Does a chitosan-containing dentifrice prevent demineralization around orthodontic brackets?

Abstract

Objective: To test the null hypothesis that there is no significant difference between the chitosancontaining and conventional nonfluoridated dentifrices in inhibition of enamel demineralization around orthodontic brackets. Materials and Methods: Sixteen orthodontic patients who were scheduled to have extraction of four first premolars for orthodontic reasons were divided into two groups after the power of the study was estimated. Patients in the experimental group were instructed to use chitosan-containing dentifrice (AloeDent), and patients in the control group were instructed to use nonfluoridated dentifrice (Sensodyne Mint). After 60 days, the teeth were extracted and longitudinally sectioned. The demineralization was assessed by cross-sectional microhardness. The determinations were made at the bracket edge cementing limits and at occlusal and cervical points, 100 mm and 200 mm away from the edge. In all these positions, indentations were made at depths of 10, 20, 30, 50, 70, and 90 mm from the enamel surface. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey test were used for statistical evaluation at P , .05 level. Results: ANOVA showed statistically significant differences for the factors of dentifrice type, position, and depth (P 5 .000). Statistically significant differences for microhardness values between two tested dentifrices were observed up to 20 mm of depth from the enamel surface (P , .05). Lower microhardness values were found for nonfluoridated dentifrice. Significant microhardness differences were also determined between materials at occlusal and cervical 0 mm positions (P , .05). At these positions, chitosan-containing dentifrice showed lower demineralization than the control. Conclusion: Chitosan-containing dentifrice may reduce the enamel decalcification found in patients with poor oral hygiene. The null hypothesis is rejected. (Angle Orthod. 2011;81:319-325.)

The anti-caries activity and toxicity of an experimental propolis-containing varnish

“…This may be due to the molecular weight of chitosan used in the formulation, which is different from that generally used in other studies (using low molecular weight) to test the antimicrobial activity of dental products. 7,10,14,33,35,36,37,38,39,40 Changes in the molecular weight of the chitosan used may have precluded polymeric film formation, which is necessary to mediate product adhesion to the teeth.…”

The Future of Fluorides and Other Protective Agents in Erosion Prevention

“…Chitosan is a natural polysaccharide derived from the deacetylation of chitin, found in the shells and exoskeleton of crustaceans [Illum, 1998]. In the pharmaceutical industry, it has been used as an excipient [Illum, 1998], but in vitro [Arnaud et al, 2010] and in vivo [Uysal et al, 2011] studies have shown some potential benefits in dentistry. It has been suggested that chitosan can form a layer-by-layer build-up on dental enamel, providing better protection against erosive attacks .…”

Control de la higiene oral en los pacientes con ortodoncia

“…La prevalencia global de la lesión de mancha blanca en los pacientes de ortodoncia es del 2 al 96%; los incisivos laterales superiores y los molares tienen la mayor prevalencia [4,5,7,10,[22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29]. Esta lesión puede producirse desde un mes después de iniciada la ortodoncia y aproximadamente el 50% de los pacientes las desarrollan al menos en un diente [30,31].…”

“…Durante el tratamiento de ortodoncia se pueden aplicar varios métodos de entrega tópica, además de la crema dental, los enjuagues bucales, los geles y barnices [9,24,29,50].…”