If you’re tired of fear-based marketing and just want the real, science-backed truth about what’s actually in your toothpaste, this episode is for you.

We’re cutting through the noise around nano hydroxyapatite, debunking the scariest claims, and getting honest about what works, what doesn’t, and why your dental health is more personal than anyone's hot take. I’m sharing the latest research, my own journey from skeptic to supporter, and real-life stories that don’t make it into the marketing reels.

In this episode, we’re chatting about:

- The truth behind “toxic” nano hydroxyapatite claims and what the science actually says

- How European and Japanese regulators have approached nano hydroxyapatite safety

- Why some people thrive on natural toothpaste—and why others end up with more cavities

- The practical realities of switching your family to non-fluoride options (and what to do if it’s not working)

- How to tune out the judgment and make the best choice for your own mouth (and your kids’)

You’ll also hear why I think Zebra’s toothpaste is great, just not for the reasons their marketing team wants you to believe. Plus, I’ll break down the most common myths about ingredients like glycerin and fluoride, and share my no-shame approach to finding what actually works for you.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by conflicting advice, or just want to brush your teeth without second-guessing every ingredient, this episode will give you the clarity (and peace of mind) you need.

Read the Shownotes

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Mentioned in this episode:

Toothpillow

Head over to www.toothpillow.com and use code 'WENDY' at checkout for a FREE virtual assessment!

  📍 Welcome back to the 📍 Toxin British Podcast. As always, I'm your host, Wendy, and today is in response to the flood of dms that I got asking me about the safety 📍 of nano hydroxy appetite. Specifically, there is a company called 📍 Zebra, very popular. They make a very clean. Toothpaste that I am actually a fan of, but their   📍 marketing is kind of scaring people a little bit.

And their claim is that nano hydroxy appetite is highly toxic,  may cross the blood brain barrier and is something that people should absolutely be avoiding and is terrible for, for your teeth. And we'll give you discoloration and we'll ruin your tooth enamel. And it's interesting to me, whenever people see marketing like this.

It's for an intended purpose, right? Like this particular company, their marketing is purposeful. They don't want you to go buy 📍 Ridewell or 📍 FIG or any of these other really reputable companies that are making fantastic nano hydroxy appetite toothpaste. They want you to buy. They're toothpaste. So the marketing is working, and I know that because you're in my dms.

You're seeing these reels, you're seeing this marketing. You're seeing the owner, Jen on podcasts talking about this, and you're thinking, oh my gosh, maybe she's right. Maybe.   📍 Maybe this is super toxic and I should be avoiding it.  What I love is that you're coming and you're asking me, so I'm gonna give you my full opinion.

I'm gonna share why there's no need to be scared of nano hydroxy appetite. A few years ago, I had a very different opinion, so I'm gonna share with you why I changed my opinion and give you the science to back it up. But I'm also gonna talk about the practical use of nano hydroxyapatite because that's something that I think is actually more useful for you than anything.

  📍 I'm not a dentist, so I don't 📍 have people sitting in my dentist chair, ,  where I can see their teeth every time they come in, year to year, to year. But I do have a lot of students, and I do have a huge community of people who are not using fluoride and they have kids. And they have teeth themselves.

And so I have this wide lens of feedback that I have gotten from my audience on what happens when they stop using fluoride toothpaste and they start using a natural mineral hydroxy appetite, which is a larger particle of appetite versus what happens when they use nano. Hydroxyapatite, which is much smaller, which a lot of the efficacy studies have been done on nano that who claim nano works better and then what happens when they don't use any form of hydroxyapatite or fluoride and they use a toothpaste that is mainly xylitol and , other ingredients I'm gonna talk about in a second.

But it doesn't have any of those actives. It's just a clean toothpaste,   📍 📍 what happens to their teeth? And I will tell you.  It's completely different across the spectrum, and it depends on 📍 📍 genetics and 📍 📍 diet and 📍 📍 dental hygiene and 📍 📍 habits. And I know that that's a super inconvenient answer because people really like black and white, right?

Like what works, what doesn't work? But black and white is not reality. It's not what happens out in the real world.

I wanna start by saying that Jen, who's the owner of the company's Zebra toothpaste, makes a phenomenal product. It's super, super clean, and I also understand her son had a brain tumor, and I feel this way a lot about Lead Safe Mama as well, who while I vehemently disagree with the way that she. Educates on lead.

