Ingredients
What's In Clera. All of It.
Every ingredient on the label. What it is, what it does, and why it's there — in plain language with the science attached.
We don't use proprietary blends. We don't hide behind "oral health complex." If it's in the tablet, it's documented here.
Xylitol (DC)
What it is: A naturally occurring five-carbon sugar alcohol found in many fruits and vegetables, used here in Direct Compression (DC) grade — a granulated, flow-optimized form suitable for chewable tablet manufacturing.
What it does in your mouth: Xylitol enters Streptococcus mutans — the primary cavity-causing bacterium — via the fructose phosphotransferase system. Inside the cell, it's converted to xylitol-5-phosphate, which cannot be metabolized further and accumulates as a cytotoxic dead-end product. The bacterium expends energy trying to process it. Simultaneously, because xylitol is not fermented, it doesn't generate the lactic acid that drops plaque pH below the enamel demineralization threshold (5.5).
Why we included it: It is the most well-studied non-fluoride cariostatic agent in the dental literature, with consistent evidence for S. mutans suppression across multiple randomized trials. It also functions as the chewable base of the tablet — form and function in the same ingredient.
Key study: Mäkinen KK. (2011). "Sugar alcohols, caries incidence, and remineralization of caries lesions." International Journal of Dentistry. PMC3434645.
The bacteria try to eat it. It is the last thing they eat.
Guava Fruit Powder (325 mg)
What it is: Whole-fruit powder derived from Psidium guajava, standardized for polyphenol and vitamin C content. At 325mg, it is the largest single active ingredient by weight in Clera.
What it does in your mouth: Guava's polyphenolic fraction — quercetin, kaempferol, ellagic acid, and related flavonoids — inhibits S. mutans adhesion and biofilm formation while exerting anti-inflammatory activity on gingival epithelial tissue. Vitamin C (ascorbate) is an obligatory cofactor in the hydroxylation steps of collagen synthesis; the periodontal ligament and gingival connective tissue are collagen-dense structures whose integrity is ascorbate-dependent.
Why we included it: Most oral supplement formulas address the tooth surface and ignore the gum tissue. Guava Fruit Powder extends the formula's target to soft tissue — the tissue that, clinically, is often the first site of oral pathology.
Key study: Kavitha S et al. (2019). "Efficacy of Psidium guajava leaf extract mouthrinse in chronic generalized gingivitis." Journal of Indian Society of Periodontology. PMID: 31752836.
325 milligrams. A fruit that has been used for teeth longer than dental school has existed.
3-Strain Oral Probiotic Blend — Lactobacillus salivarius LS97, Lactobacillus paracasei LC86, Lactobacillus acidophilus LA85 (20 mg total)
What it is: A precisely selected combination of three Lactobacillus species — naturally found in human oral flora — at a combined 20mg dose, delivered in a form optimized for oral mucosal contact.
What it does in your mouth:
- LS97 suppresses S. mutans biofilm formation by downregulating glucosyltransferase genes (gtfB/C/D), which encode enzymes that build the sticky extracellular polysaccharide matrix of plaque. Disrupting these genes leaves the biofilm structurally compromised.
- LC86 produces bacteriocins active against both S. mutans and periodontal pathogens including Porphyromonas gingivalis. It also co-aggregates with pathogens — physically binding to them and preventing their adhesion to tooth and mucosal surfaces.
- LA85 modulates the salivary microbial environment by occupying ecological niches that cariogenic species would otherwise fill, supporting salivary buffering capacity and healthy microbial balance.
Why we included it: Mechanical and chemical interventions reduce bacterial numbers. Probiotics do something different: they reshape who is present in the oral community. Displacing pathogens with health-associated organisms is a longer-term structural intervention in the oral microbiome.
Key studies:
- Jang HJ et al. (2014). PMID: 24961744.
- Sharma G et al. (2023). PMC10421449.
- Lamont RJ et al. (2022). MDPI Dentistry Journal.
Not all bacteria are the enemy. These three are specifically the ones that make it harder for the ones that are.
Microcrystalline Hydroxyapatite Complex (5 mg)
What it is: A calcium phosphate mineral compound — Ca₁₀(PO₄)₆(OH)₂ — in microcrystalline form, chemically identical to the mineral phase of human tooth enamel.
