Activated charcoal as a whitening dentifrice
5th American Dental Congress
October 05-07, 2015 Philadelphia, USA

Mc Carty B, Letteri N and Singletary J

LECOM Education System, USA

Posters-Accepted Abstracts: Oral Health Dent Manag

Abstract:

Purpose: Recent social media posts suggest that activated charcoal powder can be used as a natural tooth-whitening agent, applied by brushing with the powder. This study was designed to assess the abrasive affects to acrylic. We suggest that the charcoal�??s abrasive characteristics will outweigh the benefits it may produce as a whitening agent and it will be more abrasive than toothpaste and water. Introduction: Activated charcoal, due to its high capacity for absorption, is ingested in emergency medical situations regarding certain poisons. Its absorbing ability may produce an ion exchange in the mouth via its nano-sized pores to bind and remove toothstaining agents. The abrasive nature of charcoal powder has not been investigated. Dental acrylic is known to be abraded by toothpaste, which provides a quick screening assessment of abrasive potential. Methods: Three acrylic resin models were produced, each of equal size, structure, and composition to be used as surfaces in which the following three mixtures were applied by 2,000 strokes of identical toothbrushes: 1 capsule of activated charcoal mixed with 1 ml of water, 1 serving (pea-sized) of CVS brilliant white toothpaste with 1 ml of water and 1 ml of H2O. Results: We will compare the visual appearance of the surfaces after abrasion with each medium. Adhesion of particles will also be noted. Conclusion: Our findings will provide evidence about the possible side effects produced by using activated charcoal as a dentifrice.

Biography :

Email: brantley.mccarty@dmd.lecom.edu