Alternatives to Fluoride Toothpaste for Teeth Cleaning

Fluoride can make teeth more resistant to tooth decay, inhibits bacteria growth, and can remineralize tooth structure. However, there have been some discussion whether fluoride can also cause bone loss, brain damage, reduced thyroid function, and bone cancer. If young children swallow much fluoride their adult teeth will be speckled white with deposits. Many parents choose to use a non fluoride toothpaste on their toddlers because of this. Fluoride toothpaste has been around since the 1950's and now more than 98% of all toothpastes have fluoride added to them in the final production. The pro's and con's of fluoride have been hotly debated, so a new way to treat teeth is certainly a welcome sign.

Researchers at Tulane University have found that an extract from the cocoa bean, which are used to make chocolate and chocolate flavored products, can indeed be more effective than the fluoride additive. This extract, theobromine, can harden tooth enamel and make it less permeable. Chocolate contains 0.5-2.7% theobromine. This reduction of tooth permeability is key in fighting tooth decay and cavities. Theobromine is now being studied as a fluoride alternative in hopes of having a tooth decay breakthrough. The next test of theobromine is to study its effects against the bacteria that are normally found in the human mouth. This test will show its effectiveness in "real world" condition of the mouth instead of the test lab where there are no bacteria. Depending on this study, a toothpaste additive of theobromine will not be far off. If all goes well in the research and development of the cocoa extract theobromine, then a toothpaste containing it could be on a shelf near you in as few as two years or so. It would mark the only real innovation in tooth decay products since 1914, and what a delicious innovation it would be.