Davids Toothpaste Review By a Dentist

This is my review specifically for Davids sensitive+whitening nano-hydroxyapatite toothpaste.

It is well warranted since we’ve been using it in our household for the past year and it is the only toothpaste that my significant other uses. I’ve also gifted a few of them to friends and family over the past few months. In addition to that, I do recommend it to my patients whenever they ask me for toothpaste recommendations.

With the culmination of all of that, I feel that it is about time I give it an official review here at afterva. I will tell you all of my thoughts, feelings, and scientific facts about this product.

Hopefully that’ll help you in your decision about whether or not to purchase and use it.

Disclosure: I, Dr David Chen have no affiliation with davids toothpaste. I was researching hydroxyapatite toothpastes and decided to give this particular brand a try since we share the same name. (Come on, you would’ve totally done the same!) However, if you make a purchase after clicking one of our links, we may receive a commission.

Brief history of Davids toothpaste

Davids toothpaste was founded by Eric David Buss in 2015 but prior to that he was making water fountains. That’s right, he designed and welded his own water fountains along with his dad for many years.

It wasn’t until around 2011 when he looked at his toothpaste’s ingredients one night and didn’t really understand what any of it was. He did research into the ingredients and realized that a lot of the chemicals weren’t the best for his health.

Then he had this idea of, why not make his own? He figured out how to make water fountains, so surely he could figure out how to make his own toothpaste. He decided he was going to make it with all natural ingredients and have it made in the USA. That was how the story went.

Oh, he named it Davids, which was his middle name and not Erics, his first name because he thought it sounded better. It also gave off the impression of David vs Goliath since he was taking on the titans of the toothpaste industry!

Their commitment to sustainability

• Naturally sourced and derived ingredients
• EWG verified
• Hydroxyapatite for sensitivity & enamel repair
• Sodium lauryl sulfate free (No SLS)
• Fluoride free
• Vegan – plant and earth based
• No artificial flavors, sweeteners, colors, or preservatives
• No animal testing
• Proudly made in America
• Sustainable packaging
• Recyclable metal tube
• Family owned & operated

Unboxing

You can purchase this product from their website, amazon, or any other online distributor for about $11.95 for a 5.25 oz (149 g) tube. It arrives in a minimalistic white box but when you open it, you can see the toothpaste along with the metal tube key. There are even directions for the tube key to remind you how to use it.

The overall impression is that the toothpaste feels very premium since the entire tube is made of aluminum. It definitely has a very modern feel to it due to it being metal instead of plastic like other brands.

What I like about this packaging is that their toothpaste is actually suspended by the cardboard packaging. The tube isn’t simply rolling around in the box, it is being cradled inside of the packaging. The top has a hole that holds the cap while the bottom has a wedge which the bottom of the tube slides into.

All of this helps to prevent the product from moving around and being damaged during transport. In my opinion, it is a pretty nifty design which they definitely put a lot of thought into.

They deserve a round of applause.

Zero waste packaging

This product was designed with sustainability in mind because the entire packaging is zero waste. Yes, we do mean everything is recyclable.

• The box can be recycled with paper products.
• The metal tube is recyclable.
• The toothpaste tube is aluminum so it can be recycled as well.
• The cap is virgin-grade high density polyethylene with symbol #2 so it goes with the plastics.
• The metal key that is used to help dispense the toothpaste can be recycled but you can also return 20x keys to Davids in exchange for a free toothpaste.

The entire tube is made of aluminum but the interior is lined with a food grade non-BPA liner. That is to ensure none of your toothpaste is in contact with the metal.

How to exchange metal key for toothpaste

You may be wondering what to do with all these metal keys since you only need one. Davids has an exchange program where you can mail 20 keys back to them in exchange for a tube of toothpaste.

Instructions to exchange key for free toothpaste:

1. Mail it back to them in a cardboard box, do not use paper envelop as it may break.
2. You must send 20 metal keys back.
3. Lost shipments are your responsibility.

Attn: Tube Key Return

Davids Natural Toothpaste

40292 Rosewell Court

Temecula, CA 92591

Mailing address for Davids return program

What to do before you can start using it

Unlike most toothpastes, you can’t just unscrew the cap and start squeezing the tube to get the paste out. What you’ll find once you remove the cap is an aluminum metal seal. This seal helps to keep the product fresh and also serves as a tamper-proof indicator.

Before you can start using it, all you have to do is flip the cap over and puncture the seal with it. On the top of the plastic cap there is a pointy part that you can use to plunge it into the aluminum seal. Don’t forget to rinse off the top of the cap afterwards so there isn’t residual toothpaste on it.

After opening the seal, you can then slide the metal tube key unto the bottom of the toothpaste. This key helps you squeeze out every last drop of toothpaste so you get your money’s worth out of this product. It also contributes to sustainability since you’re literally using everything and leaving no waste behind.

Ingredients

There are a total of 15 ingredients in this toothpaste.

Remineralization agent:

• Nano-hydroxyapatite – Used to repair and protect your teeth. It will also decrease sensitivity as well as make your teeth appear whiter.

