A novel antimicrobial and remineralizing toothpaste containing CaCl2/chitosan microspheres

摘要

Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of exploiting amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) formed in situ from chitosan calcium microspheres and phosphate ions in water during brushing for caries control. Methods: A prototype toothpaste, namely Chi-ACP paste, was specially formulated containing CaCl2/chitosan microspheres. The efficiency of Chi-ACP paste for remineralization on human tooth enamel was evaluated via an in vitro pH cycling approach. After 15 demineralization/remineralization cycles, the treated teeth were analyzed using scanning electron microscope (SEM)/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and polarized light microscope (PLM). Results: EDX analysis showed the treated enamel in the Chi-ACP paste group had statistically significantly higher calcium content and Ca/P weight ratios than those in the negative control group, while the MI plus group had a slightly higher Ca content and a slightly higher Ca/P weight ratio. PLM analysis revealed that the Chi-ACP paste group had a larger remineralization band in treated enamel than the negative control group, although there was no statistically significant difference on the demineralization depths in the enamel among the three groups.