A dentifrice composition comprises a toothpaste carrier having a pH of about 7 to about 10 and a calcium ion source and a fluoride ion source wherein the calcium ion source is unencapsulated and the fluoride ion source is encapsulated or coated in a coating impermeable to the toothpaste carrier. The coating degrades to release fluoride ions when mechanically agitated by a toothbrush in an oral cavity surface. In a second embodiment, the dentifrice composition comprises an aqueous toothpaste carrier having a pH of about 7 to about 10 with an unencapsulated calcium ion source and a fluoride ion source having a pH of between 3 to less than 7 wherein the fluoride ion source is encapsulated in a first (or inner) impermeable coating adapted to degrade to release the fluoride ions in the presence of a toothpaste carrier. The first coating is encased in a second (or outer) impermeable coating adapted to resist degradation in the presence of the toothpaste carrier and to mechanically degrade to expose the first (or inner coating) which degrades to release the fluoride ions in response to application of the dentifrice composition to an oral cavity surface.
