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So, I’ve already written about my oral health routine and my experience with bad breath in the past. Around the same time I started dealing with bad breath, I started to get a couple cavities a year. Even though I was doing so much more brushing to try to manage the breath issues. It made no sense. It was so frustrating! 

In one of my five million Google searches, I came across a Reddit discussion of this ingredient called nano hydroxyapatite. At the time, it was popular in Japan but basically unheard of in the United States. (That’s not true anymore! An increasing number of brands are popping up with it.) I fell down the internet rabbit hole reading all about the benefits of this ingredient. 

I bought my first tube of Boka toothpaste that day, and though it isn’t my primary toothpaste, I still use it several times a month as a treatment to strengthen my teeth and deal with sensitivity, especially after I use teeth whitening strips. For people who don’t want to use fluoride toothpaste, nano-hydroxapatite is a great option that’ can be as effective as fluoride at remineralizing the teeth. So here’s my Boka toothpaste review.

What is nano-hydroxyapatite and how does it work? 

So, whether you’re dealing with cavities, sensitive teeth, or tooth decay, really what you’re dealing with is weakness in the tooth enamel. Bacteria can eat away at the enamel and cause cavities. 

A daily routine with hydroxyapatite will actually start rebuilding that enamel. Nano-hydroxyapatite is the material that our teeth are made of! So while it sits on your teeth, this key ingredient is actually strengthening your enamel and improving your dental health. With consistent use, it’s possible to improve the health of your enamel and reverse cavities! Nan-hydroxyapatite is a naturally occurring mineral form of calcium apatite, and it’s extremely well-researched and backed by numerous studies. I was able to find research as far back as 2006 for dental applications, and 1998 for bone growth uses. 

The other thing that I like about the Boka product, in addition to the way it’s rebuilding the enamel, is that it also contains bacteria-fighting xylitol. Sugar bacteria love xylitol, but then when they “eat” it, the xylitol kills them. So Boka is doing a one-two punch kind of thing. It’s killing the bacteria that are damaging your enamel, and then providing the materials required to reverse the enamel damage. 

Since enamel is the primary foundation of teeth, it’s super important to stay on top of keeping it healthy and repairing it, and I love that Boka does that. 

Nano-hydroxyapatite vs fluoride

Okay, so: me, personally, I use fluoride toothpaste. I’m good with it. I might feel differently if I had fluoridated water, but we’re on a well. So my daily toothpaste choice has fluoride. I know there are Boka toothpaste review options out there from fluoride-free people too!

But, I totally get that others are looking for a fluoride-free option. Some people are looking to avoid harsh chemicals. Others just don’t want to see their family use fluoride-based toothpaste. I’m glad that we are all able to have access to products that match our values! 

If you’re a fluoride-free person, Boka is an excellent choice for a product with natural ingredients that is also going to be really healthy for your oral hygiene. A lot of the traditional toothpastes that are fluoride-free don’t replace the fluoride with another effective ingredient, but this is actually going to help you with effective oral care. 

So Boka is a great option if you’re looking for non-toxic options that are going to step up your dental care. 

I know a lot of people who are looking to avoid fluoride are also selective about other ingredients, so here’s the full ingredient list for the Boka Ela Mint Toothpaste flavor. (The other flavors will likely have different ingredients! I like the Lemon Lavender too.)  If there’s a negative in this Boka toothpaste review, it’s that I didn’t like the ginger flavor at all.

Ingredients: Water, Vegetable Glycerin, Hydrated Silica, Sorbitol Powder, Silica, Nano-hydroxyapatite, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Mentha Piperita Essential (Peppermint) Oil, Mentha Viridis (Spearmint) Oil, Illicium Verum (Star Anise) Oil, Gaultheria Procumberis (Wintergreen) Oil, Xylitol, Xanthan Gum, Stevia Rebaudiana Extract Powder, Methylsulfonylmethane, Aloe Barbadensis (aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Sodium Bicarbonate, Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Fruit Extract, Mangifera Indica (Mango) Fruit Extract, Menthol, Elettaria Cardamomum Miniscula Seed (Cardamom), Potassium Chloride.

Boka weekly treatment for tooth sensitivity with Nano-Hydroxyapatite

So, if Boka isn’t my daily toothpaste, what am I doing with it?

A while back, I read a study that compared outcomes of in-office teeth whitening with and without nano-hydroxyapatite. Hydroxyapatite is whitening on its own, slowly, because it’s rebuilding the enamel and filling in any areas that might be weakened or discolored. But I thought it was really interesting to read the study. 

The study found that the whitening was the same for both groups, but the nano-hydroxyapatite experienced significantly less sensitivity from the bleach. To me, this is one of the biggest benefits! I deal with sooo much tooth sensitivity to whitening and also cold temperatures.

So, since I read this, I’ve been treating my teeth with Boka once a week or so, after my evening oral care routine is done. 

Here’s what that looks like:

after my regular oral care routine (floss, tongue scraper, water flosser, mouthwash, brush), I wait 20 minutes or so to get the full benefits of my regular brushing. Then, I’ll take my Boka toothpaste and brush it into my whitening trays, and pop them in for a half hour or so. (You can do this with old Invisalign trays if you have them! But the at-home whitening trays are cheap and easy to make.)

When I’m done with the treatment, I don’t rinse my mouth! I just spit out what’s hanging around, wash out my trays and go about the rest of my routine. 

This routine has been great for my tooth sensitivity, and it’s enabled me to be whitening my teeth without being in agony. I still have to go low and slow with the whitening (I do one evening per month with the strip and one evening per month doing spot treatments with the pen, and I do the Boka right after for both treatments!). But I’m having a much easier time with sensitivity than ever before. 

Thanks for reading my Boka toothpaste review! Will you try it?