Evaluating the preventive effect of cocoanut oil on primary teeth discolouration caused by iron drop (An in vitro study)

Abstract

Anemia is one of the common disorders in childhood, and iron deficiency anemia is the most prevalent type of it. Liquid iron products are usually prescribed for the treatment.The main side effect of these products is staining of the teeth. Many people discontinue or limit the use of this vital element supplements because of this undesirable effect. Therefore, using a material that can prevent discoloration is an ideal product.In this study we worked on coconut oil as a preventive material for tooth discoloration. Materials and methods: In this in vitro experiment, 30 teeth from children, who referred to the pediatric department of Tabriz faculty of Dentistry due to orthodontic or problems, were extracted with consent of their parents. After preparation, samples allocated in 2 groups (n=15) randomly. Afterwards, the first group was bathed in The solution provided by Iron drop from Health centers (Iran) and the second group of teeth were coverd by coconut oil before they bathed in the solution provided by Iron drop from Health centers . The iron absorbtion of the samples of each group were measured by spectrophotometer after 24h, 48h and 72h. Accordingly, the were measured and statistical analysis was subsequently performed using spss software. Results: In regard to the results, mean value of case group and control group showed significant difference. In addition, the comparison of mean values in 24h, 48h and 72h showed significant difference in control group. So that, the staining effect increased with time,but indicated no significant difference in case group. Conclusion: The coconut oil have preventive effect on primary teeth discolouration caused by iron drop. Additionally, the results revealed that there is a direct correlation between severity of staining and duration of exposure to iron solution in control group.