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