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Comment by nappy | Hacker News Reader

I wrote a longer comment about this below, but the essential reason is: if I made fluoride a product requirement, I wouldn't have gotten to a release. It would have added a huge expense.

Additionally, fluoride is much more important for children. As enamel is forming, fluoride interacts with it and strengthens it. Adults need far less (threshold dose effect) and for most people in the United States, they likely get enough in the water. I also figure this is a toothpaste you'll use in the morning, and another fluoridated one in the evening. You can also use a fluoridated mouthwash.

At some point, I would love to introduce a fluoridated version.

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This is fair. I do think this should be a bit more prominent, though, because when I hear "toothpaste", I tend to assume it is fluoridated. Unfluoridated toothpaste is unusual enough that it should probably be called out right on the front of the box/tube, whereas right now it's kind of buried in a FAQ.

Good job getting this off the ground, and best of luck with it.

Much appreciated! Based on this comment and others from HN, I think I'm going to add a whole section for Formulation/Ingredients, show the full label, talk about the process etc. Thank you again!

As a guy living in Europe, it seems more logical to drink unfluoridated water and use fluoridated toothpaste, but that's America over there… Cool idea, for sure.

For children, it works better in the water as you're trying to get flouride to the developing adult teeth rather than their baby teeth.

You may be right, but as I get it, the entire American population gets to drink fluoridated tap water, not only children. A stinking Commie plot, if I ever saw one.

If that's the case you shouldn't misrepresent why you don't have fluoride

If your formula is simple enough, listing it on the box might be good marketing.

I really like the idea of caffeinated toothpaste. It is simple & brilliant and I hope you succeed with this.

As someone with a kid, who lives in one of those towns where the crazies managed to prevent water fluoridation, I'm always looking at toothpastes to make sure they contain it.

That's clever of you to spin the lack of fluoride as a benefit. It'll satisfy people who are paranoid about fluoride, and people who aren't probably don't care.

Yay marketing! I feel inspired to remove expensive healthy ingredients from other products.

Healthy ingredients have been removed from most foods, and for very similar reasons. It's not a product requirement for a burger bun to include wheat germ, for example, so it is removed to reduce cost and balance with other product requirements (eg lower cost, improved flavor, shelf stability).

If the alternative is not having a profit margin, why not?

Ethics?

Could you do something clever like mix this isn't regular toothpaste? Perhaps by having a special dual tube, toothpaste holder?

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