I’ll be doing a comparison between the Sensodyne Pronamel Intensive Enamel Repair toothpaste vs the Sensodyne Pronamel Mineral Boost toothpaste.
Why trust me: I have tested and reviewed both of these products already but if that isn’t enough, I’m also a dentist.
The comparison will be about their technical specifications and their stated benefits. Last but not least, I’ll give you the verdict on which one is the better toothpaste once and for all.
The answer is pretty clear…
Below is a table comparing the technical specifications of both toothpastes.
| Specifications | Intensive Enamel Repair | Mineral Boost |
|---|---|---|
| Featured benefits | Enamel Repair Anti-sensitivity | Enamel Repair Anti-sensitivity |
| Active ingredients | Sodium Fluoride 0.25% Potassium Nitrate 5% | Sodium Fluoride 0.25% Potassium Nitrate 5% |
| Similar inactive ingredients | Glycerin, Hydrated Silica, Sorbitol, Titanium Dioxide, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Saccharin, Water, Xanthan Gum | Glycerin, Hydrated Silica, Sorbitol, Titanium Dioxide, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Sodium Saccharin, Water, Xanthan Gum |
| Unique inactive ingredients | PEG-8, Sodium Lactate, PVM/MA Copolymer, Sodium Hydroxide | None |
| Size | 3.4 oz (96.4g) | 4 oz (113g) |
| Dispensing mechanism | Squeezable plastic tube | Squeezable plastic tube |
| Cap design | Concave Textured | Concave Textured |
| Cost | $$ | $ |
In case the table isn’t quite making the differences and similarities clear enough, I’ll describe them individually below.
Similarities
List of similarities between the two toothpastes:
- Featured benefits. They’re designed to reduce teeth sensitivity as well as repair/protect the enamel.
- Active ingredients. Absolutely identical 100%.
- Inactive ingredients. The intensive enamel repair has every ingredient that the mineral boost has.
- Dispensing mechanism. They use a squeezable plastic tube for dispensing.
- Cap design. The shape, texture, and size of the tube caps are different.
Differences
List of differences between the two toothpastes:
- Unique inactive ingredients. The intensive enamel repair has 4 additional ingredients.
- Size. One is 3.4 oz while the other one is 4 oz.
- Cost. They’re both priced the same but since the Mineral boost is larger net weight wise, it is technically less expensive per ounce.
What each toothpaste does
Both of these dentifrices are made by Sensodyne and they are a part of the “Pronamel” line of products. This subdivision of products are focused on enamel protection above all else but they will still desensitize the teeth.
Main stated benefit of each toothpaste:
- Intensive Enamel Repair – Repairs weakened enamel.
- Mineral Boost – Replenishes vital minerals.
From the sound of it, they’re both protective and reparative in nature. Although to the average consumer, they probably have no idea what those two statements even mean for them.
That is why I will explain how they do what they allege they do.
How the Pronamel Intensive Enamel Repair Works
This toothpaste alleges that it can intensively repair your enamel. You may be surprised but it can in fact do that because of four reasons.
How it intensively repairs enamel:
- Fluoride. Weakened enamel will more readily take in fluoride which initiates the repair process. Without it, teeth are slower to repair.
- Sodium Lactate. Improves fluoride uptake and increases acid resistance.
- PVM/MA Copolymer. A bioadhesive which helps fluoride stick to teeth so that it has a longer contact/working time.
- SLS-free. Sodium lauryl sulfate will interfere with fluoride uptake by decreasing its bioavailability in the mouth. That means less free F– ions.
In summary, it is due to a combination of all four of these ingredients or lack of in its formulation that it can repair weakened enamel. Most of these inactive ingredients boost the efficacy of fluoride by supercharging its repair effect.
How the Pronamel Mineral Boost Works
This toothpaste alleges that it can replenish vital minerals for your teeth. As a matter of fact, it can make that claim because of two reasons.
How it replenishes vital enamel minerals:
- Fluoride. This mineral will help strengthen, protect, and repair enamel.
- SLS-free. By excluding SLS in toothpaste, the fluoride efficacy will increase.
In summary, it is due to a combination of these two these ingredients or lack of in its formulation that it can replenish missing vital minerals in your teeth. The main mechanism of effect is that it does not contain SLS so the F– can work unhindered.
