Spectrophotometric Analysis of Dental Enamel Staining to Antiseptic and Dietary Agents: In Vitro Study

Background/Objectives. Use of antiseptics as an adjunct to a traditional mechanical tooth brushing method has limited their application for long duration because of their side effects such as staining and calculus formation. The objective of this in vitro study is to analyse the staining effects of antiseptic mouthwashes on dental enamel and compare it with those containing nanoparticles, dietary agents, and distilled water (control). Material and Methods. 105 intact premolars extracted for orthodontic reasons and without any caries or anatomical defects were selected for analysis. The samples were randomly divided into 7 different groups of fifteen teeth each for different solutions. A spectrophotometer was used to assess the colorimeter analysis of buccal dental enamel surface at R1 (baseline examination), R2 (24 hours after immersion in different solutions), and R3 (after brushing). Statistical analysis was done using the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test and Levene’s test (p<0.05), respectively. One-way ANOVA was used to compare the difference in color (∆E) between the readings, R1, R2, and R3. Results. The mouthwash containing titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles produced the greater enamel discoloration compared to that of chlorhexidine. Brushing had little effect on removal of stains induced by all mouthwashes except for dietary solutions (lemon with sodium bicarbonate and olive with laurel) and distilled water (control). Conclusion. The results from this study show that mouthwashes containing TiO2 nanoparticles and other antiseptic mouthwashes cause change in color of the teeth and lead to poor esthetic appearance when compared to dietary and control solutions. Thus, future in vivo studies have to be conducted to confirm these findings as in vitro studies may not provide a reliable simulation of the clinical situations