Bite vs. Boka vs. NOBS: Which Toothpaste Is Right for You?

Bite vs. Boka vs. NOBS: Which Toothpaste Is Right for You?

Shopping for toothpaste got surprisingly complicated.

There’s fluoride. Nano-hydroxyapatite. Tablets. Tubes. Glass jars. Refill systems. A lot of ingredient names that sound like they belong in chemistry class.

If you’re comparing Bite, Boka, and NOBS, here’s the first thing to know: they’re not actually the same type of product. Bite and NOBS make toothpaste tablets. Boka currently makes toothpaste in a traditional tube; its tablets are mouthwash tablets.

And yes, you’re reading this on Bite’s website. We make Toothpaste Bits, so we’re not going to cosplay as an anonymous review site. What we can do is make the differences clear, stick to what the labels and research actually say, and help you decide what matters for your routine.

Bite vs. Boka vs. NOBS at a glance

Bite’s fluoride Toothpaste Bits use 0.76% sodium monofluorophosphate, providing 0.14% fluoride ion. Our fluoride-free formulas use nano-hydroxyapatite instead. Boka’s adult toothpastes are currently fluoride-free and formulated with nano-hydroxyapatite, while NOBS lists 5% nano-hydroxyapatite in its fluoride-free tablets.

So before comparing mint levels, foam, packaging, or whatever TikTok has decided to debate this week, start here:

Fluoride or nano-hydroxyapatite?

This is the biggest formulation difference between the three.

Fluoride has a long track record in cavity prevention. The CDC says fluoride helps prevent cavities in both children and adults, and the ADA notes that over-the-counter fluoride toothpastes in the U.S. generally contain 1,000 to 1,500 ppm fluoride.

Hydroxyapatite, including nano-hydroxyapatite or nHAp, is a mineral closely related to the hydroxyapatite naturally found in teeth. Research around hydroxyapatite toothpaste has grown substantially in recent years. Recent systematic reviews have found evidence that hydroxyapatite toothpastes can support remineralization and help prevent caries, with some clinical studies finding results comparable to fluoride toothpaste. The body of evidence is newer and smaller than the decades of data behind fluoride, so we think it’s more accurate to say the research is growing rather than turn toothpaste into ingredient team sports.

That distinction matters here because Bite is the only one of these three brands that currently gives you both options. Our fluoride Bits use sodium monofluorophosphate, while our fluoride-free Bits use nHAp. Boka and NOBS currently focus on fluoride-free nHAp formulas.

If your dentist has specifically recommended fluoride based on your cavity risk, that may make the decision pretty simple. If you’re looking for a fluoride-free formula, all three brands have an nHAp option.

What about the research on toothpaste tablets?

The tablet part itself is newer than the ingredients inside it.

A small randomized controlled trial published in 2023 compared a fluoride toothpaste tablet with conventional fluoride toothpaste over two weeks. Both groups improved in plaque control, and researchers found no significant difference between the groups for plaque or gingival scores after two weeks. People were less enthusiastic about the tablet’s texture and foam.

Important caveat: the study used Colgate products, not Bite, and it looked at plaque and gingivitis over two weeks. It did not test long-term cavity prevention.

That means it’s useful evidence that a tablet format can perform similarly to paste for those short-term measures when comparable fluoride formulations are used. It is not evidence that every toothpaste tablet performs identically to every toothpaste.

A peer-reviewed 2025 study found that toothpaste tablets formulated with 5% nano-hydroxyapatite provided comparable protection against tooth-surface demineralization to toothpaste with 1,100 ppm fluoride under the study conditions, adding to the growing research behind nHAp in toothpaste tablet formulas.

Tablets or a tube?

This part has less to do with dental science and more to do with whether you actually like using the thing twice a day.

Boka is the most familiar experience of the three. Squeeze toothpaste onto your toothbrush and brush.

Bite and NOBS both replace paste with a dry tablet. You chew the tablet, wet your toothbrush, and brush as usual.

The tablet format means there’s no toothpaste tube, no squeezing out too much, and no liquid toothpaste to deal with while traveling. Each serving is already portioned for you.

There can be an adjustment period, especially if you’re used to a mouthful of foam. Which brings us to...

More foam does not automatically mean cleaner teeth

Foam is satisfying. We get it.