Whitening abrasives:

• Calcium carbonate – An abrasive used to whiten your teeth but also doubles up as a calcium supplement.
• Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) – Very mild abrasive for whitening.
• Hydrated silica – Teeth whitening abrasive.

For improving toothpaste texture and consistency:

• Vegetable glycerin – To prevent toothpaste from drying out but also sweetens it.
• Sodium cocoyl glutamate – A mild vegetable surfactant that makes the toothpaste foam.
• Carrageenan (seaweed derived) – Stabilizes and thickens the toothpaste to improve its consistency.

Flavoring agents:

• Cocos nucifera (coconut) oil
• Mentha piperita (peppermint oil)
• Mentha viridis (spearmint) leaf oil
• Pimpinella anisum (anise) seed extract
• Gaultheria procumbens (wintergreen) leaf oil
• Stevia (leaf extract) – Natural sweetener and sugar substitute.
• Xylitol (birch derived) – Natural sugar alcohol that also has cavity preventative effects.

Other ingredients:

• Purified water

What it’s like using Davids toothpaste

It definitely feels very “natural” when you’re using it since it doesn’t have any artificial or chemical ingredients. If you’ve only ever used the traditional big branded fluoride toothpastes, it’ll be a new experience for you.

Taste

The flavor for this product is natural peppermint and it indeed does taste like it. The mint isn’t as strong as some other other common products such as a breath mint. The mintiness is definitely a lot more mild.

Aside from that, it doesn’t really have any other flavor that I can detect. It is certainly palatable and not offensive by any means. I think even if you’re not a huge fan of mint flavored products, this one should still be acceptable to most people since it isn’t very strong in flavor.

Smell

Rather than plain minty, it smells very much like peppermint, almost like those white and red striped peppermint candies. The mint smell is not so strong that it would singe your nose hair but it has a sweeter smell to it like candy.

Mouth-feel

Since the toothpaste is SLS-free it doesn’t foam very much at all. In fact, you can even consider it non-foaming in my opinion.

A toothpaste with sodium lauryl sulfate, will usually foam a lot more and increase in volume as you keep brushing. You typically end up with more volume of toothpaste in your mouth than when you started. Sometimes it makes you feel like a rabid dog that is foaming at the mouth when using a SLS toothpaste.

You do not get that effect at all with davids toothpaste since it has no SLS. It has a very light mouth-feel with barely any foaming at all. It almost feels watery in a sense but the consistency doesn’t slump. You can turn the toothbrush with it upside down and it doesn’t slump off.

How your teeth feel afterwards

Mouth does feel clean afterwards but what we’ve noticed is that it feels less drying on the mouth. Perhaps that is due to the fact that there are no chemicals in it. SLS tends to be very drying and can even make canker sores worse. The advantage of this toothpaste is that it doesn’t have any SLS.

Also, brushing with this long term does seem to help reduce teeth sensitivity. That ice cold water will feel less discomforting as time goes by.

Benefits to using Davids sensitive+whitening nano-hydroxyapatite toothpaste

Despite the scientific sounding name, this particular toothpaste from davids is considered all natural. The nanohydroxyapatite (nHAP) may sound foreign but it is by no means alien to the human body.

Our bones and teeth are literally composed of hydroxyapatite (HAP) [Ca₁₀(PO₄)₆(OH)₂]. It is often referred to as bone mineral or tooth mineral. It is essentially composed of the minerals calcium and phosphates combined together.

• Bones consist of 60% HAP by weight.
• Enamel consists of 97% and dentin 70% HAP by weight.

The toothpaste isn’t made of ground up teeth but uses a synthetic nano sized version of hydroxyapatite. You can think of it as a synthetic enamel paste.

Anyway, the main point that we’re trying to get across is that this product is a remineralizing toothpaste because it contains nano-hydroxyapatite. All of its anti-cavity benefits along with a couple of other perks are derived from the inclusion of nHAP in its formulation.

We will be giving a brief overview of what nano-hydroxyapatite can do for your teeth. You should check out our comprehensive guide on nHAP if you want to learn more in depth.

Repairs teeth by reversing small cavities

Nano-hydroxyapatite can repair teeth and reverse small cavities by remineralizing demineralized tooth structure.

The first stage of tooth decay is demineralization, which is when the tooth loses minerals. Hydroxyapatite toothpastes can reverse the process via remineralization by adding minerals back into it. Essentially your enamel can be repaired if you simply brush with a hydroxyapatite-based toothpaste.

Since our teeth are literally made of hydroxyapatite, davids toothpaste which contains the nano version of it can repair the tooth directly. It does so by inserting itself directly into the parts of the tooth which are missing minerals. Schema shown below in pictogram.

Protects teeth

Nano-hydroxyapatite can protect your teeth from acidic challenges by forming a sacrificial barrier that also serves as a mineral reservoir.

Since HAP is the same substance as our enamel, it is highly biocompatible and will bond to it. Brushing with it will often form a synthetic layer of enamel that covers over and protects our teeth. You can also think of it as a sacrificial layer because when you eat sweets or acidic foods, it will be the first layer to dissolve.

