Evaluation of Tooth Enamel Abrasion and Roughness Using Toothpastes with and Without Activated Charcoal: In Vitro Study and SEM Analysis

Background/ObjectivesDental enamel constitutes the first barrier of defense against external factors that constantly generate wear and damage. The objective of the study was to evaluate the abrasion and roughness of tooth enamel using toothpastes with and without activated charcoal in vitro and analysis under scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Materials and methods:The research design was experimental; 10 enamel blocks were randomly assigned to each group to perform brushing cycles with soft and medium filament brushes with two types of toothpaste: with activated charcoal and without activated charcoal. The pumice stone with etching acid as positive control and artificial saliva served as negative control. Roughness was evaluated using a roughness meter and abrasion with an analytical balance. The surface of the enamel blocks of each group was randomly analyzed under an SEM. Statistical analysis was performed using the Shapiro-Wilk test and the homogeneity of variances with Bartlett's test. Student's t-test was applied to compare tooth enamel roughness and abrasion. Results: Both enamel roughness (p = 0.0016) and abrasion (p = 0.0001) were significantly higher in the groups using activated charcoal paste and medium filament brushes. SEM observation revealed greater alteration on the surface of the enamel subjected to brushing cycles with activated charcoal paste and medium filament brush. Conclusions: The in vitro study showed that the use of toothpaste with activated charcoal increases the roughness and abrasion of tooth enamel, especially when the medium filament brush is used.