Toothpaste benefits comparison
If you compare the featured benefits for both toothpastes, it may leave you with more questions than answers. At least that is how I felt when I read them on the website and on the product packaging.
That is why I’m going to give you the real differences in benefits between the Mineral boost vs the Intensive Enamel Repair toothpaste.
Certain ingredients will give it additional benefits and that may make one toothpaste better than the other at least in certain aspects.
| Benefits | Intensive Enamel Repair | Mineral Boost |
|---|---|---|
| Enamel Repair | Best | Good |
| Fluoride Modifiers | Positive | Positive |
| Desensitizers | Equal | Equal |
| Stain Removal | Equal | Equal |
| Foaming | Low | Low |
Now I’ll discuss as to why I ranked each one as such for each benefit.
Best enamel repair
Without a doubt, the pronamel intensive enamel repair is the best enamel repair toothpaste out of the two because the formulation maximizes fluoride absorption.
Its advantage lies not in the type of fluoride it uses but rather the fluoride modifiers (enhancers/inhibitors) in its inactive ingredients. These ingredients either increase or decrease the efficacy of fluoride which initiates enamel repair.
| Attribute | Intensive Enamel Repair | Mineral Boost |
|---|---|---|
| Fluoride (F–) | Sodium Fluoride | Sodium Fluoride |
| F– Enhancer | Sodium Lactate PVM/MA Copolymer | N/A |
| F– Inhibitor | N/A | N/A |
The reason it is better is because the intensive enamel repair has two enhancers and no inhibitors. The other toothpaste has no enhancers, none at all.
As we all know, two is better than none. These two enhancers supercharge the fluoride and help it work to its maximum effect.
Best anti-sensitivity
From an ingredient standpoint, both toothpastes use the same exact desensitizer, 5% potassium nitrate. Therefore the desensitizing effect should be equivalent.
| Attribute | Intensive Enamel Repair | Mineral Boost |
|---|---|---|
| Desensitizer | Potassium Nitrate | Potassium Nitrate |
| Desensitizing Mechanism | Nerve Depolarization | Nerve Depolarization |
Although if I really dive into the nitty gritty, perhaps the intensive enamel repair may have a slight edge due to having PVM/MA copolymer which may help the potassium nitrate work a bit better.
Desensitization mechanism for potassium nitrate:
- Brushing with it will supply an overabundance of K+ ions to the nerve.
- Excessive K+ will reverse the extracellular concentration gradient.
- Reversal of the gradient prevents action potential propagation.
Essentially what happens when you brush with these toothpastes is that it numbs the tooth nerve.
Best stain removal
Both toothpastes are equivalent in stain removal efficacy since they contain the same exact whitening abrasives and detergents. This category is one where there is no clear winner.
| Attribute | Intensive Enamel Repair | Mineral Boost |
|---|---|---|
| Whitening Abrasives | Hydrated Silica Titanium Dioxide | Hydrated Silica Titanium Dioxide |
| Detergents | Cocamidopropyl Betaine | Cocamidopropyl Betaine |
As you can see in the ingredients comparison above, they are identical.
Best foaming
Both of these two pronamel toothpastes are considered low foaming. They only contain cocamidopropyl betaine and no other detergent. They’re both SLS-free.
However, that was to be expected since Sensodyne Pronamel has a reputation for having low foaming toothpastes. The only exception would be the active shield toothpaste which has more foaming than usual and was designed as such.
Verdict
Both toothpastes, intensive enamel repair and mineral boost are made by Sensodyne and they’re a part of the Pronamel product line.
They each have their own unique benefits and may be better at one aspect than the other. Below is a summary of which toothpaste is better at what.
Benefits comparison summary:
- Best enamel repair – Pronamel Intensive Enamel Repair.
- Best desensitizer – Slight edge for the Intensive Enamel Repair.
- Best stain removal – Tied.
- Best foaming – Tied.
Based on the comparisons above, the clear winner is the Sensodyne Pronamel Intensive Enamel Repair because it is a winner in two of the benefits category. The Mineral Boost did not outperform it in any of the benefits at all.
In my opinion, if I were to purchase and use one toothpaste, I would go with the intensive enamel repair definitively.
Although there is one saving grace for the other toothpaste and that is it is slightly less expensive but that is about all that it has going for it…