Evaluation of the efficacy of a charcoal-based tooth whitening dentifrice on coffee stains: an in vitro study.

Background: Charcoal-based preparations have recently gained popularity, particularly in oral hygiene products such as tooth whitening dentifrices, owing to their abrasive and adsorptive properties. The present in vitro study evaluates the efficacy of a charcoal-based tooth whitening dentifrice compared with a non-charcoal-based whitening dentifrice in removing coffee stains on tooth surfaces. Methods: Thirty-three human extracted tooth specimens were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 study groups: Group 1 (charcoal-based whitening dentifrice [CBWD]), Group 2 (non-charcoal-based whitening dentifrice [NCBWD]), and Group 3 (distilled water [DW]). All tooth specimens were immersed in a prepared coffee extract for 4 weeks to facilitate staining and then mounted on blocks where they were brushed with an electric toothbrush daily for 8 seconds with 1 of the 2 allocated dentifrices or with DW for 4 weeks following staining. Spectrophotometric analysis was conducted using the CIELAB system to measure the L Results: Following the coffee staining, the tooth samples' whiteness (ΔL) decreased with the overall colour change (ΔE). Next, there was a significant improvement in the degree of tooth whiteness (ΔL) values following the brushing protocol in all 3 groups ( Conclusion: CBWD, NCBWD, and DW were effective in removing coffee stains from the tooth surface. However, the amount of colour change (ΔE) produced by CBWD was not significantly different from NCBWD or DW.