The Japanese Toothpaste With A Cult Following On Amazon

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This may be an unpopular opinion, but I love going to the dentist. There's nothing like that squeaky-clean mouthfeel and freshly polished chompers to make me feel my best. Well, not too long ago, the eagle-eyed members of the R29 shopping team noticed a Japanese toothpaste called the Apagard M-Type quietly blowing up on Amazon. The origin story is murky, but a 2020 Reddit thread debating the benefits of the tube seems to have cemented its status as one of the Internet's most beloved products. (It has 2,540 reviews so far, and an impressive 4.5-star rating! Another variety, the Premio, has 2,157 reviews — so this is A Thing.) I know, you're probably thinking: who gets jazzed about toothpaste?! But, according to the scores of Amazon reviewers, this isn't just any old toothpaste. Its cult-commenter following calls out such magic benefits as minimizing tooth sensitivity, removing stains, and preventing cavities. According to the packaging, it's a "remineralizing" formula which — after Googling (dentists, don't @ me!) — I deduced to mean contains ingredients that can help increase the mineral content of tooth enamel for a strengthening/desensitizing effect. And although the thousands of reviewers had spoken on whether or not this stuff actually worked, I decided to put on my testing-tooth to find out firsthand.

Before I started my test drive of the super-paste, I consulted the online peanut gallery to assess what the chorus of oral-hygiene enthusiasts had to say about the product. Reviewers with legitimate dental issues (cavities, hot and cold sensitivity, staining) found that Apagard had some seriously protective properties not normally found in your average scrubby stuff. Customer MOO, who has experienced “major cavity problems despite brushing 3-4 times a day” posted his review about 45 days after using the toothpaste twice daily. “I just got back from my dentist appointment today, [where] they took new X-rays. The dentist pointed out another ... section where he thought ... [there] would be a new cavity, but ... he told me the cavity appears to have reversed, and the section of tooth ‘recalcified.’ That was the exact word he used. I've never received any positive news at the dentist so this is totally a new experience.” Another soft-enameled customer took the plunge after "hearing about it from a Japanese YouTuber"; "The longer I use this toothpaste, the stronger, cleaner and whiter my teeth look. They finally look healthy!"

“Awesome toothpaste, I feel my teeth getting stronger already; sensitivity is gone after one week,” commented Xenavegan “Jen” in her five-star review. “It’s not an understatement to say ‘life-changing,’” wrote Christina M. in a glowing assessment. “I’ve been using it just over a month and my tooth sensitivity is nearly gone.” David Wolf wrote: “It’s kind of expensive but what are your teeth worth? I’ve had teeth removed because I didn’t know about this toothpaste. Everyone who tries it tells me it is a miracle. They were going to have teeth removed but not anymore. Pain goes away, cavities are filled. If the American Dental Association cared one lick about people, they would be pitching this toothpaste. But then dentists would be out of work.”

When it comes to toothpaste, I'm not fancy. I grew up using Crest, but have been loyal to Hello's Naturally Whitening Fluoride Toothpaste for the past few years. Right off the bat, I noticed that the Apagard M-Plus toothpaste didn't have a super-strong minty flavor — the kind that has a cool burn and almost makes your eyes tear up. Compared to the stuff I used as a kid, Apagard was almost flavorless. It also had a less jelly-like consistency and was almost creamy (like cake frosting) compared to the gels from drugstore brands.

My initial thoughts after using it were that I didn't have the same fresh-breath feeling after rinsing; however, I have to admit that my teeth felt like they just came back from the spa. When I ran my tongue over my front chompers, they felt ultra-smooth and clean. (This is an amazing sensation for a borderline oral care-obsessive like myself.)

After using this morning and night (and flossing before bed), I have to admit, I'm pretty impressed. As an avid tea drinker, my dentist is often pointing out the stains left behind my multiple cups of English Breakfast. Sure enough, this backed up many reviewers' experience of fewer stains in a surprisingly short amount of time.

I'm lucky that I don't suffer from tooth sensitivity, with the exception of one lil’ teefer on the top-left quadrant of my mouth that can be a little tender while flossing. (It's normal, says my dentist, to have mild sensitivity in an otherwise healthy mouth ecosystem.) Improvement on that front has been slow, understandably, but I'm excited to see if using Apagard will help improve that in a significant way.

As a Japanese-American gal, I have to say, it warms my heart to see a niche product from my country make it big stateside. (Baby Foot or SK-II, anyone?) That said, I generally recommend people proceed with caution when buying products on Amazon since they're not always verified with the brand itself — which is a shame, since this seems like an amazing toothpaste so far. If you're game to try it yourself, here's my advice: check the reviews, make sure it's shipped from the 'Zon, and maybe consider smuggling a few tubes in your checked luggage if you get the chance to visit Japan in the near future.