The influence of a hexametaphosphate-containing chewing gum on the wetting ability of salivary conditioning films in vitro and in vivo.
OBJECTIVE
Adsorbed conditioning films of salivary components on dental enamel surfaces or pellicles form the interface between teeth and the oral environment. The wetting ability of salivary conditioning films dictates biological adhesion phenomena such as plaque formation, calcification and staining, and also influences mouth perception through effects on lubricity. This study assessed the effects of hexametaphosphate release from a chewing gum matrix on the wetting ability of salivary conditioning films in vitro and in vivo.


METHODS
Results obtained for hexametaphosphate chewing gum were compared with those produced by hexametaphosphate-containing dentifrice, which has been clinically proven to have efficacy for stain removal and prevention and dental calculus prevention.


RESULTS
Contact angle assessments revealed that hexametaphosphate dentifrice produced markedly hydrophilic conditioning films in vitro. Hexametaphosphate chewing gums had only minor effects on surface contact angles in vitro. However, in vivo intra-oral contact angle measurements on tooth surfaces in volunteers showed that both hexametaphosphate dentifrice and chewing gum produced more hydrophilic tooth surfaces.


CONCLUSIONS
These results support the activity of hexametaphosphate on tooth surfaces delivered both from dentifrice and chewing gum forms.
van der Mei
H C
HC
Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands. h.c.van.der.mei@med.rug.nl
Kamminga-Rasker
H J
HJ
de Vries
J
J
Busscher
H J
HJ
White
D J
DJ
Date
R
R
Day
T
T
White
C D
CD
Williams
M K
MK
D000268:Adhesiveness; D000327:Adsorption; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D002638:Chewing Gum; D003741:Dental Deposits / Q000737:chemistry; D003743:Dental Enamel / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D003802:Dentifrices / Q000737:chemistry; D006801:Humans; D010710:Phosphates / Q000737:chemistry*; D010919:Placebos; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors; D017155:Wettability
D002638:Chewing Gum; D003802:Dentifrices; D010710:Phosphates; D010919:Placebos; C005035:hexametaphosphate