Strontium is a naturally occurring mineral found in our bodies. It shares some similarities with calcium, which explains why it’s touted for conditions like tooth sensitivity, osteoporosis, and general bone health.
Strontium is most often used for
Last Updated:October 24, 2024
Strontium is a naturally occurring trace element that resembles calcium but is not biologically equivalent, leading to competition for absorption in the body. A typical diet provides 2 to 4 mg of strontium daily, primarily from plant-based sources, with variability in intake due to differences in soil strontium content. Although dietary strontium intake is generally not harmful at typical levels, excessive incorporation of strontium into the body — especially under conditions of calcium deficiency — can interfere with bone health due to competition with calcium for absorption and deposition, which potentially leads to weakened bone mineralization and related skeletal issues.
Current evidence does not support the benefits of oral strontium supplements, but preclinical studies suggest that it may enhance bone strength. Additionally, when used topically in toothpaste or creams, strontium has been clinically shown to reduce dental and skin sensitivities.
Strontium competes with calcium for absorption in the body, which can reduce its effectiveness, especially when it is taken together with calcium supplements. Additionally, excess strontium exposure in early childhood can impede bone growth, and although the risks are lower for adults, it can still interfere with bone development if vitamin D, phosphorus, and calcium levels are inadequate.
Strontium is incorporated into bones and may enhance bone strength by increasing osteoblast activity and reducing their destruction, which can potentially fill gaps left by excessive bone resorption. Additionally, strontium may block dental hypersensitivity and exhibit anti-inflammatory properties, which could help reduce skin irritation when used in topical applications.
Formulation: Strontium used to be a more common toothpaste additive to ease dental sensitivity. Over time it has fallen out of favor in the US and is being replaced by ingredients like potassium nitrate. Though there are some investigations into whether strontium chloride or nitrate may be useful in applications of skin sensitivities, these may also be difficult to find over the counter. In the US, strontium can be found in dietary supplements, most commonly as strontium citrate. Other forms of strontium sold over the counter as supplements include strontium chloride, strontium gluconate, strontium carbonate, strontium aspartate, and elemental strontium. Over the counter, strontium supplements are found in capsule, tablet, softgel, powder, and liquid forms.
Range of dosages studied: Oral strontium supplements currently on the market in the US range from 0.01–2,000 mg per day.[1]
For skin irritation and itching, strontium has been studied as a topical formulation that’s either 20% strontium nitrate or 4% strontium chloride, combined with other ingredients. For tooth hypersensitivity, pastes containing 2–10% strontium chloride or 8% strontium acetate have been studied.
Effective Dosages:
Skin Irritation/Itching
Adults: Direct application of a topical ointment containing either 20% strontium nitrate or 4% strontium chloride, combined with other ingredients (e.g., hydrocortisone, diphenhydramine, glycolic acid).[2][3][4]
Dental Sensitivity
Adults: Toothpaste containing 8% strontium acetate or 2–10% strontium chloride, for use twice per day in normal brushing.[5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]
Other Considerations: For other conditions (osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, bone-fracture risk) strontium ranelate has been studied as a pharmaceutical agent. Strontium ranelate is used by prescription in Europe for treating osteoporosis, but it is not currently approved by the US FDA because of concerns of cardiovascular risk. High levels of strontium exposure have been associated with calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D deficiencies.[13]
For other forms of strontium as an oral, over-the-counter supplement, clinical evidence is lacking.
Supplement labels often recommend taking strontium and calcium supplements separately (often spaced at least 2–4 hours apart).[1] This makes sense, because our ability to absorb strontium decreases when taken in conjunction with calcium.[13][14]
All new FAQs were added to this page.
All new FAQs were added to this page.
No studies obtained were found to be appropriate for adding to Examine Database. The majority of the published evidence is for strontium forms that are prescription/clinical application only. The few where that didn't apply were combination therapies.
