In a nutshell, papain is an enzyme that digests proteins. Some of the stains and plaque on teeth are proteins. So, papain can digest and remove them.

Here is a quote from a patent application:
"Papain is a proteolytic enzyme with low specificity, suitable for cleaning the salivary protein plaque that has a whitening effect on the tooth surfaces. A valued enzymatic extract can be used, whose proteolytic activity has been adjusted to a constant value, from a latex obtained from unripe fruits of the Carica papaya (papaya). Papain hydrolysed proteins, amides and amino acid esters, and its activity is associated with the presence of free sulphyl (--SH) groups in its active center."
Papain, which comes from papaya fruit, is also being introduced into other cleaning formulations, anywhere, in fact, that there is protein that needs to be removed.
Source(s):
http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6432388/description.html


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