Impact of Ginger-containing Dentifrice for Use during Pregnancy on the Teeth Enamel Surface

Aim: Dental hygiene practices themselves can predispose pregnant women to nausea and vomiting, as changes in olfaction and taste may lead to intolerance to the taste and smell of oral hygiene products, potentially increasing the risk of oral diseases. Ginger has demonstrated an antiemetic effect and may serve as an alternative for preventing NVP. Incorporating ginger into a dentifrice could offer therapeutic benefits for managing NVP. This study aimed to evaluate an experimental dentifrice containing ginger with respect to its impact on cell viability and potential effects on tooth enamel.

Study Design: The ginger-containing dentifrice (GD) was formulated, and Colgate Total® 12 served as the control group (CG) to perform cell viability, flow, surface roughness and colorimetry tests. Place and Duration of Study: Faculty of Health Sciences of University of Brasilia and School of Dentistry of Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Between November 2022 and September 2024.

Methodology: Cell viability following direct contact with the experimental dentifrice was assessed using the MTT cytotoxicity assay (n=2), in accordance with ISO 10993-5. The flow test (n=3) was performed following ISO 6876 guidelines. Using a brushing simulator, 20 bovine incisors (n=10) were coated with 10 mL of dentifrice and 30 mL of water (1:3 ratio) and subjected to 10,000 brushing cycles. The enamel surfaces were analyzed before and after brushing to assess surface roughness (Ra, Rz, and Rq), changes in luminosity (ΔL), and variations in colorimetric parameters (ΔE and ΔE2000) according to their respective formulas. Data were analyzed using the t-test and Mann-Whitney test at a significance level of 5%, employing appropriate statistical software. The ginger dentifrice preserved cell viability after 24 hours of direct contact.

Results: The GD demonstrated a flow of 51.8 ± 0.6 mm, significantly higher than that of the CG (45.8 ± 0.6 mm). After brushing, no significant differences were observed between groups in final roughness values. Similarly, colorimetric analysis revealed no significant differences in ΔE (p=0.25) between the groups.

Conclusion: The GD did not induce cytotoxic effects, nor did it alter the roughness or color of tooth enamel.