Abstract
BackgroundExtrinsic staining of teeth may result from the deposition of a variety of pigments into or onto the tooth surface, which originate mainly from diet or from tobacco use. More recently, clinical studies have demonstrated the efficacy of some chewing gums in removing extrinsic tooth staining. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of two nicotine medicated chewing gums (A and B) on stain removal in an in vitro experiment, when compared with a confectionary whitening chewing gum (C) and human saliva (D).MethodsBovine incisors were stained by alternating air exposure and immersion in a broth containing natural pigments such as coffee, tea and oral microorganisms for 10 days. Stained enamel samples were exposed to saliva alone or to the test chewing gums under conditions simulating human mastication. The coloration change of the enamel samples was measured using a spectrophotometer. Measurements were obtained for each specimen (average of three absorbances) using the L*a*b scale: lightness (L*), red-green (a) and yellow-blue (b).ResultsMedicated chewing gums (A and B) removed a greater amount of visible extrinsic stain, while the confectionary chewing gum with a whitening claim (C) had a milder whitening effect as evaluated by quantitative and qualitative assessment.ConclusionThe tested Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) chewing gums were more effective in the removal of the extrinsic tooth stain. This visible improvement in tooth whitening appearance could strengthen the smokers' motivation to quit smoking.
Highlights
Extrinsic staining of teeth may result from the deposition of a variety of pigments into or onto the tooth surface, which originate mainly from diet or from tobacco use
Coloration of teeth is due to extrinsic stains, which lie on the surface of the tooth and within the acquired pellicle, while intrinsic
Analysis of the quantitative evaluation In order to calculate the percentage of stain removed by the chewing gum, all stain remaining on the test enamel sample after the chewing phase was removed by pumicing them totally clean
Summary
Extrinsic staining of teeth may result from the deposition of a variety of pigments into or onto the tooth surface, which originate mainly from diet or from tobacco use. Clinical studies have demonstrated the efficacy of some chewing gums in removing extrinsic tooth staining. Enamel acts as a filter for dentine by the way light passes through to the dentine and as the light is reflected back by the dentine, which is the tooth color visually perceived [2]. This color can be quantified with a spectrophotometer using the L*a*b* color scale, which measures lightness for L*, red-green color range for a* and yellow-blue range for b*. Some chewing gums with a tooth whitening claim have been launched with clinical studies supporting their efficacy in removing extrinsic tooth stains [4]
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