The protective effect of the experimental TiF 4 and chitosan toothpaste on erosive tooth wear in vitro

This study evaluated the protective effect of TiF 4 and chitosan toothpaste on erosive tooth wear (ETW) in vitro. Enamel and dentin samples were randomly assigned to toothpastes (n = 12): (G1) TiF 4 (1400 ppm F − ), (G2) 0.5% chitosan (75% deacetylation, 500 mPas), (G3) TiF 4 (1400 ppm F − ) plus 0.5% chitosan (75% deacetylation, 500 mPas), (G4) Placebo, (G5) Erosion Protection (Elmex-GABA, 1400 ppm F − ). Twelve samples were only eroded. All samples were submitted to erosive pH cycles and G1 to G5 to abrasive challenges using toothpastes’ slurries plus 45 s of treatment, for 7 days. The final profile was overlaid to the baseline one for the ETW calculation (µm). The data were subjected to Kruskal–Wallis/Dunn tests. TiF 4 toothpastes, regardless of the presence of chitosan, were able to significantly reduce ETW compared to placebo, while chitosan alone was similar to placebo for both tissues. The toothpastes containing TiF 4 were even superior to the commercial Elmex toothpaste on enamel, while they were similar on dentin; both were also significantly different from placebo for both tissues. TiF 4 and Elmex toothpastes minimized the impact of brushing on eroded surface. In conclusion, TiF 4 toothpastes, regardless the presence of chitosan, showed to be effective in minimizing ETW in vitro.