Cosmetic Tribune Asia Pacific Edition

Cosmetic TRIBUNE The World’s Event Newspaper · Asia Paciﬁc Edition PUBLISHED IN HONG KONG www.dental-tribune.asia VOL. 15, NO. 10 Charcoal-based dentifrices under review remineralising teeth, according to the authors, yet only one of the ex- amined products contained luo- ride, a compound well established to enhance enamel mineralisation. According to Brooks, the re- view further showed unproven claims of safety, particularly in re- gard to the principal ingredient, charcoal, and in some products, to bentonite clay. The latter belongs to a heterogeneous group of clays with various industrial applica- tions and is an ingredient in skin care products, medication and toothpaste. Among other con- cerns, charcoal has been recog- nised as a mineral abrasive to the teeth and gingivae. Inclusion in products may cause damage to these tissues and could increase caries susceptibility owing to the potential loss of enamel. In this re- gard, 28 per cent of the products reviewed in the study claimed to be low abrasion, although labora- tory test results for dentin abra- siveness were provided for only one product, the authors noted. To establish conclusive evi- dence about the eficiency and safety of charcoal-based denti- frices, larger-scale studies are needed, the researchers con- cluded. Until then, dental practi- tioners should educate their pa- tients about the unproven claims of oral beneits and safety associ- ated with such products. Using charcoal for oral hy- giene purposes is no new trend. In fact, powdered charcoal was used as an ingredient for toothpastes as far back as ancient Greece. For use in present-day oral hygiene prod- ucts, charcoal is mostly activated by steam or chemical methods at an extremely high temperature. Once activated, charcoal has the ability to bind with toxins, stains, calculus and bacteria on the sur- face of teeth and the mouth in general—a process known as adsorption. Charcoal is further claimed to balance the pH of the mouth to a value that prevents bacteria from thriving and repro- ducing in the mouth, thus helping to protect teeth from infections caused by bacteria and other mi- croorganisms. The study, titled “Charcoal and charcoal-based dentifrices: A liter- ature review,” was published in the September issue of the Journal of the American Dental Association. AD whitening, oral detoxiication, or provide any therapeutic proper- ties—antibacterial, antifungal, or antiviral,” said lead author Prof. John K. Brooks from the Depart- ment of Oncology and Diag- nostic Sciences at the uni- versity. For the review, the re- search team combed the MEDLINE and Scopus da- tabases for clinical stud- ies on the use of charcoal and charcoal-based denti- frices, as well as laboratory investigations on the bioac- tivity or toxicity of these products. Overall, 118 eligible articles published through February 2017 were considered in the study. In addition, the re- searchers selected the irst 50 con- secutive charcoal dentifrice offer- ings from searches on Google and Amazon in order to determine product assortment and advertis- ing promotions. searchers at the University of Maryland School of Dentistry have now challenged the mar- keted beneits of these products. “Recently, use of charcoal- based toothpastes has gained popularity in the marketplace. However, there is insuficient sci- entiic evidence that these prod- ucts effectively promote tooth The results showed that the marketing claims of some of the charcoal products failed to relect the actual beneits. For example, 38 per cent of the products were promoted as strengthening or © Sergey Tay/shutterstock.com By DTI BALTIMORE, USA: With promises of whiter and cleaner teeth, char- coal-based oral hygiene products have enjoyed a boost in popularity in recent times, with new products steadily entering oral hygiene racks and online shopping sites alike. However, the results of a lit- erature review conducted by re- Aesthetics in focus By DTI DUBAI, UAE: For dental profession- als wanting to learn about the latest in cosmetic and aesthetic dentistry, the ninth edition of the Dental Fa- cial Cosmetic Conference and Exhi- bition in Dubai will be the place to be this year. The main event is being staged together with the sixth Global Conference Dental Hygien- ist Seminar of the American Acad- emy of Implant Dentistry on 3 and 4 November at the InterContinental Dubai Festival City hotel. Before, during and after the congress, at- tendees will be able to partake in a range of hands-on courses in vari- ous disciplines (1–5 November). Ac- cording to the organiser, the Centre for Advanced Professional Practices (CAPP), the capacity of the courses is limited in order to provide partic- ipants with the best possible oppor- tunity to practise in small groups. The list of available courses can be found on the event website. According to the organisers, the event is intended to provide a prac- tical view of aesthetic dentistry, a stimulus for greater adoption of the areas that are proven, and faster in- tegration of new technologies from which the dental profession can beneit. The conference programme will include a number of lectures by experts in aesthetic dentistry, such as Dr Daniel Vasquez from the US, who will be talking about Digital Smile Design 360, and Dr Faysal Succaria from Lebanon, with a paper on the mechanics and aes- thetics of veneer cementation. As part of the event, the Dental Hygienist Seminar on 3 November will offer scientiic lectures and hands-on courses focusing on vari- ous aspects of the profession. Among the speakers will be President of the International Federation of Dental Hygienists Robyn Watson, from Aus- tralia, who will be discussing con- temporary approaches to maximis- ing eficiency in periodontal assess- ment. Mary Mowbray from New Zea- land will be presenting a paper on diagnosis and integrating oral can- cer screening into dental practice. An industry exhibition will be held alongside the scientiic programme and be free for registered attend- ees. Dental professionals can regis- ter online now or on-site during the event. The opening hours of the show are from 9.00 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. on both days. More information can be found at www.cappmea.com/aesthetic.

Cosmetic Tribune Asia Pacific Edition

Pages Overview