Exam 11: Dentifrices,Mouthrinses,and Chewing Gums

Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)has had a long history of use as an oral-hygiene aid.The uses for these oral-hygiene aids include fighting plaque,gingivitis reduction,stain-removal,and odor-reducing efficacy.

Potassium nitrate is a commonly used,FDA-approved,OTC desensitization agent.It reduces the reaction of nerves in the teeth to stimuli such as heat and cold.

Abrasives usually do NOT damage enamel,but they may dull the tooth luster.To compensate for this,polishing agents are added to the dentifrice formulation.

Important characteristics that lead to public acceptance of a dentifrice are:

Humectants were added to maintain the moisture and prevent hardening.Commonly used humectants are sorbitol,mannitol,glycerol,and propylene glycol.

Abrasion can occur from toothbrushing.Toothbrush abrasion usually appears as a V-shaped notch in the cementum apical to the cementoenamel junction.

Stannous fluoride,specifically the stannous ion,has reported activity against:

Smaller particles (1 mm)have an abrasive action,and larger particles (20 mm)have a polishing action.

The MOST common types of abrasives used are:

The degree of dentifrice abrasiveness depends on: