Right this moment’s e-newsletter is extra technical than standard. In the event you love information, you’ll get pleasure from this deep dive—it exposes one of many largest myths in oral well being proper now.
For many who desire the plain-English model, right here’s a easy breakdown of what you’ll study:
- The “10% nano-hydroxyapatite” declare is a fable.
- A brand new peer-reviewed examine in contrast Fygg’s 3.1% nano-Hydroxyapatite formulation towards Boka, Risewell, Simply Substances, Dr. Jen, Crest Cavity Safety, and ClinPro 5000 (a prescription-strength 5000 ppm fluoride toothpaste).
- High quality of particles—not amount—makes the distinction.
- An excessive amount of nHA clumps, reduces enamel binding, and works much less successfully.
There’s a humorous factor that occurs on the planet of well being…
Somebody misreads the science, then turns that misinterpretation right into a advertising and marketing slogan, and earlier than you realize it, everybody’s treating it like gospel.
We’ve seen this film earlier than. Nina Teicholz’s The Large Fats Shock is a living proof: early misinterpretations of vitamin analysis—like blaming dietary fats for coronary heart illness—had been enshrined in official pointers and amplified by advertising and marketing.
That a long time‑lengthy detour into low‑fats recommendation fueled weight problems, diabetes, and coronary heart illness. An ideal instance of how unhealthy science interpretation killed lots of people.
On the earth of hydroxyapatite toothpastes, that slogan has turn out to be: “It needs to be 10% nano-hydroxyapatite—or it doesn’t work.” And it’s flat out improper.
Instagram influencers parroted the ten% factor like gospel. One model constructed its entire id round that quantity. Some even implied that in case your toothpaste didn’t hit that quantity, it wasn’t doing something in any respect.
For a break up second, I second‑guessed our formulation at Fygg. I requested colleagues and critics to point out me the research that supposedly proved the ten% declare. Again and again, the proof didn’t maintain up.
The deeper I appeared, and the extra I spoke to the biochemists and oral microbiome scientists, the extra insane the ten% declare seemed to be. As a result of for those who’ve spent sufficient time within the science—actually checked out how the oral microbiome works, how mineral particles behave within the mouth—you realize: extra isn’t all the time higher.
In truth, an excessive amount of nano-hydroxyapatite (nHA) can really work towards you.
Right here’s why I’m writing about this right now—due to a brand-new, peer-reviewed, Fygg-funded examine, we lastly have the info to point out precisely why that call was the fitting one.
Simply revealed within the Journal of Dentistry (2025), this in vitro examine examined eight main remineralizing toothpastes—together with fluoride, nano-HAP, micro-HAP, and sure, a well known “10% nano-HAP” model.
Direct from the examine: “The superior efficacy of Fygg over Dr. Jen and Risewell is probably going attributable to its enhanced physicochemical properties, slightly than merely the focus of lively substances. In distinction, relating to Boka, Fygg’s superior efficiency could primarily consequence from the upper focus of nanoXIM in its formulation.”
And it did that utilizing simply 3.1% nano-hydroxyapatite.
Much more placing: Fygg toothpaste carried out on par with prescription‑power fluoride toothpaste—the gold commonplace for remineralization, usually $20-27 and solely obtainable with a health care provider’s prescription.
How can that be?
Why Extra Isn’t Higher
You may’t simply preserve including extra and anticipate higher outcomes. In truth, an excessive amount of nHA can result in aggregation (it received’t dissolve so it begins clumping into large chunks)—which decreases how nicely it disperses throughout the enamel floor, reduces bioavailability, and as proved by the examine, reduces capacity to reverse cavities.
“Particle dimension and formulation design seem to play a pivotal function within the therapeutic end result… The superior efficacy of Fygg was doubtless resulting from its optimized particle morphology and decrease focus of nanoXIM.” (Journal of Dentistry, 2025)
I respect that quote and that is a part of our secret sauce, however there’s extra to the formulation than that—I can go into this in additional element in a future e-newsletter, if of us have an interest. We had been in search of the fitting focus of nano-Hydroxyapatite in saliva, for it to be saved in saliva earlier than it’s taken up by the tooth. Clumping or “clogging” the saliva doesn’t work nicely—it’s like including an excessive amount of salt to water and a few of it doesn’t dissolve.
NanoXIM is a proprietary mix of nHA engineered at simply the fitting dimension—smaller than 50nm, with a exact rod-shaped morphology—designed to imitate pure enamel.
Why the ten% Declare Is Flawed
The ten% quantity is predicated on a 2009 and 2011 examine from China when, again then, the scientific neighborhood had not but outlined the dimensions of “nano” and the uniformity and purity.
10% was the bottom threshold at which crude samples of nano-hydroxyapatite began to point out a measurable impact. However expertise has moved on. Particle morphology, floor cost, supply medium—all of that issues greater than brute focus. A lot of manufacturers on the market are utilizing micro-sized particles, and the uptake of micro is just not so good as nano.
Sadly in that crude pattern had been items of nano hydroxyapatite that don’t match the present SCCS pointers for security. (that’s a distinct argument however what they’re doing is doping the formulation, making it much less protected, when 2 and three% works simply superb IF it’s pure and top quality).
Fygg makes use of 20% NanoXIM paste, which accommodates 15.5% nHA, leading to a 3.1% whole lively nHA—and that was confirmed to be more practical than the total 10% in different pastes.
“HAP particles bigger than 1.3 μm have restricted adhesion to enamel, whereas these beneath this threshold exhibit robust floor binding… Standard micro-HAPs regularly include particles exceeding 5 µm, which present little to no efficient enamel adhesion.” (Journal of Dentistry, 2025)
Once I determined I wished to make a toothpaste, it was of utmost significance to me that if I used to be convincing dad and mom to go fluoride-free, the choice labored as nicely—if not higher. That meant working with chemists, researchers, and oral microbiome specialists to search out the precise ratio that will…
- Penetrate subsurface lesions for elevated depth of remineralization
- Keep away from aggregation (clumping of nHAp particles making them much less efficient and obtainable for remineralization)
- Respect the oral microbiome (the engine for remineralization)
And now, we lastly have a peer-reviewed examine to verify what chemists and scientists have recognized all alongside!
It’s straightforward to imagine that if one thing is sweet, extra have to be higher. However there’s all the time a candy spot in the case of metabolism and organic processes and programs—issues like pH stability, oxygen saturation within the blood, and numerous different finely tuned features. An excessive amount of and too little could be lethal in these two programs.
So, it’s not “what’s the correct amount for tooth” it’s “what’s the correct amount for saliva” in order that tooth can really seize it when wanted!
I’m proud Fygg led with science. And I’m grateful to the researchers who proved what we knew all alongside.
Right here’s to science, more healthy mouths, and fewer clumps in your toothpaste.
Dr. B
P.S. Know somebody who’s parroting the ten% fable? Ahead this to them — they by no means should miss one other e-newsletter in the event that they join future emails right here.