Dentifrice

Tasniya Nahiyan Zulfiquar, Department of Pharmacy,

Lecturer, Primeasia University.
Dentifrices
 Definition: Dentifrices are the preparations intended for
use with a toothbrush for the purpose of cleaning the
accessible surfaces of the teeth.
 They have been prepared in paste, powders, liquids or
solid blocks used commercially for cleaning the teeth and
to keep the hygiene for effective development of oral
disease at ganglia surface of the teeth.
 Examples: Toothpaste, powder, solid or liquid blocks.
Purpose
 To enhance personal appearance by maintaining cleaner teeth.
 To clean the accessible surface of the teeth.
 To remove dental plaque for maintaining a healthy oral environment
 To remove all food debris, accumulations of microorganisms from
the teeth.
 To give luster to the teeth.
 To reduce calculi formation on the tooth surfaces.
 To reduce the risk of formation of dental caries.
 To reduce the incident of periodental diseases like Gingivitis and
periodontitis.
 To reduce objectionable mouth odors or bad smell.
 To assist the mechanical effect of the toothbrush.
 To maintain the strength of teeth and healthy enamel.
Structure of teeth/ Physiology of teeth
 The teeth are hard calcified structures of the body firmly fixed
in boney sockets in the upper and lower jaws and the gums
form the covering membrane.
 A tooth consists of four major functional parts:
 1. The enamel: The tooth enamel is the most highly mineralized
and hardest tissue in the body. The enamel forms the crown
of the tooth and covers that portion of the dentine, which
projects through the gums into the mouth.
 2. The cementum: It is a bone like substance that covers the
root.
 3. The dentine: It is an ivory like substance that forms the body
of the tooth.
 4. The dental pulp: Dental pulp is composed of connective
tissue containing the nerves arteries, veins and lymphatics that
enter the tooth through an opening at or near open the root.
COMMON DISEASES OF THE TEETH
Good dental health increases the possibility of good general
health. In addition to personal appearance by maintaining
cleaner teeth, brushing with a dentifrice reduces the
incidence of tooth decay, helps maintain healthy gingivae,
and reduces the intensity of mouth odors. Common dental
disorders are briefly described below:
Dental plaque
 Dental plaque is a biofilm or mass of bacteria that grows on surfaces
within the mouth . The aggregation of microorganisms, food debris,
epithelial cells and mucin on the tooth surface forms the dental
plaque.
 Site: Between two adjacent teeth.
 Formation: Plaque formation is said to occur in two stages: first, an
amorphous, nonbacterial layer is laid down, which is followed by
bacterial invasion and subsequent bacterial proliferation.
 Effects:
 Formation of tooth cavity which gradually affect the pulp and
surgical intervention is required.
 Remedy:
• Daily or twice-daily tooth brushing
• Use of dental floss and interdental brushes.
Dental caries
 Tooth decay, also known as dental caries or cavities, is a
breakdown of teeth due to acids made by bacteria. The cavities
may be a number of different colors from yellow to black.
 Site: Generally, caries starts on the outer surface of the enamel
in a localized area and penetrates into the dentine.
 Microorganisms involved:
 Streptococcus
 Lactobacilli
 Prevention:
 Regular cleaning of the teeth
 A diet low in sugar
 small amounts of fluoride
Disorders of the gums
 Gingivitis: This condition is an inflammation of the
gingiva. It is commonly caused by the deposition of
calculus or tartar in or around the gingival crevice.
 Pyorrhea: If the simple gingivitis is neglected, the
epithelium around the tooth degenerates, which causes
pyorrhea. As the condition advances, a deep infected
pocket is formed between the gum and the tooth, pus
exudes, the periodontal membrane is destroyed, and the
alveolar bone is resorbed. The tooth then becomes loose
in its socket and at this stage has to be extracted.
Toothpaste
 Toothpaste is the most common and popular form of
dentifrices. They are semisolid in nature.
 Formulation: The ingredients used in the preparation of
toothpaste can be classified as follows-
Ingredients Amount (%)
Cleansing and polishing agents 40% - 60%
Detergent and foaming agents 1.5% - 3.0%
Humectants 0.5% - 4.5%
Binding agents 0.5% - 2.5%
Sweetening and flavoring agents 0.5% - 3%
Preservative and miscellaneous 0.15 % - 0.2%
Water Qs to 100 %
INGREDIENTS USED IN THE
FORMULATION OF TOOTHPASTE
A balanced formula can only be achieved by considering all the
ingredients together since many of them may have a dual
function or may interact with one another. Cost and availability
