Boka Toothpaste Review

A full detailed review is available to read further down the page.  But first, here are a few answers to common questions to give you a quick overview and opinion of Boka’s toothpaste.

Does it actually work?

The short answer is yes, it does.

Your teeth feel clean and there is a mild minty freshness after each use.

This fluoride free toothpaste might not yet be American Dental Association (ADA) approved, but clinical evidence proves how the inclusion of nano-hydroxyapatite provides the similar beneficial effects, remineralizes the teeth and protects from decay.

How much does it cost?

A single 4 FL. OZ. tube (118ml) costs $12.

If you subscribe (www.boka.com), you can save 20%, bringing the cost down to $9.60 every 3 months.

Where can I buy it?

You can purchase directly from the manufacturer at www.boka.com or alternatively you can purchase tubes of their Ela Mint toothpaste from Target, Amazon and other select retailers.

If you wish to subscribe and benefit from a discount on the price as well as regular doorstep deliveries then you can only do this by purchasing directly from the company at www.boka.com.

The subscription can be changed and cancelled at any time.  The default option is every 3 months, but you can select from 1, 2 or 3 months.

It is possible to subscribe via Amazon’s subscribe and save scheme, but it may work out a little more expensive.

How I tested the toothpaste

This review has not been conducted under any form of ‘clinical’ setup.

I have simply switched out my regular toothpaste for Boka Ela Mint toothpaste to see what it is like to use and my experience with it.

I bought and used the Mint flavour, although there is also a Coco Ginger option.

Aside from this I have made no changes to my normal routine. I am eating and drinking the same sort of things, I am still flossing and using an electric toothbrush.

The test lasted for 2 weeks.

During this time I used the Oral-B iO Series 9 electric toothbrush set to the ‘Daily Clean’ mode.

I brushed twice a day for 2 minutes each time and flossed once a day.

Summary How I tested the toothpaste

• Test lasted for 2 weeks
• Used Oral-B iO  toothbrush on Daily Clean mode
• Cleaned twice a day for 2 minutes
• Flossed once a day
• No changes in diet

Full Review

Oral health is dominated by some major brands, particularly when it comes to toothpaste.

Crest, Aquafresh, Arm & Hammer, Colgate, Sensodyne and many more.

Boka is one of the newer brands in this space. The company produces a number of oral care products, that include a tongue scraper and electric toothbrush.

Focusing on producing quality products that work with your body and they believe in making more effective products with safer ingredients to have a positive impact on preventive health.

This fluoride free toothpaste is one such example.  

Although it does away with the ADA approved and promoted ingredient, it replaces it with a different, science backed alternative, to ensure long term oral health.

Taste, Packaging etc

The Boka tube is quite funky, if that is an appropriate word to use to describe it.

It doesn’t come packaged in any other box, you just get the tube itself.

Whilst the tube has the conventional shape to it, the lid is what makes it so different.

Rather than a round screw or flip lid, with this Ela Mint flavor you get a mint green octagonal lid that allows the tube to stand upright on a countertop.

You can also get a Coco Ginger flavor, with a salmon pink color scheme.

It is a screw style lid, so it is not as convenient to use as a flip style lid, but it looks quite smart.

The tube has a matte white color to it with the text printed in black.

It looks quite minimalist and there is a band of mint green colour that runs across the front of the tube, drawing the eyes into the text around it.

On the back is an explanation of how to use the paste, the ingredients, and what makes it unique.

With the cap removed, you will first need to remove the foil seal before first using.

When applied to the brush head, the paste has a pale white, almost grey color to it.  It is kind of opaque and not that brilliant white you get with some other toothpaste.  There are no other colors to the paste.

Visually there are not other ‘bits’ in the paste. Sometimes you see color flecks of different ingredients, but not here.

It is thick like most other pastes, but it felt like it had a little more of a gel like texture.

There is certainly a mint flavor to the paste, but it is quite evident that it is much more mild and less intense than some others.

Although there is sodium bicarbonate within the paste, I didn’t feel any grittiness or roughness to the paste on the tongue, teeth or gums.

Boka have not stipulated how abrasive the paste is, but I don’t think it is that abrasive given the look and texture.

It does not foam up quite as much as some other pastes.  This does not mean it does not clean as well! 

After use my mouth felt clean and fresh.  The freshness lasted for up to a couple of hours, but it wasn’t as minty fresh as some big name toothpaste brands.

I noticed no issues with my teeth nor did I feel my oral health was being affected negatively when using this.

I have not tested this under scientific conditions, but it did look and feel like my teeth had a bit more of a sheen to them after use.  Perhaps this was me overthinking and analyzing, but they just looked a bit more glossy than they do usually.  

Boka’s paste certainly managed to keep any surface stains at bay.

This paste is a little more natural than most.

Suitable for vegans, gluten free and not tested on animals, it does not contain SLS, parabens, artificial flavors and endocrine disruptors.

Boka’s Ela Mint toothpaste is also fluoride free.

I am not here to argue for or against fluoride.  For many years it has been the recommendation, but understandably there are those looking for alternatives.

This alternative within Boka is nano-hydroxyapatite (n-Ha), a form of calcium phosphate.

Calcium phosphates (such as hydroxyapatite) help reharden the tooth surface in a similar way to fluoride.

