Something to smile about: achieving the balance between technical performance and sustainability

In the competitive oral care arena, manufacturers face a dual challenge: they must meet customer desire for healthy teeth and gums that will last for today’s longer lifespans, whilst addressing growing concerns about the safety and environmental impact of their products. Dr Carolina M. Diaz Quijano Reichert , Director of Technical Services for Omya Consumer Solutions, understands the importance of achieving the balance between superior technical performance and sustainability.??

“It is widely recognized that as people are living longer, oral hygiene is increasingly important,” she says. “Unfortunately, incidence of dental issues such as caries, gum disease and hypersensitivity, which require highly technical products, is also on the rise. Manufacturers are therefore constantly looking for innovative solutions that can prevent or alleviate oral diseases whilst prioritizing the natural and sustainable practices that customers expect.”?

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that oral diseases affect nearly 3.5 billion people globally, posing a major health burden for many countries and causing pain, discomfort, disfigurement and even death. Prevalence is increasing, as diets become more sugar-laden and dental care becomes more expensive and harder to access. Oral care products that can address these health and hygiene risks are therefore increasingly in demand.?

Omya leads the way in developing mineral solutions that help oral care manufacturers provide technical solutions to these issues. The company’s natural minerals are key constituents of many toothpaste formulations. Omya has extensive expertise in processing minerals to provide technical functionality. For example, a toothpaste formulation could comprise up to 40% Omyacare? S80-AV, a functional mineral with an extremely low carbon footprint that cleanses and protects teeth by supplying calcium ions and acting as a buffer in the oral cavity.?

Toothpaste containing 40% Omyacare? S80-AV??

Omyacare can be used by oral care manufacturers to adjust organoleptic properties, such as texture, color, opacity and viscosity, as well as to provide differing levels of abrasivity.??

For the treatment and prevention of tooth decay, remineralization still stands out in dental science as a groundbreaking solution.? While fluoride compounds have dominated the field, hydroxyapatite is increasingly being used in oral care products to promote remineralization. Omya offers Omyadent 100 as an ideal solution for fluoride-free products with remineralization benefits. Omyadent 100 is a functional mineral, with a core of calcium carbonate and a shell of hydroxyapatite, which is the main constituent of enamel and dentin in teeth. Omyadent 100 restores essential minerals to the tooth enamel and is particularly effective because of its high porosity and optimal calcium to phosphate ratio. Omya has tailored the properties of the Omyadent grade to optimize remineralization and provide gradual natural tooth whitening.?

Fluoride-free Formulation containing Omyadent 100?

As the population ages, issues such as receding gums and tooth sensitivity become more of an issue. A 2023 study across seven European countries showed widespread dentine hypersensitivity, with more than half of the study participants suffering from the condition, most for longer than two years (IADR Bogota, 2023).???

Dentine hypersensitivity has a significant impact on people’s lives. However, there are several available solutions that can make a difference. These solutions target either the nerves directly or provide dentine tubule occlusion, which reduces the fluid movement within the tubules, thought to be the cause for hypersensitivity. Indeed, Omyadent 200 desensitizes the tooth dentin by occluding exposed tubules with size-tailored biomimetic particles of calcium carbonate and hydroxyapatite. This not only provides relief to sufferers but can also be used during teeth whitening processes to reduce discomfort.?

The serum formulation for Omyadent 200???

Omya is committed to the continuous development of new, sustainable functional ingredients for the oral care market. Dr Diaz Quijano concludes, “We know how important it is for our customers to manage the carbon footprint of their products without compromising functionality. Omya natural minerals for abrasion have a very low carbon footprint and can be used at a high percentage of addition, allowing for a final product with a significantly lower carbon footprint.”?

For more information about Omya’s oral care products, visit our website.?

Further reading:?

A New Approach to Healthy Teeth – Innovative Minerals Proven to Enhance Tooth Surface - SOFW - Verlag für chemische Industrie?

Grit blasted aggregates of hydroxyl apatite functionalized calcium carbonate in occluding dentinal tubules - ScienceDirect?

Bye bye hypersensitive teeth: COSSMA?