A primary concern when formulating a dentifrice is the need to prevent the inactivation of therapeutic agents by other ingredients. This is commonly the case with abrasive components (e.g., silica) that can bind to and limit the bioactivity of therapeutic ingredients. Other concerns involve the degradation or inactivation of ingredients by water. For example, SHMP can be hydrolyzed by water into individual phosphates or other intermediate breakdown products.
As noted throughout this course, a dentifrice is a very complex aggregate of chemicals with very specific functions. Not only do these ingredients have to be effective individually, they also have to be compatible with one another. All of these requirements demand very careful formulation and processing in order to be able to manufacture a high quality dentifrice.
