Is Kelp Powder for Teeth the Next Big Oral Care Trend?

With only one set of permanent teeth to last a lifetime, there’s a lot of pressure on the average person to maintain great oral hygiene every day. Yet, if you look at research from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2017, it’s clear that most people are fighting an uphill battle. In between 1990 and 2007, worldwide occurrences of cavities rose by 20.6%, likely as a result of increasing sugary and acidic diets.

Are personal dental care products up to the task? Or does the oral care industry need to explore new extra strength ingredients? For those brands that are looking to incorporate more pure and raw ingredients into their products, it’s time to consider kelp powder for teeth care. Here is why seaweed is one of the natural oral care ingredients your brand should invest in now.

Stopping Bacteria in Their Tracks

As with any oral care ingredient, the chief concern is its ability to eliminate plaque. When unaddressed, the accumulated bacteria that causes plaque can damage enamel through gradual decay. With our longer lifespans, it’s all the more important for toothpaste and mouthwash ingredients to have strong antiviral qualities that can thwart avoidable cases of wear and tear on people’s teeth.

One alternative that researchers have explored for its antiviral properties is seaweed. A study published in the Journal of Hard Tissue Biology examined the potency of calcified seaweed as an ingredient for preventing root cavities. They treated a dentin block with an aciduric treatment, formulated in part from calcified seaweed, and dipped it in a demineralizing solution. The result was that the treated side experienced less decay than the untreated side. If applied to products like chewing gum, seaweed can help prevent tooth decay in people of all ages.

Protecting Gums to Preserve Teeth

The health of your gums has a significant impact on the health of your teeth. When gums are stricken with periodontitis, the pockets surrounding teeth can deepen and prompt tooth loss. In the past, doses of penicillin reduced harmful oral bacteria that caused gum disease, but like most microbes, they’ve adapted and are more resistant to antibiotics.

While exploring new penicillin alternatives, some researchers have found that the antiviral agents in seaweed extracts prove effective against oral pathogens. One study has shown that extracts from three different seaweed species are highly effective against oral pathogens and as an anti-collagenase agent. Because these seaweeds have no serious toxic effects on teeth or gums, they are perfect ingredients to include in oral care products.

Is Kelp Powder for Teeth the Next Trend?

More than just researchers exploring their curiosity, using kelp powder for teeth care seems to be catching on. There are numerous natural oral health bloggers that are providing how-to guides for consumers to make their own toothpaste or oral treatments from powdered kelp. It satisfies their concern about excess chemicals in their everyday products while actually delivering results. With a growing assortment of scientific studies to back seaweed up, it’s clear that formulators who don’t bite on this trend might miss a good thing.