Comparative Efficacy of Pineapple Extract and Lemon-Salt Solution as Natural Tooth Bleaching Agents - In Vitro Comparative Study

Abstract

Introduction: People are often driven by various motivations to whiten their teeth, with the primary goal being cosmetic enhancement. Many individuals aim to stand out by flaunting a brilliant smile and often opt for professional teeth bleaching, as it offers proven and pleasing aesthetic results through conservative methods.

Objectives: The principal objective of the present in vitro comparative study is to evaluate how effectively the pineapple extract and lemon-salt solution work as natural bleaching agents for teeth.

Methods: Thirty-six extracted permanent teeth were obtained, and after ultrasonic cleaning, the teeth were artificially stained by immersing them in coffee decoction for 48 hours. Readings of tooth color were evaluated using a camera RGB color picker application on an Android mobile device with a 64 MP camera. Then, the teeth were divided into three groups, each comprising 12 samples. Group 1 teeth were immersed in distilled water, Group 2 in pineapple extract, and Group 3 in lemon-salt solution for three days. The teeth color assessment test was repeated. Then, the difference was assessed by statistical tests, one-way ANOVA, and Tukey post hoc tests for intergroup comparisons. The Wilcoxon test was employed to measure the pre and post-test lightness of the teeth.

Results: The Wilcoxon test revealed significant differences (P<0.05) in brightness values before and after immersion in Group 2 and Group 3. The Tukey HSD test exposed a significant difference between Group 1 and Group 3, indicating that the lemon-salt solution resulted in a significantly (P<0.05) higher whitening degree than the other groups' comparisons.

Conclusions: In the present study, we emphasize the effectiveness of organic teeth-whitening agents like pineapple extract and lemon-salt solution. As a result, once these substances are standardized, they have the potential to become essential elements in regular products like toothpaste and other oral care items.