may cause formulations to vary from country to country.
Polishing and Cleansing Agent: The main purpose of these
agents is as a means of removing stains on the teeth and
usually contributes about half the total weight of the products.
A dentifrice should be no more abrasive than is necessary to
keep the teeth clean.The most commonly used abrasives are-
• Precipitated calcium carbonate
• Dicalcium phosphate dihydrate
• Tricalcium phosphate
• Calcium pyrophosphate
• Insoluble sodium metaphosphate
 Detergent and foaming agents: These agents assist in
the removal of food debris and other mouth soil. They
also cause emulsification and subsequent removal of
mucus. Examples of such agents include:
• Sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS): Most widely used
• Sodium N-lauroyl sarcosinate
• Sodium Ricinoleate
• Sodium lauryl ether sulphate
 Binding/ Gelling agents: They are essential
components, which confer stability and largely determine
the texture and consistency of the products. Examples:
• Gum tragacanth
• Carragheen
• Cellulosic derivatives; e.g. methylcellulose, sodium
carboxymethyl cellulose (SCMC)
• Carbopol (carboxy vinyl polymer)
 Bleaches: To enhance the whitening effect of
toothpastes and toothpowders, and to assist in stain
removal. Examples: Sodium perborate, Magnesium
peroxide, Hydrogen peroxide.
 Humectants: These are particularly required for
toothpastes mainly to prevent drying out of the paste
when it is left exposed to the air. Glycerin and sorbitol
either alone or in combination, are most commonly used.
 Flavouring Agents: These are also important for the
acceptance of any product. The flavour is required to
leave a pleasant, clean and refreshing feeling in the mouth
after use. The most popular flavouring agents are based
on peppermint oils or blends of peppermint and
spearmint oils. Other flavouring agents used in small
quantities are: cloves (eugenol), eucalyptol, cinnamonm
and wintergreen (methyl salicylate).
 Sweetening Agents: Saccharin is generally used as the
sweetening material. Chloroform is also used as
sweetener, which gives a sharp fresh sweetness that
differs from the metallic type of sweetness associated
with saccharin.
 Corrosion inhibitors: These are intended to prevent
corrosion of the packaging, specially, aluminium tubes.
Sodium silicate is considered to be the most effective
corrosion inhibitor.
 Miscellaneous Ingredients: Apart from the aforesaid
materials, preservatives and colors are also used.
Toothpowders
 Toothpowders are the original, simplest and the cheapest
compounded forms of dentifrices.
 Advantages:
• More stable due to dry nature of ingredients.
• No or less chemical reaction occurs.
• Formulation problems are not as severe since
interaction between components is unlikely in the
absence of water.
• Fluorides and oxidizing agents retain their effective
concentration larger than they would do in a paste
formulation.
 Disadvantages:
• Uniform particle size may alter the physical
characteristics such as-
o Separation of the preparation on shaking
o Cake formation on storage
• Permanent settlement of powders can occur at the
bottom of the container.
• If the amount of powder used is too high, the abrasive
action also becomes high. As a result, infection of gum
may occur which ultimately lead to other serious dental
diseases.
Mouthwashes
 Mouthwashes consist of aqueous-alcoholic solutions of
essential oils designed to have a delicate odor and impart a
refreshing and pleased flavor during and immediately after use.
They may or may not contain either soap or sodium lauryl
sulphate as a foaming agent. Antiseptics can also be included in
the composition. Methyl salicylate is popularly used as flavoring
agent.
 Use:
• For removing bad odors to give a clean refreshing feeling in
the mouth.
• Products containing antiseptic and astringent materials have
more therapeutic effects and are used for gingivitis and
treatment of sore and tender gums.
Differences between toothpastes, tooth
powders and mouthwashes

TOOTHPASTES TOOTH POWDERS MOUTHWASHES

They contain humectants, They do not contain They do not contain
binders and preservatives. humectants, binders and humectants, binders and
preservatives. preservatives.
They must contain They also contain They do not contain
abrasive imparting abrasive imparting abrasive imparting agents.
agents. agents.
They are semisolids in They are solids in nature. They are liquid
nature. dentifrices.
They have mild abrasive They have slightly They do not have any
index. higher abrasive index. abrasive index.
They are generally They are packed in metal They are normally packed
packed in collapsible or plastic cans. in glass tubes.
metal or plastic tubes.
THANK
YOU