepair describes the particles depositing an enamel-like layer of calcium and phosphate on the tooth surface, binding to microscopic irregularities and helping early mineral loss to remineralise. With twice-daily use, it says, they form a temporary coating over micro-scratches, and it is refreshingly clear that this covers micro-scratches, not cavities or chips. Both tubes are fluoride-free, both come in 75 ml at £6.99, and both are everyday toothpastes rather than a course you finish.
The differences at a glance
| Plus Sensitive Teeth | Plus Total Protection | |
|---|---|---|
| microRepair® (Biorepair figure) | 240 mg/g (24%) | 200 mg/g (20%) |
| Made for | Sensitive teeth | Everyday care |
| Best for | Cold-triggered twinges, exposed roots, receding gums | Daily fluoride-free brushing for the whole family |
| Fluoride | None | None |
| Size and price | 75 ml, £6.99 | 75 ml, £6.99 |
| Subscribe and Save 10% | £6.29, every 4 or 8 weeks | £6.29, every 4 or 8 weeks |
| Complete Care Bundle | Sensitive Teeth bundle, £180 | Total Protection bundle, £180 |
Twenty-four per cent against twenty is the headline, and both are high in a market where plenty of "hydroxyapatite" toothpastes don't state a figure at all. You're choosing between high and slightly higher, not between real and token.
Why Sensitive Teeth exists
Sensitivity happens when dentine loses its cover, through receding gums, worn enamel, heavy brushing or grinding, and the microscopic channels running through it carry cold and sweetness to the nerve. Hydroxyapatite particles gather over those channels. A 2023 meta-analysis of 44 clinical trials found hydroxyapatite reduced sensitivity significantly more than placebo and more than fluoride, and Biorepair Plus features in it: in an eight-week double-blind trial it cut air-blast sensitivity scores by 46%, against 29% for a potassium nitrate and fluoride sensitivity toothpaste. Biorepair also reports relief in 30 seconds on average, from its own study of 100 people.
That trial used a 30% version of Biorepair's ingredient and results vary between people, but it is a solid record for a £6.99 tube.
Why Total Protection exists
Total Protection is the everyday tube. If nothing makes you wince, you don't need a sensitivity formula, and 20% microRepair® is still a substantial dose of the same ingredient, working the same way on the enamel surface. It's the tube we point most people to when they simply want a fluoride-free toothpaste with something real in it, and the one families ask us for: Biorepair states that, with no fluoride in the tube, children under six can use its toothpaste without adult supervision.
How to choose in one minute
Choose Sensitive Teeth if
- cold drinks, cold air or ice cream make you wince
- you've been told you have receding gums or exposed roots
- you know you brush firmly, or you grind or clench
- you can't decide: it's the same price, so the higher concentration is a safe default
Choose Total Protection if
- you have no particular sensitivity and want everyday fluoride-free care
- you're buying one tube for the whole family, children included
Because the price is identical, there's no penalty for starting with one and moving to the other, and plenty of households keep one of each.
Getting the most from either tube
Spit, don't rinse, so the paste stays on your teeth. Brush for two minutes, twice a day, every day: remineralisation is cumulative, and a good toothpaste used now and then loses to an adequate one used properly. And ease off the pressure. Hard brushing causes much of the wear behind sensitivity, and most people can't judge their own pressure, which is what the Oral-B iO9's pressure sensor is for.
Common questions
Can I use both?
Yes. Some people use Sensitive Teeth at night and Total Protection in the morning; it's the same technology at two strengths. If you're managing sensitivity, though, one formula used consistently for six to eight weeks gives you the clearest answer.
Can children use them?
Yes. Biorepair states that, with no fluoride in the tube, children under six can use its toothpaste without adult supervision, and Total Protection is the everyday tube we suggest for families. You'll still want to supervise the brushing itself until about seven, but that's about technique rather than toothpaste. NHS advice for children is built around fluoride toothpaste at a strength set by age.
Will either whiten my teeth?
We don't make whitening claims for either. Any toothpaste lifts some surface staining through ordinary cleaning, which isn't the same as changing the shade of the tooth itself.
Is microRepair® nano-hydroxyapatite?
Not quite. Biorepair says it adds clusters about 5 to 10 micrometres across, each built from nano-crystals of roughly 20 to 50 nanometres, and that the clusters stay intact while you brush. "Nano" describes particle size rather than a different mineral, and the concentration tells you more than the prefix.
How long does a tube last?
For one adult using a pea-sized amount twice a day, usually four to six weeks. If you'd rather not think about it, Subscribe and Save 10% brings either tube to £6.29, delivered every four or eight weeks, and you can pause or cancel.
What about the rest of the ingredients?
The panel on the pack is the one to trust, because manufacturers update their formulas. If you're avoiding a particular ingredient, email us before you order and we'll read the panel on a current tube for you.
Pick your tube
If cold makes you flinch, start with Biorepair Plus Sensitive Teeth. If you just want good fluoride-free daily care, choose Biorepair Plus Total Protection. Both are £6.99 in our hydroxyapatite toothpaste and fluoride-free toothpaste collections, and each has its own £180 Complete Care Bundle with the Oral-B iO9 and four iO Ultimate Clean heads, £11.98 less than buying the three separately. Everything we sell is chosen by practising dentists, orders placed before 4pm leave the same day, UK delivery is free over £50, unopened items can be returned within 30 days, and a question to hello@onyx-dental.co.uk gets a reply from one of our dentists.
Sources
- Biorepair: microRepair® concentrations, particle size, enamel care and use by children under six
- Limeback, Enax and Meyer: meta-analysis of 44 trials on sensitivity, Biomimetics (2023)
- Orsini and colleagues: eight-week trial of a zinc-carbonate hydroxyapatite toothpaste, Journal of Clinical Periodontology (2010)
- Xu and colleagues: materials for enamel remineralisation, Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology (2022)
- NHS: taking care of children's teeth