Hydroxyapatite toothpaste

Hydroxyapatite toothpaste, chosen by our dentists: Biorepair Plus Sensitive Teeth with 24% microRepair® zinc-hydroxyapatite and Biorepair Plus Total Protection with 20%, according to Biorepair. Both are fluoride-free, 75 ml and £6.99, and both put the mineral your enamel is made of into every brush.

What hydroxyapatite does

Tooth enamel is roughly 96 to 97 per cent mineral by weight, and that mineral is mainly hydroxyapatite. That is why it is called biomimetic: rather than bringing a different chemistry to the tooth, the toothpaste supplies the material it is already built from. Biorepair's version, microRepair®, is hydroxyapatite with zinc in the crystal.

The evidence we chose it on

A 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis of 44 clinical trials (Limeback, Enax and Meyer) found that hydroxyapatite products reduced dentine sensitivity compared with placebo. For decay, randomised trials in adults and in children found a hydroxyapatite toothpaste no worse than a fluoride toothpaste at preventing early decay. Those trials used a different brand's formula, which is why we chose a maker that publishes its concentrations, and high ones.

Buyer's questions

Does hydroxyapatite toothpaste help sensitive teeth?

That is where the evidence is strongest, and it is why our dentists stock Sensitive Teeth at 24%. A twinge that lasts more than a few weeks deserves a dental check; for the everyday kind, our guide to fluoride-free toothpaste for sensitive teeth shows how to get the most from the tube, and Biorepair Plus Sensitive Teeth is £6.99, or less on Subscribe and Save.

Hydroxyapatite or fluoride?

Two routes to the same goal. Our hydroxyapatite vs fluoride guide reads the trials one by one, and is fluoride-free toothpaste effective? gives the short answer.

Which Biorepair Plus should I choose?

Sensitive Teeth (24%) if cold or sweet things make you wince; Total Protection (20%) for everyday care for the whole family. Biorepair Sensitive vs Total Protection compares them side by side.

Where can I read the full research?

Our hydroxyapatite toothpaste guide covers the trials, nano safety, children and how to switch, and toothpaste ingredients explained decodes the rest of the label.

Subscribe and save 10% on either tube, or get one with the Oral-B iO9 and a year of heads in the £180 Complete Care Bundle. Same-day dispatch before 4pm and free UK delivery over £50.