TOOTHPASTE
SCIENCE FAIR PROJECT
Rachel Griffin
January 13, 2014
Period: 5 - Mrs. McNees
Syracuse Junior High
School
STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM
What brand of Toothpaste whitens teeth the best?
RESEARCH
oIn addition to 20–42% water, toothpastes are derived from a variety
of components, the three main ones being abrasives, fluoride, and
detergents. A tile is a manufactured piece of hard-wearing material
such as ceramic, stone, metal, or even glass. Tiles are generally used
for covering roofs, floors, walls, showers, or other objects such as
tabletops.
oHydrogen peroxide is a bleaching agent with antimicrobial effects
[Gaffar, 1997] that has been used historically, at high concentrations,
for the treatment of severe gingivitis. It is an effective bleaching agent
that can penetrate enamel to bleach intrinsic stains.
oPapain is a naturally occurring enzyme that dissolves protein. There
is some evidence to show that the combination of papain and citrate
can remove superficial tooth staining.
RESEARCH CONTINUED
oSodium tripolyphosphate (STP) slows the growth of crystals
and so inhibits the formation and growth of hard deposits of
mineralized plaque (calculus). [Kohut et al., 1997] At higher
concentrations, STP breaks down the stain matrix. It does this
by removing calcium bridges between the stain molecules and
surface proteins on the teeth, making the stain easier to
remove.
oBleaching agents for whitening teeth date to at least the early 1900's.
Today, the most common bleaching agent in toothpaste is a
compound called car amide peroxide, which in the mouth forms
hydrogen peroxide. The hydrogen peroxide in turn breaks down into
water and oxygen. The free oxygen is a powerful bleaching agent
because it combines with materials in the stains and lightens their
color. A few brands of toothpaste contain a different type of bleaching
agent, citric acid, which is found in lemons and other citrus fruits and
acts as a mild bleach.
RESEARCH CONTINUED
oToothpastes do not contain enough bleaching agents to lighten
heavy stains beyond the normal effect of abrasives, however.
Products called home tooth bleaching kits claim to offer
stronger whitening power. But according to the American
Dental Association (ADA), these products may be dangerous
due to their high peroxide content. In 1989, the ADA warned
that the regular use of home bleaching kits may temporarily
damage the soft tissues of the mouth, delay healing of already
damaged tissue, or damage tooth pulp by traveling down
tubules in the enamel to the pulp. None of these kits had
received approval from the ADA as of mid-1993.
WORKS CITED (MLA CITATION)
o"Tooth Whitening Ingredients." Aquafresh. GlaxoSmithKline, 2012.
Web. 10 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.aquafreshscienceacademy.com/clinicalresearch/toothpaste-science/tooth-whitening.html>.
oN.P. "Dental Hygiene Topics." Crest Pro-Health. Better Business
Bureau, 2014. Web. 10 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.crestprohealth.com/dental-hygiene-topics/>.
oLimburg, Peter. "Chemistry in a Tube of Toothpaste."World Book
Student. World Book, 10 Jan. 2014. Web. 10 Jan. 2014.
<http://www.worldbookonline.com/student/media?id=sr394
003&st=whitening toothpaste>.
HYPOTHESIS
If I get four different brands of whitening toothpaste
(Ultrabrite, Aquafresh, Crest, and Colgate), then
Colgate will make the tile whitest because of the fact
that Colgate was the first A.D.A. approved
toothpaste in the U.S.A. It is said to be the most
effective at removing plaque and plaque is what
stains teeth.
MATERIALS
o2L Pepsi
oTile
oA permanent marker
oFour different brands of whitening toothpaste
oFour identical toothbrushes
oDish
PROCEDURE/STEPS
1.
Gather materials
2.
Label the different sections of the tile with a permanent marker.
3.
Put the tile completely in 2L Pepsi for one week.
4.
Let the tile dry completely.
5.
Put 1cm of toothpaste on one of the toothbrushes and brush a
certain section of the tile for one minute. (The section that you
brush should be labeled the same as the toothpaste you use.)
6.
Rinse the tile and toothbrush with water to remove all toothpaste.
7.
Get a different toothpaste and toothbrush and repeat steps 5 & 6
on a new section of the tile. (Again the section should match the
toothpaste you are using.)
8.
Complete this with all of the toothpastes and toothbrushes until
you have done them all.
9.
Record data daily.
10. Do steps 5-9 twice a day for 7 days.
11. After the tile is completely dried, determine which section is
whitest.
VARIABLES
Constants: The time you brush each piece of tile for, the type of
stain used, the type of tile used, and the amount of toothpaste
used(1cm).
Controlled variables: The part of the tile that is not brushed.
Independent variable: The type of toothpaste.
Dependent variable: How white the part of tile where I have
brushed with toothpaste is. (I got the paint cards from Lowe’s
with the different whiteness’s on them so I can compare them
to that.)
PHOTOS
BEFORE
MORE PHOTOS
BASIC MATERIALS
MORE PHOTOS
AFTER SOAKING
1 WEEK
MORE PHOTOS
BRUSHING: DAY 1
MORE PHOTOS
AFTER
3.5 DAYS
Beginning to whiten
MORE PHOTOS
AFTER
3.5 DAYS
MORE PHOTOS: END RESULTS
MORE PHOTOS: END RESULTS
MORE PHOTOS: END RESULTS
MORE PHOTOS: END RESULTS
DATA/OBSERVATIONS
oAfter brushing the tile for one minute, two times a day for
seven days, they all whitened quite a bit. All four whitening
toothpastes worked. However, Colgate worked the best. After
all seven days Colgate showed the most difference in whiteness.
MORE PHOTOS: COMPARISON
Before
After
Key
DATA: TABLE
1-whitest
4-darkest
Results
Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 3.5 Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Crest
4
2
3
3
4
4
4
4
Colgate
1
1
2
2
2
1
1
1
Aquafresh 3
3
1
1
1
2
2
2
Ultrabrite
4
4
4
3
3
3
3
2
The table is of the whiteness of each tile
on each day. 1 is the whitest and 4 is
the darkest. For example: Day 1:
Colgate was the whitest, then
Ultrabrite, AquaFrest, and Crest.
7 Day Average
This is a graph of the average
score after seven days. Colgate
had whitened the most with the
average being 1.57.
DATA: GRAPH
Results
4.5
4
4 is the
darkest and 1
is the whitest.
3.5
3
2.5
7 day
average
2
1.5
1
0.5
0
Crest
Colgate
Aquafresh
Ultrabrite
CONCLUSION
I discovered that Colgate Optic White is the best whitening
toothpaste out of Aquafresh Extreme Clean Whitening Action,
Ultrabrite Advanced Whitening and Crest 3D White . Colgate
whitens the best, and made the tile the whitest. In the end it
had the most difference. My hypothesis was supported. I
predicted that if I get four different brands of whitening
toothpaste (Ultrabrite, Aquafresh, Crest, and Colgate), then
Colgate will make the tile whitest because of the fact that
Colgate was the first A.D.A. approved toothpaste in the
U.S.A. It is said to be the most effective at removing plaque
and plaque is what stains teeth. That is what happened. Colgate
made the tile the whitest.