In vitro evaluation of the abrasiveness of a commercial low-abrasive dentifrice and an experimental dentifrice containing vegetable oil

Abstract

Toothpastes usually contain detergents, humectants, water, colorant, fluoride and thickeners (e.g.: silica). Tooth wear has a multi-factorial etiology and the use of abrasive dentifrices is related to abrasion of dental tissues during toothbrushing. This study evaluated in vitro the abrasiveness of a commercial silica gel low-abrasive dentifrice compared to an experimental dentifrice containing vegetable (almond) oil. Distilled water served as a control group. Acrylic specimens (8 per group) were submitted to simulated toothbrushing with slurries of the commercial dentifrice, experimental dentifrice, almond oil and water in an automatic brushing machine programmed to 30,000 brush strokes for each specimen, which is equivalent to 2 years of manual toothbrushing. Thereafter, surface roughness (Ra) of the specimens was analyzed with a Surfcorder SE 1700 profilometer. Data were analyzed statistically by ANOVA and Tukey’s test at 5% significance level. There was no statistically significant difference (p>0.05) in the surface roughness after brushing with water, almond oil or experimental dentifrice. The commercial dentifrice produced rougher surfaces compared to the control and abrasive-free products (p<0.05). Further studies are necessary to confirm the potential benefits of using vegetable oil in toothpastes as an alternative to abrasives in an attempt to minimize the tooth wear caused by toothbrushing.