And I think she puts out a lot of misinformation. I also have a heart and understand that a lot of it comes from her kids having lead poisoning. So I think sometimes when you have experiences like that, you can become the world's greatest. Proponent for something good, and you can really change industries because you have this deep passion and need to do that.

And I think that can be a good thing. But I think in this case, she's so overly cautious and I don't think that that translates into, you know, what, how the rest of us should be processing science. So one of the things that she says is that. There's only two studies showing that nano Hydroxyapatite doesn't cross the blood-brain barrier and that they were done by the people who own the patent.

That is absolutely false. There are over 700 published peer reviewed studies on the safety of nano hydroxyapatite and it's efficacy. 700 and not all done by people who own the patents. These are done by universities. These are being done in the medical field and it spans over 40 years. Japan has been using and has approved nano hydroxy appetite in toothpaste for over 40 years.

It is very popular. Their population uses it. We have so much data.

  📍 📍 So what does the data say? Let, let's look into it

it.. 

Okay, I wanna make that really clear. They took it up late because they had a new regulatory framework that was required.

A lot of the data that they had were simple cell studies, and the European Union cares a lot about systemic absorption. It's a big part of their scientific process and evaluation.

So the final report said, we're really uncertain. We need more information. And so in the regulatory framework, what that means is manufacturers, people who are making this stuff, even the public, public comment period, people can bring new data into this regulatory process and provide it to the scientific committee.

At a very basic level, no detectable particles were found none in from as.

And from a.

Their conclusion was that there was no measurable systemic absorption that was occurring.

They found that even after repeated exposure, there was no systemic absorption, right? It doesn't even pass that epithelial layer, let alone get into our circulation, doesn't even get into our bloodstream, and therefore does not even get into our blood brainin barrier.

Now, what they did say was needle shaped. Hydroxy appetite. Does puncture cells, and I wanna be really clear about this because I think this is where so much of the misinformation out there comes from. They were looking at two different things. One, a form of nano hydroxy appetite that was shaped like needles, and another form that was spherical or rod shaped in nature.

Okay? The needle shaped hydroxy appetite. Punctured cells and found to be not safe. It is not approved for use in the European Union. That is not what we are talking about here. If there are, this is why I always say know your brand, right? Like is there counterfeit off-brand, needle hydroxy appetite still being made out there to this day that's like out on the black market being used by toothpaste companies?

Don't buy crappy toothpaste. Okay.

Deep epithelium, so it doesn't even cross the barrier in your mouth. It stays in your mouth. It is dissolved almost immediately. Once it's swallowed your gastric acid, if you were to, if you swallow nano hydroxyapatite, it's gone. It dissolves. Immediately it is chemically identical to natural bone enamel components once it's ionized and therefore, under oral care exposures.

There is no plausible exposure route by which nano hydroxy appetite could ever cross the blood brainin barrier. Go read this report. Okay. I, it's frustrating to see a toothpaste company who makes a very clean product. Use misleading data and fear tactics to scare you into buying your toothpaste. You don't need, you don't need to do that.

You know why? Because Zebra, your toothpaste is phenomenal and clean and amazing, and for people who don't need nano hydroxyapatite or Hydroxyapatite at all. It's phenomenal. I, I have it linked on my shopping guide. You don't have to crap on other companies or say scary things in order to sell your toothpaste because it stands on its own.

You can sell it on its own merit. Now before I go on to talk about does, does, why does nano hydroxy appetite work for some people and not for other people? And are you still getting cavities and all of that kind of stuff. I just wanna also mention in the European studies, there is one approved that rod shapes, spherical shaped nano hydroxy appetite that I'm talking about.

The company that makes that is called Fluid Nova.

Their nano hydroxyapatite is called XIM, and every single toothpaste company that I have on my toxin-free shopping guide has shown me their sourcing that that is where they get their nano hydroxyapatite from. So if you're shopping for my toxin-free shopping guide, you can be sure that the, the safe EU approved version of Nano Hydroxyapatite is what's being used in that toothpaste.

  📍 📍 So let's talk about the practical aspect of nano Hydroxyapatite in people who switch to it.  And this is where I'm really gonna pull in the testimonies from my students and my customers in order to just share their experiences. And some people. And keep in mind, all of these people are giving up fluoride, right?