But foam is primarily part of the brushing experience, not a scorecard for how well your toothpaste works. The short-term tablet study above is a good example: participants rated the tablets less favorably for texture and foam, even though researchers found no significant difference between the tablet and paste groups for plaque and gingival scores after two weeks.

It’s also worth remembering that “SLS-free” does not mean “surfactant-free.” Toothpastes still use ingredients that help disperse and clean.

Our Bits use sodium cocoyl glutamate as a surfactant. Boka’s Ela Mint formula lists sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, while NOBS lists sodium lauryl sulfoacetate and sodium cocoyl isethionate.

Different formulas will foam differently. Pick the experience you’ll actually stick with.

What about abrasives?

Calcium carbonate and forms of silica show up across these formulas because abrasives help physically remove plaque and surface stains.

But here’s where we’d change the usual internet toothpaste advice: you can’t reliably judge the abrasivity of a finished toothpaste just by spotting “silica” or “calcium carbonate” on an ingredient list.

Relative Dentin Abrasivity, or RDA, is a standardized laboratory measurement of a finished dentifrice. The ADA specifically notes that RDA should not be used to rank the safety of toothpastes that fall within accepted limits.

NOBS currently publishes an RDA value of 21.38 for its tablets. Bite and Boka both use common dentifrice abrasives in their formulas, but we wouldn’t label one “more aggressive” than another based on the ingredient names alone.

Packaging is where the differences get much more obvious

Toothpaste is something most of us use twice a day for our entire lives, so the packaging adds up.

Our whole reason for making Toothpaste Bits in the first place was to get toothpaste out of the plastic tube. Bite subscriptions start with a refillable glass jar, and future shipments come in home-compostable refill pouches designed to be transferred back into that jar.

NOBS also packages its tablets in a glass jar.

Boka uses a conventional toothpaste tube format.

Bite is also a Certified B Corporation, independently listed by B Lab and certified since 2022.

If reducing bathroom plastic is one of the reasons you’re looking at toothpaste alternatives in the first place, packaging is worth looking at alongside the formula.

So, which one makes sense for you?

If you want toothpaste tablets with fluoride, Bite is currently the clear match among these three because we offer a fluoride formula and the other two do not.

If you want fluoride-free nano-hydroxyapatite, you have options. Bite, Boka, and NOBS all currently offer nHAp formulas. The main decision becomes format: Bite and NOBS are tablets, while Boka keeps the traditional paste-and-tube experience.

If you want a refill system designed to replace the toothpaste tube, that’s where our approach is different. Toothpaste Bits come in a reusable glass jar with refill pouches on subscription, so the package you keep on your bathroom counter stays put.

And if you simply love squeezing toothpaste onto a brush? Boka exists. We won’t take it personally.

Probably.

FAQ

Is Bite better than Boka?

They’re different formats. Bite makes toothpaste tablets and currently offers both fluoride and fluoride-free nHAp formulas. Boka makes fluoride-free nHAp toothpaste in a tube. The better fit depends on the active ingredient and format you want.

What’s the difference between Bite and NOBS?

Both make toothpaste tablets and both offer nano-hydroxyapatite formulas. NOBS currently uses 5% nHAp and does not offer a fluoride formula. Bite offers fluoride-free nHAp Bits as well as a separate fluoride formula containing sodium monofluorophosphate. Bite subscriptions also use a refillable glass jar and refill-pouch system.

Does Bite have fluoride?

Yes. Our Mint Fluoride Toothpaste Bits contain 0.76% sodium monofluorophosphate, providing 0.14% fluoride ion. We also make separate fluoride-free Toothpaste Bits with nano-hydroxyapatite.

Does Boka make toothpaste tablets?

As of this comparison, Boka’s toothpaste comes in tubes. Boka does sell mouthwash tablets, but those are not toothpaste tablets.

Do toothpaste tablets work?

The formula matters more than whether your toothpaste starts as a paste or a tablet. One small two-week randomized trial found a fluoride toothpaste tablet and conventional fluoride toothpaste performed similarly for plaque and gingivitis control, although users preferred the paste’s texture and foam. Longer-term, product-specific research is still more limited for toothpaste tablets than for conventional toothpaste.

What should I look for when choosing toothpaste?

Start with the ingredient or active your dentist recommends for your needs, then look at the complete formula, format, flavor, packaging, and whether you’ll realistically use it twice a day. Toothpaste only works when it makes it onto your toothbrush.