This "high-end" toothpaste is not what you think!

Recently, amino acid toothpaste endorsed by a celebrity has become a popular toothpaste on the Internet. Adding amino acids to toothpaste will undoubtedly increase the value of the toothpaste by several levels, so netizens call it a "high-end" toothpaste. However, there are different opinions about the efficacy of amino acid toothpaste. Some people say that amino acid toothpaste can nourish the gums, prevent gum atrophy, and resist the "black triangle" between teeth; some people say that amino acid toothpaste is effective for tooth decay, and long-term use can even "fill teeth"; others say that amino acids exist as safer surfactants.

So, what is the real purpose of adding amino acids to toothpaste? Is the above statement reliable?

The real effect of amino acid toothpaste

The amino acids added to toothpaste are actually mainly used to fight the bacteria that cause tooth decay - cariogenic bacteria and their acid production process.

It is well known that the occurrence of tooth decay is related to the increase in the acidity of the oral environment. Therefore, one of the key links in preventing tooth decay is often to fight against cariogenic bacteria and their acid production process.

Among the many types of oral bacteria, some bacteria can not only produce more alkaline substances after metabolizing the nutrients they need, thereby neutralizing the acidic substances produced by cariogenic bacteria, but also compete with cariogenic bacteria when they are growing vigorously, thereby weakening the position of cariogenic bacteria.

For example, some oral bacteria containing the arginine deiminase system (ADS) can metabolize arginine and produce alkaline substances such as ammonia. Many laboratory and clinical studies have confirmed that using arginine as a prebiotic to promote the growth of ADS+ bacteria as probiotics can effectively prevent or control tooth decay.

Therefore, the real effect of amino acid toothpaste is anti-caries.

Can Amino Acid Toothpaste Save Damaged Gums?

Unlike tooth decay, which is mainly manifested by tooth injury, the most common symptoms of periodontitis are bleeding, red and swollen gums, and even shrinkage. In the eyes of many people, this seems to be the result of decreased gum immunity caused by malnutrition. Therefore, people have always believed that nutritional supplements are the best way to save gums.

But in fact, the root cause of periodontitis is periodontal pathogens. Unlike cariogenic bacteria that prefer fermentable carbohydrates, periodontal pathogens tend to be protein-loving, which is also the root cause of the gradual collapse of periodontal tissues under the continuous invasion of periodontal pathogens.

Amino acids, as the basic building blocks of proteins, are also likely to become prey to periodontal pathogens. Therefore, amino acids are likely to be metabolized by periodontal pathogens before they achieve the purpose of nourishing the gums.

Therefore, not only can amino acids not save damaged gums, but they may also "save" the bacteria that cause damaged gums.

Can amino acid toothpaste “fill teeth”?

Although theoretically, demineralization and remineralization of teeth can exist simultaneously during the development of tooth decay, it still cannot change the reality that once tooth decay occurs, it is difficult to reverse.

So far, there is no health product or medicine that can play the role of "filling teeth". The decayed part of the tooth can only be repaired by filling it with artificial materials.

However, amino acids can indeed have a certain effect on tooth structure, that is, they can promote calcium salt deposition, help seal the exposed dentinal tubules, and thus reduce tooth sensitivity. Therefore, amino acid toothpaste can also be used as a desensitizing toothpaste.

Are the amino acids in amino acid toothpaste surfactants?

Among the many types of surfactants, there is indeed a type of amino acid surfactants, but their chemical nature is complex amino acid sodium salt, that is, a new substance formed by chemical reactions of amino acids, and no longer the amino acids themselves.

Therefore, the amino acids added to toothpaste do not exist as surfactants.

However, some amino acids, such as arginine, do have the effect of slowing down the formation of dental plaque. This is because arginine can bind to certain oral bacteria, thereby preventing these bacteria from normally aggregating with other specific types of bacteria. Therefore, arginine can not only hinder the formation of dental plaque, but also destroy the stability of dental plaque. Dental plaque is a key pathogenic factor in oral infectious diseases such as tooth decay and periodontitis, and is also a prerequisite for the formation of dental calculus. Therefore, amino acid toothpaste may also have a certain disease prevention effect. However, given the wide variety of oral types, it remains to be determined to what extent this effect of amino acids can be exerted.

Any toothpaste additives other than the regular ingredients do have a specific meaning. But the real meaning of adding these substances is often not what you think. Just like the amino acid toothpaste we talked about today, its main purpose is to prevent tooth decay, not to nourish the gums. Have you thought about it?

This article is produced by Science Popularization China-Starry Sky Cultivation Program. Please indicate the source when reprinting