We're not drinking fluoride in our water and we're giving it up in our toothpaste. And that is kind of the, the baseline of this community. And so they're switching to something. Some of them are switching to mineral hydroxy appetite. Some of 'em are switching to nano hydroxy appetite, and some of 'em are switching to companies like Zebra who don't have any of that in it.

They're using.

Zebra's ingredients have xylitol hydrated, silica, calcium carbonate. These are basic. These are, everyone has this every, you know, non, non anti hydroxyapatite toothpaste has these same ingredients. One thing that does make them kind of stand out, that they, an ingredient that's very cool is the theum bro cacao.

That is very cool. That is known for Remineralizing and is really great at cleaning your teeth. So I would say Zebra has that leg up on a lot of other companies. They have this really cool ingredient, but these are clean toothpaste ingredients that most non-toxic companies are using.

So what are my customers saying? So many of them have been using nano hydroxyapatite toothpaste and love it, and they're having no problems. Some people switch to Nano Hydroxyapatite toothpaste and they get cavities. And they have some discoloration and their dentists are like, what did you change?

This isn't working. And I have a lot of people in my community that have gone back to using a cleaner slash fluoride toothpaste because they saw such a degradation in their dental. Squirrel care and having cavities and inflammation and bleeding gums and all of that is really bad systemically for you overall from a health perspective.

So I understand that decision. What I have found is this, people who have really, really good dental healthcare, people who are flossing every single day, people who brush and floss after they eat, people who.

Just really have the ta. Also mineral rich diets. Nutrient rich diets. They're not eating a lot of like crackers or gummies. They're not snacking, they're not having like coffee on their teeth all day long. Like they're habits. They have habits that lend themselves really well to taking care of their teeth and their diet.

They're overall healthy. They're getting a lot of sunshine. They make the switch. No problem. I see a lot of kids that struggle to make the switch and even my own kids years and years and years ago, and I do think that, lot of the efficacy studies that show that nano hydroxy appetite is good for anti-cavity prevention.

It's great for whitening. Like all of the actual studies show this stuff works really, really well, and.

I think it comes down to habits. I think it comes down to diet and lifestyle and oral hygiene and habits and the microbiome of your mouth, and also genetics plays into it. And so I always tell people. It's really hard to buy multiple different toothpastes. These are pricier toothpaste than typical stuff you find like out in the market.

And trying new ones for a few months to see what works for you, is expensive and hard and tedious. And so I get it. This is not an easy switch for some people. I will say this though, I know a lot of people who have gone to a toothpaste that did not have nano hydroxy appetite and had an even worse experience.

Okay, so this is not a, oh, this toothpaste works better, or This toothpaste works better. And I don't think it's very helpful to tell people, well, nano hydroxy appetite didn't work for you because you are doing X, Y, and Z.

Z.

📍 Especially when it comes to kids, that is reality. Like 📍 my kids roll outta bed in the morning and 📍 rush to the bus, and half the time I'm like, did you even brush your teeth?

There is a practical reality when we're also talking about are kids able to brush for the effective amount of time? Are they actually flossing lifestyle time? Exhaustion, right? So if you are a family where you have kids and you struggle with a lot of that, like dental, basic dental hygiene, your kids are eating crap at school that you don't have control over, maybe they just don't have the best habits, and that's just where you are in your life right now.

You might need a really good strong nano hydroxyapatite toothpaste. You might also make the decision to use fluoride for a little while during that season, and I am just really tired of all the judgment out here in this non-toxic community.

I have moms literally in tears in my dms, in tears, Wendy, I took my daughter to the dentist and she's never had a cavity in her life. And we switched to a nano hydroxyapatite toothpaste, or we switched to a company like Zebra that doesn't have anything. But we, we stopped using fluoride. And she has eight cavities.

Eight cavities. And her Dun just says that, I mean, this is not one story this is droves of this story. And so while I understand what the science says, and the science says nano hydroxy appetite works fantastic. I also know what people are telling me. And so I, I hope that what you get out of this episode is that. Try what works for you. See what works for you.

Nothing is black and white. I also have people who have. Used nano hydroxyapatite and had a very good right. Their, their oral health was good. Their dentist was like, oh my gosh, your teeth look so great. And then they were scared away from nano hydroxyapatite and they switched to a toothpaste like Zebra and some other brands that don't use anything.

They've got xylitol and like calcium carbonate. And then their dental health took a nose dive. Just absolutely took a nose dive and had tons of cavities and it was a terrible experience. And so if I were to take the hundreds of stories in my dms and try to extrapolate some kind of like, this works, this doesn't work, this works better.

