Effects of theobromine toothpaste on prevention of enamel discoloration from coffee

摘要

This study investigated whether tooth brushing with toothpastes containing theobromine could prevent enamel discoloration due to coffee consumption. Thirty-five bovine incisor teeth were divided into groups that included brushing and no brushing treatments. Two brushing treatments consisting of two types of toothpaste: Theodent?, which contains theobromine, and Pepsodent?, which contains fluoride were crossed two brushing durations: 4 minutes 40 seconds and 20 minutes. Following the treatments, tooth specimens were immersed in coffee for 45 hours and the color change was measured using a Vita EasyShade spectrophotometer. Significant changes occurred in the color levels between the brushing and no brushing groups (?E* values; P 0.05), but there was no significant difference between the types of toothpaste used. These results indicate chemicals in both toothpastes can effectively reduce enamel discoloration due to coffee consumption. Future studies should consider the importance of natural substances, like theobromine, for tooth whitening.