Connect with us

Health

Theobromine Shows Promise As A Fluoride Replacement

Published

on

Using fluoride toothpaste has long been considered the best way to ward off dental health issues. It turns out fluoride’s not the only choice when it comes to oral health supplements. Recent studies have found that theobromine may help strengthen teeth and prevent cavities, even better than fluoride. Though more research is needed to prove this conclusively, this news is exciting for both theobromine, and people with allergies, or just plain aversions to fluoride. It’s always good to find more options out there to help us improve our oral health.

Theobromine Study Proving Efficiency

“Remineralization of Artificial Enamel Lesions by Theobromine” is a study on the impact theobromine has on oral health. The results of the study found that theobromine when used in conjunction with toothpaste, had more of an effect on remineralization of enamel than both artificial saliva and surprisingly, even fluoride. This study indicates, that when it comes to remineralization of enamel, theobromine exceeds fluoride in its abilities. Perhaps when more research has been conducted, we’ll see more dentists recommending home use of theobromine, and possibly even theobromine treatments at the dentist’s office.

The Caries Research was conducted by dentists at the Department of Comprehensive Dentistry, at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. Theobromine toothpaste maker Theodent helped fund the study. The CEO of theodent, Arman Sadeghpour, PhD., weighed in on the study’s findings. “This peer-reviewed study, conducted by one of the world’s foremost authorities on caries research, validates the potential of Rennou(TM) to ultimately replace fluoride in commercial kinds of toothpaste,” Dr. Sadeghpour said. “The study’s implications are significant and potentially disruptive for the oral care industry since theobromine is safe to swallow while all fluoride toothpaste still carry FDA mandated “do not swallow” warning labels,” he said.

What is Theobromine?

Theobromine, sometimes referred to as xantheose, is an alkaloid found in chocolate. This bitter compound has been shown to have a wide variety of medical uses. Theobromine has been used as a diuretic, to widen blood vessels, and to help stimulate the heart. It wasn’t until recently that theobromine’s dental benefits were well-known. Seeing as it’s a naturally occurring, even safer option than fluoride, my guess is, that it’s used in the oral health field has only just begun.

Theobromine Versus Fluoride

It’s always exciting when new oral health tools emerge. While fluoride will likely be the go-to dental compound in use for a while, theobromine will likely be more widely used in years to come. Both theobromine’s effectiveness at preventing dental caries, and strengthening teeth, and it’s safety, make it a perfect candidate to replace fluoride in toothpaste and dental applications. The more tools we have in our fight for oral health, the better. Theobromine’s effectiveness at helping with oral health is a bright light in the oral health sector.