Effect of an experimental chitosan/casein gel on demineralized enamel under a cariogenic challenge

Abstract

Background. Dental caries is considered one of the most common oral health diseases.Objectives. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of an experimental chitosan/casein gel on enamel demineralization/remineralization in an environment with a high cariogenic challenge. Material and methods.Thirty-six specimens of bovine enamel (4 mm × 3 mm × 2 mm) were ground flat and polished. Then, the specimens were immersed in acetate buffer for 43 h with half of the surface protected (serving as control) and the other half exposed. All demineralized surfaces were randomly assigned into 3 groups (n = 12 per group) according to the type of treatment (G1 -control, G2 -1.5% chitosan gel with 1.5% casein, and G3 -1.5% chitosan gel without casein), and the corresponding treatment was applied once a week for 3 weeks. The specimens were also subjected to pH cycles of demineralization/ remineralization and the treatments were performed 3 times at 7-day intervals for a total of 21 days. Surface images were obtained for the analysis of initial roughness and, after the cariogenic challenge, new images were obtained to evaluate the final roughness, volume loss and wear profile using laser confocal microscopy. After the analyses, the specimens were cut and the depth of demineralization was measured. The data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the Tukey's test.Results. While the chitosan gel with casein showed a similar loss to the control group (p > 0.05), both gels resulted in similar volume loss (p > 0.05). There were no statistical differences regarding the wear profile, surface roughness and depth of demineralization between the groups (p > 0.05).Conclusions. The chitosan gel reduced volume loss of the demineralized enamel without significantly impacting the surface smoothness.

Effect of A Newly Developed Home Bleaching Gel on Tooth Surface Roughness, Microhardness, and Color Change

“…Puangpanboot et al evaluated the effect of chitosan on the remineralisation and microhardness of enamel and found that the microhardness of enamel increased signi cantly following chitosan application [34].…”

Development and effect of orodispersible film incorporated with Biosilicate for remineralization of dental enamel subjected to cariogenic and erosive challenge

“…Caries is considered one of the most prevalent chronic diseases in adults and children worldwide. Its multifactorial etiology characterizes it as a dysbiosis involving specific microorganisms, such as Streptococcus mutans , fermentable carbohydrates, dental surface, and exposure time 7–9 . The imbalance between the presence of cariogenic biofilms and the consumption of fermentable carbohydrates over time, 10 along with the cariogenic pathogen, plays a decisive role in caries development 11 …”

“…Its multifactorial etiology characterizes it as a dysbiosis involving specific microorganisms, such as Streptococcus mutans, fermentable carbohydrates, dental surface, and exposure time. [7][8][9] The imbalance between the presence of cariogenic biofilms and the consumption of fermentable carbohydrates over time, 10 along with the cariogenic pathogen, plays a decisive role in caries development. 11 All these factors and conditions contribute to the dynamic processes of demineralization and remineralization that occur on the dental surface.…”

“…If demineralization occurs continuously, the lesion can progress from an initial decalcification to a white spot lesion until irreversible loss of mineral structure occurs, which manifests as a cavitated lesion. [7][8][9] Similarly to caries, dental erosion has also become a significant public health issue, highly influenced by changes in habits and lifestyle over time. 12 Dental erosion is considered a superficial phenomenon caused by exposure to acids of nonbacterial origin, unlike dental caries.…”

Chitosan as a biomaterial for the prevention and treatment of dental caries: antibacterial effect, biomimetic mineralization, and drug delivery

“…At present, the prevention and treatment of dental caries base on the following techniques: blocking or regulating the progression of dental caries by removing or managing the pathogens and restoring the balance of the oral microbiota; restoring the structure and function of teeth in response to the damage that caries has caused to their integrity (Cheng et al, 2022). Chitosan, as a relatively new natural polymer in dental applications (Yamakami et al, 2022), has been widely studied and confirmed for its anticaries effects, mainly through the development of anti-caries products or clinical adjuvant treatment technologies, such as antibacterial, biomimetic mineralization and dentin binding, anticaries drug delivery, with broad application prospects (Figure 1). As the first article we have learned about the anti-caries effect of chitosan, this article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the anti-caries research of chitosan, summarize the research progress in the anti-caries mechanism of chitosan in recent years, and attempt to analyze the potential applications of chitosan in the future and the shortcomings of current research, providing theoretical reference for further researches and breakthroughs in chitosan anti-caries materials and clinical implementation.…”