Evaluation of the suitability of Gardenia blue pigment derived from Gardenia jasminoides Ellis (Rubiaceae) as a dental plaque disclosant

OBJECTIVE: Dental disclosants are used to distinguish the amount and location of dental plaque. Therefore, dental disclosants are useful for dental plaque management and effective in motivating oral care. After reports on the cytotoxicity and carcinogenesis of dental disclosants containing erythrosine, many natural pigments for dental disclosants have been suggested. However, there are insufficient ingredients with proven biocompatibility for human subjects. The purpose of this study was to explore the suitability of Gardenia blue pigment as a dental disclosant. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Natural Gardenia blue pigment was used as the dental disclosant experimental group and 2Tone was used as the control group. The homogeneity of the panelists in the groups was identified by measuring the gingivitis index and dental plaque index of the subjects before the experiments. The degree of pigmentation on the tooth surface was observed immediately after coloring and after 1 h. The remaining pigment on the dental surface was also monitored after brushing the teeth. In the panelist test, the taste and sensation of the pigment were examined, and the overall preference for the pigment as a dental disclosant was examined. RESULTS: After coloration of the tooth surface, neither the natural Gardenia blue pigment nor 2Tone imparted any special taste or sensation. The coloration of dental plaque with Gardenia blue pigment was similar to that of 2Tone, and the difference in the degree of coloration between Gardenia blue pigment and 2Tone was not statistically significant. The residual degree of pigmentation after 1 h of coloring was similar in both groups, but most of it was removed by brushing. There was no statistically significant difference in the overall preference of Gardenia blue pigment over 2Tone. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study prove that natural Gardenia blue pigment could be a suitable dental disclosant in terms of pigmentation and preference.