I honestly couldn't do it because the stories are so dramatically different. Dramatically different. And so I just want to encourage you that listening to what other people do on the internet can be helpful for ideas, but it doesn't mean that it applies to you.

But there is one thing that across the board seems to be an issue with nano hydroxyapatite toothpaste. You have to leave it on. You have to leave it on your teeth. So contact time matters. So you brush your teeth really, really well. You spit out your toothpaste and you leave it. You don't rinse it.

Don't follow it up with water and spit it out. Don't follow it up with a rinse in your mouth. You wanna just leave it on your teeth. And that's how it works the best. So I have had a significant amount of people say, nano hydroxy appetite does not work for us. And I say, are you rinsing it off of your teeth and are you spitting it, you know, spitting it out or using a mouthwash?

And they said yes. And they said, stop. And after. Leaving it on their teeth. Then they came back with glowing dental reviews. So if you're somebody who's using nano hydroxy appetite, you need to leave it on your teeth.

There's also another myth out there that glycerin, counteracts hydroxyapatite use that is absolutely not true. That is based on a book that was written and a single study that was completely debunked. It is absolutely not true. Glycerin helps toothpaste stay hydrated. It is water soluble that is total bunk in bs.

So if there's a company out there saying, our toothpaste is better because we don't have glycerin, I mean, it doesn't mean they don't have great toothpaste. It just means that that's not a true statement.

And

And I'm gonna wrap this up by saying something super unpopular in the non-toxic community, and I don't even care anymore. Drinking fluorinated water is very different. Then using a topical fluoride toothpaste and or getting a topical fluoride treatment at the dentist. I personally. Avoid fluorinated toothpaste and we don't do fluoride treatments at the dentist.

That is a personal decision that I have made, but I haven't been put in a situation where I have had to make a different decision. Now, fluoride is a halogen. I have thyroid issues. Hashimoto's, hypothyroidism, and iodine is really important to my thyroid, to your thyroid ever. It's important to everyone's thyroid, and anytime you're exposed to halogen, they can impede the uptake of iodine by your thyroid, and fluoride is one of them.

So I avoid fluoride pretty much at all costs. But I will tell you this, I've never been put in that situation. If I went to the dentist and I had a ton of cavities. And then I tried to do some very basic remineralization, , xylitol gum. I just started getting into Nate and Son's gum for my teenagers because I'm just not super thrilled with their, like, dental hygiene habits with school and schedules and stuff.

That's a really good thing to do. Nate and Sons, I think they taste, they're not plastic, they're literally tapped sap, , super, super clean xylitol gum that you can chew in between. Meals that work really well. But if I started getting really bad cavities and having bad dental health, I would absolutely get a fluoride treatment on my teeth.

And I might even go use a fluoride toothpaste for a few months just to like get my mouth back to where it needs to be. And I think we need to stop shaming people for making that decision. Your exposure to fluoride toothpaste and. On your teeth for treatments is so dramatically different than drinking fluorinated water.

So if you are fully filtering out fluoride out of your drinking water, and you are somebody who is struggling with dental health, if you have a kid that has a ton of cavities and you have tried absolutely everything, I don't want you to feel shame or fear in needing to use. Fluoride. I just, I think that conversation is stupid and we can't all be, perfect and holistic and non-toxic all the time.

Sometimes there are times where your overall health that you need something different and there's nothing wrong with that.

that. I.

So to wrap all this up, nano hydroxy appetite, not the needle shaped, the spherical rod shaped approved by the European Union after extensive. Safety data was reviewed by all parties. I'm a big, big fan.

The brands that I love and promote that I know where they're getting their hydroxyapatite from. Rise. Well, young Living Thieves Whitening is 📍 really good. Boca Fig. These are companies making just ingredients, has a paste. There's a mix of micro natural hydroxyapatite and nano hydroxyapatite in that mix.

But those are the reputable companies, and you're gonna find them over on my Toxin-Free Jing Guide.

And remember, anyone can say anything on the internet and if they're selling something to you, be extra critical of the information that they're putting out. Always

I hope that helped, and I hope if you are a nano Hydroxyapatite user, you're gonna turn off this episode and go brush your teeth and not even think a thing about it and have absolutely no concern for your overall health.

Thanks so much for listening, and I'll see you back here in two weeks.