Who Makes ApaCare? The Company Behind Liquid Enamel

If you have picked up an ApaCare tube and wondered who actually makes it, this is the short answer, followed by the longer one.

ApaCare is made by Cumdente GmbH, a dental company based in Tübingen in southern Germany, founded in 1997 by Univ.-Prof. Dr. Rainer Hahn. ApaCare, OraLactin and Essentials are its registered trademarks. In the UK the range is distributed and sold by ApaCare UK, based in Aberdeen.

Where did the hydroxyapatite come from?

Not from a toothpaste brief. It came out of an ultrasound machine.

In the late 1990s in Tübingen, Prof. Hahn and his team were developing a device to treat gum disease without pain, using ultrasound rather than scraping. The engineering problem in front of them was finding a medium that would carry ultrasound energy from the instrument to the tooth.

Working through candidate materials, they came across apatite compounds, a family of calcium phosphate minerals closely related to what tooth enamel is made of. They produced a synthetic version, fluorapatite. It worked, but the production process was too complex to manufacture at any useful scale.

The version that did scale was hydroxyapatite: stable and available in quantity. Testing it, the team found that particles at certain grain sizes settled into the finest pores and cracks in enamel and stayed on the tooth surface. Testers reported noticeably smooth, shiny teeth.

That material is what ApaCare calls liquid enamel, and it is what is in the tube.

When did ApaCare start?

The research came first, the products later.

2005. The first ApaCare product was a repair paste, developed for use in dental practices before it was offered to consumers.

2008. ApaCare toothpaste launched, combining hydroxyapatite with fluoride.

From there. The range grew into polishing pastes, mouth rinses, varnish and chewing gum, and expanded out of Germany and Austria internationally.

From 2015. Research widened into the oral microbiome, which eventually produced the OraLactin line.

Today. ApaCare marks 20 years, with more than 50 products and distribution in over 45 countries.

The gap between 1997 and 2005 is the part worth noticing. Cumdente spent its first years supplying dentists rather than consumers and the hydroxyapatite in ApaCare came out of clinical dental research rather than a consumer product brief.

What does ApaCare actually make?

Three lines, which do different jobs.

ApaCare

The oral care range built around hydroxyapatite: toothpaste, polishing paste, repair paste, varnish, mouth rinse and chewing gum. Hydroxyapatite is the mineral tooth enamel is largely made of. In these formulas it deposits onto the tooth surface as you brush, settling into microscopic surface irregularities and helping to smooth them. A smoother surface reflects light more evenly, which is why teeth can look brighter with consistent use. The mechanism is covered in full here.

OraLactin

The oral probiotic line, using prebiotic, probiotic and postbiotic ingredients alongside hydroxyapatite.

Essentials

This covers food supplements and functional nutrition.

The small tooth-and-hexagon symbol on the classic ApaCare packs is a reference to the mineral itself and to where the brand came from.

Is ApaCare made in Germany?

Yes. Cumdente is headquartered in Tübingen and manufactures in Germany.

It is worth knowing what that phrase does and does not tell you, because it appears on a great many products and carries less weight than most people assume. Country-of-origin marking says where a product was made. On its own it says nothing about testing, safety assessment or whether the claims on the box hold up.

What does govern that in the UK is separate, and it applies regardless of where a product is manufactured. Every cosmetic sold in Great Britain, toothpaste and mouthwash included, must have a named UK Responsible Person, a safety assessment held on file by that person, and a notification to the Office for Product Safety and Standards before it can be sold. Any product on a UK shelf has been through that, whether it was made in Tübingen or ten miles away.

So "made in Germany" is a fact about manufacturing and the safety framework is a separate thing entirely. Both are true of ApaCare. Only one of them is the reason it is legal to sell here.

What is the TOP 100 Innovator award?

In June 2026, Cumdente and ApaCare were named among Germany's TOP 100 most innovative medium-sized companies. The award was presented on 26 June 2026 by former Federal President Christian Wulff at the German SME Summit in Heidelberg.

Being straight about what that means, since award badges are easy to display and hard to interpret. TOP 100 assesses how a company innovates: its strategy, culture, processes and market impact, through an independent review. It is a judgement about the business.

It is not a product test, it is not a clinical trial and it does not tell you whether a toothpaste works. Anyone using an innovation award as proof of efficacy is stretching it, and that includes us.

Who is Prof. Rainer Hahn?

A dentist, researcher and the founder of Cumdente, which he still runs. He holds a university professorship, has been awarded the Miller Prize, and speaks internationally on dentistry.

He is also the person who developed the material in question, which is worth saying plainly rather than dressing up. A founder explaining his own research is not the same thing as an independent dentist recommending a product, and we would rather you know which of those you are reading.

What we do not claim about ApaCare

Probably the most useful section on this page, and unusual enough that it is worth stating outright. Here is what these products do not do.

They do not bleach. No toothpaste sold in a shop bleaches teeth. In the UK, whitening is a dental treatment carried out by registered dental professionals. What a cosmetic paste can do is lift surface stain and smooth the surface so it reflects light more evenly. The full explanation is here.

They do not regrow lost enamel. Enamel has no living cells and does not regenerate. Early mineral loss can be supported. Enamel that has physically gone does not come back.

They do not treat gum disease, tooth decay or any other diagnosed condition. They are cosmetic products for daily care. If something in your mouth needs treating, it needs a dentist.

They are not a substitute for the basics. Brushing twice a day for two minutes with a fluoride toothpaste, cleaning between your teeth, and regular check-ups. Nothing in the range replaces any of that.

We would rather tell you this than have you find out. It also means that when we do make a claim, you can take it at face value.

Common questions

Who makes ApaCare?

Cumdente GmbH, based in Tübingen, Germany, founded in 1997 by Univ.-Prof. Dr. Rainer Hahn.

Is ApaCare made in Germany?

Yes. Cumdente is headquartered in Tübingen and manufactures in Germany. Products sold in the UK also meet UK cosmetic safety requirements, which is a separate framework from where something is made.

How long has ApaCare been going?

ApaCare marks 20 years in 2026. The first product, a repair paste, was developed in 2005 and the toothpaste followed in 2008. The company behind it has operated in dentistry since 1997.

What is liquid enamel?

ApaCare's term for the hydroxyapatite in its formulas, the same mineral family that natural tooth enamel is largely made of.

Is ApaCare a real dental brand or a marketing brand?

It began as a dental-practice product and reached consumers second. The repair paste was supplied to dental practices in 2005, three years before the consumer toothpaste existed.

Where can I see the research?

ApaCare publishes a Research Centre and a Knowledge Centre on its international site, and UK-relevant material sits on our Resources page.

Buying in the UK: free delivery over £20 from our Aberdeen warehouse. Pharmacies and dental practices can open a trade account.