The dissolution of this protective layer will leave the enamel underneath unscathed. What also occurs is that when the synthetic layer dissolves, it releases the minerals calcium and phosphates.

• These minerals can be used to remineralize your teeth.
• The phosphate can also act as a buffer by decreasing the acidity in your mouth. Studies have shown that phosphate is one of the buffering systems in the mouth.

Due to the release of calcium and phosphates, you can also think of this protective layer as a reservoir for minerals. It serves a dual purpose and both of them provide a wondrous effect for our teeth.

Decreases teeth sensitivity

Toothpastes with nHAP can reduce teeth sensitivity by occluding open dentinal tubules. That’s how hydroxyapatite in sensitive toothpaste works.

Individuals with chronic dentin hypersensitivity often have wide open tubule orifices or enlarged ones. This is in contrast to people without any sensitivity, who have natural smear plugs which block all of the orifices.

When there are no smear plugs and the tubules are open, you’ll have a propensity towards being sensitive. External stimuli can enter into the tubules and either interact with the nerve or components within it. The ultimate result is pain or discomfort.

How the nano-hydroxyapatite works in reducing the symptoms is by inserting itself into all of the tubules. Brushing with it over time will eventually occlude nearly all of the tubules, thus effectively blocking stimuli.

In case you were curious about its desensitizing efficacy, studies have shown that using it can reduce teeth whitening sensitivity. The study compared whitening with HAP and without it. Of course the one that used hydroxyapatite had reduced sensitivity. Therefore if you have sensitive teeth, perhaps you should consider switching to this toothpaste.

Reduces plaque

Studies have shown that hydroxyapatite can reduce plaque formation on the enamel surfaces.

It acts as more of an anti-adhesive rather than an antibacterial in decreasing plaque. That means that it does not “kill” the bacteria but merely prevents them from adhering to the enamel.

The two mechanisms via how it controls plaque:

• The hydroxyapatite can directly bind to the bacteria.
• It binds to the enamel pellicle receptors, which prevents bacteria from binding to it.

Essentially it binds to all of the available receptors on the enamel so that the bacteria have nowhere to bind to. Then it also binds to bacteria and clumps them up together, thus immobilizing them.

Makes your teeth appear whiter

This toothpaste won’t whiten your teeth in the traditional sense but it can make them appear whiter.

How nanohydroxyapatite makes your teeth appear whiter is by turning the surface smoother and glossier. This has to do with how it remineralizes your teeth by inserting itself into demineralized regions.

Since it fills in all of the voids, it makes the tooth smoother which is why a lot of patients reported a “smoothness” feeling from using it. The hydroxyapatite is naturally whitish in color so you essentially see a layer of whiteness over your teeth.

Safe to use

Most importantly, hydroxyapatite based toothpastes are very safe to use with practically very little side effects. It is highly biocompatible and biomimetic since it is identical to what our teeth and bones are made of.

In fact, nothing bad happens if you happen to swallow it because it simply dissolves into calcium and phosphate. If you ingest it, the stomach acids will break it down.

• Ca₁₀(PO₄)₆(OH)₂ + 8 H⁺ → 10 Ca²⁺ + 6 HPO₄^2- + 2 H₂O

Since calcium and phosphate are essential minerals, our bodies will reabsorb them to be used elsewhere once it reaches the intestines. As a matter of fact, there are many people who take calcium hydroxyapatite as a form of calcium supplement.

In other words, if you happen to swallow it you can think of it as taking a calcium supplement. Not that we’re advocating that you eat the toothpaste, we’re saying if an accident happens you don’t have to worry.

Aside from that studies have found that hydroxyapatite cannot possess immunotropic or allergenic characteristics. Therefore you can’t be allergic to it.

Is Davids toothpaste a valid alternative to fluoride?

Davids toothpaste with hydroxyapatite is a valid fluoride alternative because it possesses many of the same anti-cavity benefits. In fact, it is the only type of natural toothpaste which can protect your teeth from tooth decay. All of the other natural ones such as xylitol, charcoal, herbal and etc do not have these benefits.

The hydroxyapatite will enhance remineralization and inhibition demineralization just like fluoride. The only thing that HAP can’t do is strengthen the teeth by converting hydroxyapatite to fluorapatite. That is a unique characteristic that fluoride possesses.

Nonetheless, the remineralization efficacy for both toothpastes have been shown by studies to be roughly equivalent. The conclusion was that HAP was non-inferior in regards to reversing cavities. Therefore nano-hydroxyapatite toothpastes are a valid alternative to fluoridated toothpastes.

The Verdict

Overall, I’m pretty happy with this toothpaste and will continue to use it. There are so many wonderful benefits to using it with barely any disadvantages. Well, if there was one downside it would be that the toothpaste costs more than traditional fluoridated ones. Aside from the cost, there is really nothing to dislike about it!

If you were considering purchasing this, we think you should definitely give it a try! It is currently my favorite toothpaste and I plan to continue using it as my primary toothpaste for the foreseeable future.

And that concludes Davids toothpaste dentist review.