When we eat and drink our teeth come under attack from bacteria which produce acids.  These acids soften the hard enamel layer of the tooth and over time can cause cracks and holes in the tooth (at a microscopic level. Over time these can increase in size and result in what is commonly referred to as decay or cavities.

Our saliva naturally helps protect our teeth with a process called remineralization.  But, this is not generally enough with the diet and lifestyles we have today.  Brushing is important to disrupt and remove acid producing bacteria, but toothpaste helps as well

Fluoride has typically been the chosen product to assist, but considering that 97% of enamel and 97% of dentin that make up our teeth is made from hydroxyapatite (Open Dentistry Journal), nano-hydroxyapatite is an ideal alternative.

When included in a toothpaste, it is used by our saliva to help remineralize (harden) our teeth by replacing lost minerals such as calcium and phosphates caused by high levels of acid or bacteria. (Oral Science)

Ultimately by helping remineralize our teeth we are helping to protect against decay.

It is not a commonly used ingredient in toothpaste within the USA, but has for over 40 years been used in Japan.

A single tube of paste contains 4 ounces (118ml) of paste.

Whilst every brand and even particular paste from a brand can differ in the capacity in each tube 5-6 ounces is pretty common.

Therefore the 4 ounces of Boka is on the lower end of the capacity scale.

You only need a small pea sized amount each time, so you should be able to get up to 3 months from each tube, providing you use sparingly.

Each tube of Boka paste costs $12 when purchased without subscription.

This is without doubt a more premium price when compared to a typical tube of fluoride toothpaste you can buy at the grocery store or local pharmacy.  

Typically you are going to pay $2-4 for one of your big brand tubes.

More specialist pasts will command a premium, but most of those tend to fall in and around the $10 price point.

Boka is not as widely available as many other brands, primarily due to the fact it is a little more unique and not made by the likes of Crest or Colgate.

You can buy direct from Boka but you can find this Ela Mint paste online at stores like Amazon, Bloomingdales and Target to name just a few.

Amazon offers a subscribe and save option, but it is more expensive than subscribing directly with Boka.

Whether you opt for a 1, 2 or 3 month interval on the subscription, each tube will cost you $9.60, a 20% saving in on the one-time purchase price of $12.

Ingredients

Boka Ela Mint toothpaste is free of fluoride, sls parabens and artificial flavors.  The full list of ingredients are as follows:

Glycerin, Water, Hydrated Silica, Erythritol, Silica, Natural Flavors (Coconut and Ginger), Hydroxyapatite (nano), Xanthan Gum, Sodium Benzoate, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice, Chamomilla Recutita (Chamomile) Flower Extract*, Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM), Potassium Chloride, Sodium Bicarbonate, Stevia Rebaudiana Extract Powder, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate.

To learn more about what each of these is for, see our toothpaste ingredients A – Z.

Safety

If it is not already clear, the way we test products here at Electric Teeth is not in the science lab breaking down and testing all components of a product.  But instead, just like you would at home.

Individual ingredients within this paste may have different pros and cons associated with them. I am not here to specifically look at the arguments on either side, but to try and take a rounded view.

To my knowledge, all are considered ‘safe’ and acceptable for use within the paste.

Fluoride has been one of the more contentious ingredients within toothpaste and Boka have chosen to remove it, replacing it with a newer but biocompatible product called hydroxyapatite.

The tube itself contains the list of ingredients, a contact address and website for Boka.

It would be nice to see a contact telephone number as a more rapid contact option.

No mention is made on the packaging is made about the shelf life of this product or when it expires.  

Whilst most would use this within about 3 months of purchase, perhaps this could be included in the future.  Typically there is a 6, 12 or 24 month symbol on other products of this type, to indicate when you should stop using it.

Is it eco-friendly?

No.

Although Boka is designed from an ingredient perspective to be a bit different, their toothpaste is not specifically designed to be eco-friendly.

The paste still comes in a tube, which is difficult to recycle.  Although it does not come packaged in an outer box like most tubes of toothpaste do.

It is water based unlike toothpaste tablets, so the packaging required and the weight is greater,than more sustainable alternatives.

What we would like to see improved?

It would be great to see Boka’s products gain more shelf space within stores across the country and internationally.  This isn’t just something Boka can do without buy in from more retailers and dental professionals, but there are no doubt more opportunities.

If the price could come down a bit, it would make it a more affordable alternative to those who cannot justify the premium price for this tube of paste.

Introducing a more sustainable packaging option would be ideal.  There are newer material choices becoming available today to allow this.  Perhaps even as a first step, a larger tube to cut down the frequency you would need to buy a new tube.

Conclusion

Fluoride may well be the most recommended ingredient within toothpaste to help fight against decay and protect the teeth, but it does not mean it is the only option.

The science clearly shows the potential positive effects of hydroxyapatite.

Non-toxic and biocompatible it is naturally restorative and its inclusion within the Boka toothpaste makes this a great choice for those looking for a paste that is a bit different.

The mild mint flavor is not at all overpowering and my teeth took on a healthy shine after use.

There is a price premium to be paid, but it is one I suspect you will find justifiable given the potential lack of quality alternatives.

It might not have the American Dental Association seal of approval as yet, but in time there is a high likelihood that this will change.