LIVFRESH: an EDTA gel against plaque
Seven trials, one lab, no placebo.
LIVFRESH is a toothpaste gel built on EDTA (it calls it edathamil), a metal-binding chemical its researchers say breaks up plaque and stops it building back. Its ad says it is backed by 40+ clinical studies. Short answer: we found seven trials of its gels on PubMed. They all came out in its favour against the toothpaste they were compared with, mostly double-blind — but every one is from the same UC Irvine lab group, most had fewer than 35 people, and none had a placebo arm. That is early evidence, not 40 studies.
How the evidence flows
Each claim (middle), the studies that tested it (left) — green found it, red found nothing — and the grade they add up to (right). Drawn from the same records as the grades below. Tap to open full size.
EDTA dental gel (LIVFRESH) · evidence checked 2026-10-26
What the research shows
Grades are calculated from the studies listed, by fixed rules.
- LIVFRESH’s EDTA dental gel removes more plaque and calms gums better than ordinary toothpasteEarly evidence
Seven trials, most of them double-blind, found the gel beat the toothpaste it was compared with on plaque or gum inflammation. Every one is from the same UC Irvine lab group, most are small, and none had a placebo arm, so they count as early evidence. The two largest tested the newer stannous-fluoride version against a sodium-fluoride paste.
- Open-label randomized trial, 25 people, 3 weeks (2014) — secondary outcome: improved. Funder not checked.
- Open-label randomized trial, 22 people, 4 weeks (2016) — secondary outcome: improved. Funder not checked.
- Open-label randomized trial, 10 people (2018) — secondary outcome: improved. Funder not checked.
- Open-label randomized trial, 33 people, 26 weeks (2019) — secondary outcome: improved. Funder not checked.
- Open-label randomized trial, 65 people, 26 weeks (2021) — primary outcome: improved. Funder not checked.
- Open-label randomized trial, 60 people, 13 weeks (2022) — primary outcome: improved. Funder not checked.
- Open-label randomized trial, 150 people, 13 weeks (2023) — primary outcome: improved. Funded by mixed sources.
- LIVFRESH is backed by 40+ clinical studies, 40 patents and more than 3,000 dentistsNo real evidence
The ad said “Backed by 40+ clinical studies, 40 patents, and more than 3,000 dentists, LIVFRESH works differently than anything else on a drugstore shelf. / The secret is a patented ingredient called Activated…”
LIVFRESH · Facebook ad, seen Oct 2026
On PubMed we found the seven trials above of its dental gels. The maker’s other papers there are about eye drops for cataract and a skin lotion for burns tested in rats and pigs. We could not find 40 clinical studies of the toothpaste. Patents and dentist counts are not evidence that it works.
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