What it does in your mouth: When dissolved in saliva, Microcrystalline Hydroxyapatite Complex releases Ca²⁺ and PO₄³⁻ ions that integrate epitaxially into demineralized enamel crystal sites. The crystal lattice of synthetic hydroxyapatite is structurally continuous with natural enamel apatite, enabling mineral-to-mineral bonding rather than surface coating. This restores the original enamel architecture rather than substituting it with a chemically different compound.
Why we included it: Post-meal acid exposure is the primary driver of enamel mineral loss over a lifetime. Delivering biomimetic mineral directly after meals — when the demineralization cycle is most active and saliva is working to remineralize — is mechanistically timed intervention.
Key study: Lim et al. (2022). "Biomimetic mineralization with calcium phosphate ion clusters." Science Advances. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aaw9569.
It is, molecularly speaking, what your teeth are made of.
Beta-Cyclodextrin
What it is: A cyclic oligosaccharide — a ring of seven glucose units — used as an encapsulation excipient in pharmaceutical and supplement formulation.
What it does in your mouth: Beta-Cyclodextrin has a hydrophilic exterior and a hydrophobic interior cavity. It forms inclusion complexes with lipophilic molecules — specifically, the volatile flavor compounds and certain bioactive ingredients in Clera — improving their stability, solubility, and controlled release during chewing. It is classified GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) by the FDA.
Why we included it: Probiotic strains and polyphenols are inherently unstable in a chewable matrix without encapsulation support. Beta-Cyclodextrin extends ingredient shelf stability and improves consistent release kinetics during oral dissolution.
Key reference: Del Valle EM. (2004). "Cyclodextrins and their uses." Process Biochemistry.
The ingredient that protects the other ingredients. Every good formula has one.
Natural Flavors
What it is: Flavoring compounds derived from natural botanical or food sources, used to establish palatability without artificial additives.
What it does in your mouth: Provides taste. Compliance with a daily supplement is a function of whether you will actually take it every day. Palatability is not cosmetic — it is a delivery mechanism for every active ingredient.
Why we included it: A supplement that tastes unpleasant is a supplement that sits on the shelf. We formulated for once-daily consistency, which requires once-daily willingness.
The only ingredient in this formula whose entire job is to make sure you take the other ingredients.
Magnesium Stearate
What it is: A magnesium salt of stearic acid — a naturally occurring fatty acid — used in tablet manufacturing as a flow agent and anti-adherent.
What it does in your mouth: Practically nothing. Magnesium stearate functions during the manufacturing process: it prevents the tablet blend from sticking to punches and dies in the compression equipment, ensuring consistent tablet weight and hardness. At the low concentrations used (typically <1% by weight), it is not pharmacologically active.
Why we included it: Without a flow agent, consistent chewable tablet compression is not achievable at scale. Magnesium stearate is the most widely used and studied excipient for this purpose.
The most misunderstood ingredient in every supplement. It's there so the machine can make the tablet.
What's NOT in Clera
No Alcohol
Ethanol is a broad-spectrum antiseptic that kills bacteria indiscriminately. In mouthwash formulations, it disrupts the oral microbiome — beneficial commensals alongside pathogens — and has been associated with oral mucosal irritation with chronic use. We are building a specific, targeted formula. Alcohol is a blunt instrument.
No Fluoride
Fluoride is effective. It is also the default. Clera is designed for consumers who want a fluoride-free alternative that addresses the same enamel and cariogenic challenges through a different mechanism. Hydroxyapatite and xylitol provide the enamel-protective and anti-cariogenic activity. Adding fluoride would be redundant to our stated formula rationale.
No Artificial Sweeteners
Sucralose, aspartame, acesulfame-K, and related compounds are excluded. We use xylitol — the only sweetener in the formula — which serves dual purpose as both active cariostatic ingredient and palatability agent. One sweetener, two functions.
No Titanium Dioxide
Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) is a whitening agent and excipient with an evolving regulatory profile — banned as a food additive in the EU as of 2022 pending additional genotoxicity studies. We don't use it.
No Proprietary Blends
Every ingredient dose is declared on the label. LS97, LC86, LA85 — total combined 20mg, disclosed. Guava Fruit Powder — 325mg, disclosed. Microcrystalline Hydroxyapatite Complex — 5mg, disclosed. Proprietary blends protect a manufacturer's ability to underdose. We don't need that protection.
⚠️ FDA Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Clera is a dietary supplement. Consult your healthcare provider before use if you are pregnant, nursing, have a medical condition, or are taking medications.