What if you could whiten your teeth without peroxide at all, simply by brushing with a material that creates its own electric charge?

What if whitening your teeth didn’t require peroxide at all, but instead relied on a natural material that produces an electric charge when you brush? In this episode of Dental Formulator’s Playbook, Dr. Rob and Tami explore how piezoelectric materials, especially Rochelle salt, may offer a completely different approach to tooth whitening.

Dr. Rob explains how piezoelectric crystals generate charge when pressed, why Rochelle salt stands out among natural piezoelectric materials, and how brushing friction could play a key role in stain reduction. They also discuss peroxide based whitening, enamel effects, alternative mechanisms involving chromophore reduction, the importance of abrasives, chelating behavior of tartrate salts, and how patents shape innovation in whitening technology.

Highlights

• Why a peer reviewed paper on piezoelectric whitening caught Dr. Rob’s attention

• What piezoelectric materials are and how they generate charge under pressure

• How early research by the Curie brothers helped define piezoelectricity

• Why natural materials like quartz, sugar, DNA, and Rochelle salt can show piezoelectric effects

• How Rochelle salt was first prepared in the 1600s in La Rochelle, France

• Why Rochelle salt is considered a double salt containing sodium and potassium

• How brushing friction and abrasives may help generate charges needed for whitening

• Why the inventors patented the use of Rochelle salt specifically for whitening applications

• How peroxide creates radicals and why it may soften enamel or increase sensitivity

• Why Rochelle salt did not show enamel weakening in the whitening data Dr. Rob reviewed

• How reducing chromophores like quinones to colorless forms may explain whitening without peroxide

• How tartrate salts act as chelators and can influence stannous fluoride stability

• Why abrasives and silica choice matter in piezoelectric based formulas

• How zinc oxide could be another piezoelectric ingredient worth exploring

• Why real validation still requires clinical testing and sensitivity evaluation

• How patent strategy and first to file rules impact oral care innovation

📲 Connect with Dr. Rob (Robert L. Karlinsey, PhD)

🌐 Website: customdentalformulations.com

📄 Research Profile: Robert Karlinsey on ResearchGate

What if the real reason your toothpaste works great or fails completely has nothing to do with marketing and everything to do with your saliva, your habits, and your unique oral chemistry?

In this episode of Dental Formulator’s Playbook, Dr. Rob and Tami unpack one of the most overlooked questions in oral care: why people choose the products they use. From tartar control to sensitivity, they explore how ingredients like baking soda, hydroxyapatite, calcium phosphates, bioglass, fluoride, stannous fluoride, and potassium nitrate behave in the real world.

You’ll hear why a formula that works beautifully for one person can create problems for another, how pH drives tartar formation, and what consumers should understand before switching to “natural” or alternative products. Dr. Rob and Tami also highlight formulation compatibility issues and walk through sensitivity treatments ranging from OTC toothpastes to medical-device varnishes, ensuring listeners see the full picture behind effective oral-care choices.

Highlights

• Why understanding your “why” is the foundation of choosing the right oral care product

• How acidic or alkaline saliva drives both caries risk and tartar formation

• Real world lessons from a clinician who used baking soda and developed unexpected tartar buildup

• How elevated pH, diet, and mineral heavy products can interact to create tartar challenges

• Why hydroxyapatite, CPP ACP, and bioglass can help but also contribute to unwanted mineral deposits

• The major differences between enamel building ingredients and those that only occlude tubules

• How Sensodyne (potassium nitrate or stannous fluoride) delivers sensitivity relief and why not every system works for everyone

• Why bioglass helps some people with sensitivity but may increase tartar risk for others

• The limitations of hydroxyapatite for sensitivity, especially with limited clinical support

• When varnishes and medical device sensitivity treatments make sense and how they work

• The science behind potassium oxalate mouthrinses and how they form acid resistant calcium oxalate

• Why 1.1 percent sodium fluoride toothpastes can dramatically reduce caries and sensitivity

• How functionalized tricalcium phosphate enhances fluoride performance without contributing to tartar formation

• Why consumers shouldn’t hesitate to pivot products when side effects arise

📲 Connect with Dr. Rob (Robert L. Karlinsey, PhD)

🌐 Website: customdentalformulations.com

📄 Research Profile: Robert Karlinsey on ResearchGate

What if the fluoride in your toothpaste is not all the same, and the form you choose could change how well it works?

In this episode of Dental Formulator’s Playbook, Dr. Rob and co host Tami break down the chemistry, formulation challenges, and clinical performance of the three fluoride salts approved for use in the United States: sodium fluoride, sodium monofluorophosphate, and stannous fluoride. They explain why each compound behaves differently, how abrasives influence stability, and how manufacturing history shaped which toothpaste formulas became global standards. The conversation also includes new research confirming the safety of community water fluoridation and debunks long standing myths about cognitive effects. This episode is essential listening for anyone who wants to understand why fluoride choice matters and how formulation truly determines efficacy.

🔍 Highlights ↠

• How sodium fluoride differs from sodium monofluorophosphate in activation and availability

• Why MFP requires plaque enzymes and saliva to release active fluoride

• Why MFP performs poorly for people with dry mouth

• The real reason MFP dominated formulas in the 60s and 70s

• How calcium carbonate abrasives blocked early sodium fluoride formulas

• How sodium MFP is made using a water free fusion process at 900 degrees Celsius

• The surprising global history of MFP and why early records are often wrong

• Why stannous fluoride made a major comeback for gingivitis and sensitivity

• The difference between fluoride uptake testing and enamel solubility reduction

• Why sodium fluoride excels in fluoride uptake but stannous fluoride excels in acid resistance

• How abrasives, zinc salts, pyrophosphates, and calcium ingredients can reduce free fluoride

• Why many modern “fluoride toothpastes” fail availability tests

• The importance of choosing the right fluoride salt for cavities, sensitivity, or gum health

• New 2025 research showing no cognitive harm from regulated water fluoridation

💡 Key Takeaways

• Not all fluoride compounds work the same, and their efficacy depends heavily on formulation.

• MFP is stable with calcium abrasives but requires saliva activation, which reduces performance for dry mouth users.

• Sodium fluoride offers the strongest fluoride uptake but is sensitive to competing ingredients.

• Stannous fluoride provides superior acid resistance and gum health benefits when formulated correctly.

📲 Connect with Dr. Rob (Robert L. Karlinsey, PhD)

🌐 Website: customdentalformulations.com

📄 Research Profile: Robert Karlinsey on ResearchGate