Comparative Evaluation of the Antioxidant Effects of Oregano on Bleached Enamel Using Energy-dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy Analysis: An In Vitro Study

Abstract

Aim and objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of novel antioxidant oregano against conventional antioxidants sodium ascorbate and green tea through comparison of the baseline weight percentage (wt%) of minerals prior to bleaching with values after bleaching protocols and antioxidant application by employing energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis (EDAX). Materials and methods: Thirty noncarious, freshly extracted human permanent maxillary incisors without any visible defects were selected as samples. They were divided into three groups (n = 10) based on the antioxidant treatment received as follows: group I⇔10% sodium ascorbate solution, group II⇔10% green tea solution, and group III⇔5% oregano solution. 35% hydrogen peroxide was employed for bleaching. The wt% of teeth was calculated at three time intervals. The initial wt% was calculated prior to the bleaching procedure. The second one was calculated after subjecting to bleaching protocols, and final one was calculated after antioxidant treatment using EDAX. Results: There was a statistically significant decrease in the calcium/phosphorus ratio for the bleached samples in comparison with the sound enamel. There was a comparable and significant increase in the calcium/phosphorus ratio values after application of the antioxidant with insignificant difference among the antioxidants evaluated in the study. Conclusion: Treatment with antioxidants helped in the reversal of mineral loss, which occurred due to the bleaching procedure while the efficacy of 10% oregano on reversal of the calcium and phosphorus ratio was found to comparable to that of 10% sodium ascorbate and green tea. Clinical significance: Application of antioxidants after bleaching reduced the time delay in performing the adhesive procedures without compromising their clinical efficacy.