Colegio de la Inmaculada Concepcion Cebu Gorordo Ave.

, Cebu City

Investigatory Project: Effectivity of Commercial Toothpastes in Whitening Teeth

Abstract: A. Purpose This investigatory project aims to prove or see the effectivity of some of the commercial toothpastes in whitening teeth. It also aims to help people choose which toothpaste brand works best in whitening teeth. If we know which brand works best, we could actually save some money. The toothpastes used were namely: Colgate, Sensodyne, Hapee and Close-Up. B. Procedure Shells were used to represent the teeth since it also has calcium carbonate which is found in teeth. Four shells were prepared and were first soaked in soda which was Royal for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, the shells were then placed to dry up for 5 minutes. Then, the shells were ready to be brushed with toothpaste. The four shells were brushed with different toothpastes for 2 minutes each shell with the same brush stroke. Shell A was brushed with Colgate. Shell B was brushed with Sensodyne. Shell C was brushed with Close-Up. And Shell D was brushed with Hapee. After all the shells were brushed, rinsed and dried up, the researchers compared the results. C. Results Shell A which was brushed with Colgate turned out to be effective. It did whiten the shell though there was a bit of tiny orange dirt from the soda. Shell B which was brushed with Sensodyne was effective too. It had a much better effect than Colgate

and no dirt was found. Shell C which was brushed with Close-Up didnt have much effect on the shell. It was still a bit yellowish. Shell D which was brushed with Hapee wasnt really effective. It had lesser effect than that of the Close-Up. D. Conclusion We can conclude that some toothpastes were effective while some were not. Sensodyne was the most effective from the four brands that were used. Colgate was effective too but less than that of the Sensodyne. Close-Up was not really that effective. Hapee was the least effective from the four brands since it had the least whitening effect on the shell.

Acknowledgement:

We would like to thank Ms. Roneth Edullantes, our Science teacher and adviser, for helping us with our project.

Table Of Contents I. II. III. IV. V. VI. VII. VIII. IX. X. XI. XII. Introduction Rationale Statement of the Problem/Objectives of the Study Significance of the Study Scope and Limitation Review Of Related Literature Methodology Results and Discussion Conclusion Recommendation Appendix Bibliography

I.

Introduction It was always said that we must brush our teeth every day. We are required to brush three times a day. Toothpastes are high important for our oral health and it used every day for proper hygiene. No one would want to have yellowish teeth. Everyone would want to have whiter teeth. Whitening teeth in the dentists clinic can cost you money. But in brushing your teeth, you can save money and have a better oral hygiene at the same time. All of us get our supplies from the supermarket or stores. Nowadays, there a lot of different brands of toothpaste and each may have different components in it and kinds. There are TV commercials that show and compare the toothpaste products they advertise and try to show the effectivity of it in whitening teeth. However, we are not certain whether what we see on television is indeed real. And because of this, some people might wonder or think whether these toothpastes are effective or not.

II.

Rationale The researchers noticed that it is everyones need to have whiter teeth. Going to the dentist just to have your teeth whitened can cost much most of the time. Thus, you would pretty much like to save and just go with brushing your teeth every day. And because of the many different brands of toothpastes in the market, they would like to know which of these brands are effective. Television commercials cannot be solely trusted since we dont really see the effect with our own eyes. Hence, the researchers had the idea of conducting a study on the effectivity of these commercial toothpastes in whitening teeth.

III.

Statement of the Problem Are commercial toothpastes effective in whitening teeth? Which toothpaste brand works best in whitening teeth?

Hypothesis: Commercial toothpastes are effective in whitening teeth. Commercial toothpastes are not effective in whitening teeth. Objectives: 1) To determine if commercial toothpastes are effective in whitening teeth 2) To know which brand works best in whitening teeth

IV.

Significance of the Study This study can help customers or buyers decide which toothpaste they must use so they

would not have a hard time in choosing which one to use that is actually effective. Moreover, they can compare or contradict if what they see in the advertisements is really true. Through this, the people can save money too. One way is that they wouldnt have to switch into different brands jus

V.

Scope and Limitation This study covers the effectivity of some common commercial toothpastes in whitening

teeth. The commercial toothpastes used are namely: Colgate, Close-Up, Sensodyne and Hapee.

This study does not cover the effectivity of these toothpastes in removing bacteria. The experiment or testing takes only a day to finish. The budget used was about P 100.00 for the toothbrushes and toothpastes. The shells were just excess from the food.

VI.

