The Effect of Mouthwash Containing Chitosan/Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles on Surface Hardness and Color Change of Bleached Enamel
Abstract
Introduction: This study compared the effects of mouthwashes containing chitosan/zinc oxide nanoparticles, 0.2% chlorhexidine, 1.5% hydrogen peroxide (Colgate), and distilled water on the color and microhardness of bleached enamel. Materials and Methods: Sixty bovine incisors were randomly divided into four groups (n = 15). After polishing and tea staining for six days, baseline color and microhardness were recorded using the CIELAB system and Vickers test. The enamel surfaces were bleached three times with 40% hydrogen peroxide. After ten days, measurements were repeated. The bleached samples were then immersed in 5 ml of each mouthwash twice daily for 14 days. The synthetic mouthwash contained 1% chitosan and 500 µg/ml zinc oxide nanoparticles. Color and microhardness were re-evaluated, and data were analyzed using the Kruskal–Wallis and post-hoc tests (α = 0.05). Results: Significant color differences were observed between the mouthwash groups and water (p < 0.05), with no significant difference between chlorhexidine and the nanoparticle mouthwash. Both the nanoparticle and Colgate mouthwashes similarly increased enamel microhardness, while chlorhexidine caused a slight decrease.Conclusion: Mouthwash containing chitosan and zinc oxide nanoparticles improved bleached enamel microhardness without affecting color stability compared to 0.2% chlorhexidine. Keywords: Chitosan; Mouthwashes; Nanoparticles; Tooth bleaching; Zinc oxide; Enamel; Remineralization.
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22. Puangpanboot N, Phonghanyudh A, Surarit R, Naimsiri N. The effects of chitosan mouthrinse on enamel caries in vitro. Walailak Procedia. 2018;2018(3):hs55-hs.
2. Attia RM, Kamel MM. Changes in surface roughness of bleached enamel by using different remineralizing agents. Tanta Dental Journal. 2016;13(4):179-86.
3. Valian A, Salehi EM, Samadi I, Nejadkarimi S. Effects of CPP-ACP and Remin-Pro on Surface Roughness of Bleached Enamel: an Atomic Force Microscopy Study. Journal Dental School; Vol. 2020;38(2):74-8.
4. Magalhães GdA, Fraga MAA, de Souza Araújo IJ, Pacheco RR, Correr AB, Puppin-Rontani RM. Effect of a self-assembly peptide on Surface Roughness and hardness of bleached enamel. Journal of Functional Biomaterials. 2022;13(2):79.
5. Haywood VB, Al Farawati F. Bleaching update and the future impact on prosthodontics. British Dental Journal. 2019;226(10):753-60.
6. Mousa EMO, Abdel-Fattah WM, Afifi RR. SURFACE MICROHARDNESS OF BLEACHED TEETH ENAMEL FOLLOWING DIFFERENT REMINERALIZING APPROACHES (IN-VITRO STUDY). Alexandria Dental Journal. 2023;48(2):139-45.
7. Elminofy KM, Hasan MM, Shebl EA. Evaluation of different remineralizing agents on microhardness and surface roughness of bleached enamel. Tanta Dental Journal. 2024;21(1):15-20.
8. Elshehawy TM, Ebraheem A, Zaghloul N. Impact of two Remineralizing agents on bleached Enamel Microhardness. Egyptian Dental Journal. 2020;66(2-April (Fixed Prosthodontics, Dental Materials, Conservative Dentistry & Endodontics)):1397-402.
9. Kutuk ZB, Ergin E, Cakir FY, Gurgan S. Effects of in-office bleaching agent combined with different desensitizing agents on enamel. Journal of Applied Oral Science. 2018;27:e20180233.
10. Carrouel F, Viennot S, Ottolenghi L, Gaillard C, Bourgeois D. Nanoparticles as anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, and remineralizing agents in oral care cosmetics: a review of the current situation. Nanomaterials. 2020;10(1):140.
11. Rai MK, Deshmukh S, Ingle A, Gade A. Silver nanoparticles: the powerful nanoweapon against multidrug‐resistant bacteria. Journal of applied microbiology. 2012;112(5):841-52.
12. Memarpour M, Shafiei F, Rafiee A, Soltani M, Dashti MH. Effect of hydroxyapatite nanoparticles on enamel remineralization and estimation of fissure sealant bond strength to remineralized tooth surfaces: an in vitro study. BMC Oral Health. 2019;19(1):92.
13. Nagasaki R, Nagano K, Nezu T, Iijima M. Synthesis and characterization of bioactive glass and zinc oxide nanoparticles with enamel remineralization and antimicrobial capabilities. Materials. 2023;16(21):6878.
14. Yin IX, Udduttulla A, Xu VW, Chen KJ, Zhang MY, Chu CH. Use of Antimicrobial Nanoparticles for the Management of Dental Diseases. Nanomaterials. 2025;15(3):209.
15. Chen C-Y, Chung Y-C. Antibacterial effect of water-soluble chitosan on representative dental pathogens Streptococcus mutans and Lactobacilli brevis. Journal of Applied Oral Science. 2012;20:620-7.
16. Aliasghari A, Khorasgani MR, Vaezifar S, Rahimi F, Younesi H, Khoroushi M. Evaluation of antibacterial efficiency of chitosan and chitosan nanoparticles on cariogenic streptococci: An in vitro study. Iranian journal of microbiology. 2016;8(2):93.
17. Qu S, Ma X, Yu S, Wang R. Chitosan as a biomaterial for the prevention and treatment of dental caries: antibacterial effect, biomimetic mineralization, and drug delivery. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology. 2023;11:1234758.
18. Nimbeni SB, Nimbeni BS, Divakar DD. Role of chitosan in remineralization of enamel and dentin: A systematic review. International Journal of Clinical Pediatric Dentistry. 2021;14(4):562.
19. Akdaşçi E, Duman H, Eker F, Bechelany M, Karav S. Chitosan and Its Nanoparticles: A Multifaceted Approach to Antibacterial Applications. Nanomaterials. 2025;15(2):126.
20. Husain S, Al-Samadani KH, Najeeb S, Zafar MS, Khurshid Z, Zohaib S, et al. Chitosan biomaterials for current and potential dental applications. Materials. 2017;10(6):602.
21. Dobrzyński W, Piszko PJ, Kiryk J, Kiryk S, Michalak M, Kotela A, et al. Dental Resin Composites Modified with Chitosan: A Systematic Review. Marine Drugs. 2025;23(5):199.
22. Puangpanboot N, Phonghanyudh A, Surarit R, Naimsiri N. The effects of chitosan mouthrinse on enamel caries in vitro. Walailak Procedia. 2018;2018(3):hs55-hs.
| Files | ||
| Issue | Vol 12, No 4 (Autumn 2025) | |
| Section | Original Article(s) | |
| Keywords | ||
| Chitosan; Mouthwashes; Nanoparticles; Tooth bleaching; Zinc oxide; Enamel; Remineralization. | ||
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. |
How to Cite
1.
Samareh Khammar M, Kazemian A, Ebrahimzade N. The Effect of Mouthwash Containing Chitosan/Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles on Surface Hardness and Color Change of Bleached Enamel. J Craniomaxillofac Res. 2026;12(4):246-253.