Review of Related Literature

Toothpaste is stored in collapsible tubes so that it can be squeezed out when used. It is meant to be applied to a toothbrush and scrubbed directly into the teeth and gums. The movement of the toothbrush across teeth will cause the toothpaste to spread and foam up. As it mixes with saliva, it becomes thinner and is able to get in between teeth much easier because of this. The toothpaste will strengthen enamel of the teeth and deposit fluoride or a similar cleanser to kill bacteria in the gums. There are plenty of bacteria and other micro-organisms living in our mouth. Many toothpastes make whitening claims. Some of these toothpastes contain peroxide, the same ingredient found in tooth bleaching gels. The abrasive in these toothpaste remove the stains, not the peroxide. Whitening toothpaste cannot alter the natural color of teeth or reverse discoloration by penetrating surface stains or decay. To remove surface stains, whitening toothpaste may include abrasives to gently polish the teeth, and/or additives such as sodium tripolyphosphate to break down or dissolve stains. When used twice a day, whitening toothpaste typically takes two to four weeks to make teeth appear more white. Whitening toothpaste is generally safe for daily use, but excessive use might damage tooth enamel. Teeth whitening gels represent an alternative. All toothpastes help remove surface stains, because they contain mild

abrasives. Some whitening toothpastes contain gentle polishing or chemical agents that provide additional stain removal effectiveness. Whitening toothpastes can help remove surface stains only and do not contain bleach; over-the-counter and professional whitening products contain carbamide peroxide or hydrogen peroxide that helps lighten the color deep in the tooth. Whitening toothpastes can lighten the tooth's color by about one shade. In contrast, light-activated whitening conducted in your dentist's office can make your teeth three to eight shades lighter. Both seashells and teeth are made from calcium compounds. Seashells have calcium carbonate (as calcite or aragonite) and some complex organic compounds, whereas our teeth are made of hydroxylapatite (calcium carbonate-phosphate). Both

substances are vulnerable to the attack of acidic substances (such as soda), which can weaken both teeth and seashells because they dissolve them.

VII.

Methodology

A. Materials/Equipment

4 ordinary seashells 4 toothbrushes [unused] Soda [Royal which we used] Zip Lock Bags 4 toothpastes of diff. brands [Colgate, Sensodyne, Close-Up and Hapee]

B. Treatment/General Procedure The four shells were each placed in a zip lock bag and an amount of Soda which was Royal was poured in it. The shells were soaked in there for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes of soaking, the shells were taken out of the bag and were placed down to dry up for 5 minutes. Then, the shells were ready to be brushed with toothpaste. Each shell is to be brushed with one kind of toothpaste for 2 minutes. All shells have the same stroke in brushing. Shell A was first brushed with Colgate. Shell B next was brushed with Sensodyne. Shell C was brushed with Close-Up. And

lastly, Shell D was brushed with Hapee. After brushing each of the shells, they were rinsed and put to dry up.

VIII.

Results and Discussion

A. Findings Minutes Soaked 15 min Minutes Brushed 2 min

SHELLS SHELL A - Colgate

Result Was effective but had a tiny bit of dirt in it

SHELL B - Sensodyne

15 min

2 min

Was effective and no marks of dirt were found

SHELL C Close-Up

15 min

2 min

Was not that effective compared to A and B and was a bit yellowish still Was the least effective among all and was somewhat yellowish still

SHELL D - Hapee

15 min

2 min

B. Analysis Of Data

Shell A which was brushed with Colgate was effective. It did whiten the shell however, there was a bit of really tiny orange dirt from the soda. Shell B which was brushed with Sensodyne was also effective. Also, it had a much better effect than Colgate and no dirt was found. It was the most effective. Shell C which was brushed with Close-Up didnt have much effect on the shell. And it was still a bit

yellowish. Shell D which was brushed with Hapee wasnt really effective. It had lesser effect than that of the Close-Up. It was still somewhat yellowish in color, but it was a bit more yellowish than Close-Up.

IX.

Conclusion We can conclude that some commercial toothpastes are effective while some are not. The brand that works best in whitening teeth is Sensodyne.

X.

Recommendation We recommend trying using other brands of toothpastes and other kinds of sodas like Pepsi and Sprite which are available in the market. We also recommend to try having a longer time of soaking the shells in the soda and more times or trials for brushing.

XI.

Appendix

XII.

Bibliography

Bacteria and Toothpaste - http://all-science-fair-projects.com/project1294_104_1.html How to Whiten Teeth by Brushing - http://www.ehow.com/how_2307255_whiten-teeth-brushing.html Toothpaste - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toothpaste Teeth Whitening - http://www.webmd.com/oral-health/teeth-whitening How Acids Affect Calcium in the Teeth & Bones May 22, 2011-

http://www.livestrong.com/article/447824-how-acids-affect-calcium-in-the-teeth-bones/#ixzz2I3Qy6eII