Abstract
Aim The aim of the study was to compare the effectiveness of chitosan nanoparticle pretreatment with four different remineralizing agents in artificial white spot lesions. Methods A total of 100 human maxillary first premolars were selected and divided into five groups of 20 samples in each group. Artificial white spot lesions were created by immersing the samples in the demineralizing solution for 96 hours. Chitosan pretreatment was done for all samples followed by subjecting Group I samples to artificial saliva (control), Group II samples to 3M Clinpro, Group III samples to GC Tooth Mousse, Group IV samples to SHY-NM, and Group V samples with Aclaim using a cotton applicator tip. Each group was divided into two subgroups of 10 samples, which were subjected to hardness testing and mineral content analysis. Surface microhardness and the calcium phosphorous ratio were recorded using a Vickers microhardness tester and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDAX) analysis at three levels i.e., baseline, after demineralization, and after remineralization and tabulated. Statistical analysis was conducted by analyzing data using ANOVA and post hoc followed by Dunnett's t-test using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 16 (Released 2007; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States). Results Vickers surface hardness testing and EDAX analysis showed statistically significant values for all the groups. Among them, maximum remineralization potential was seen in samples treated with Chitosan and 3M Clinpro combination, and minimum remineralization potential was seen in Chitosan and artificial saliva combination. Conclusion The addition of chitosan nanoparticles with various remineralizing agents showed a significant synergistic effect on remineralization activity. Also, chitosan and Clinpro combination showed the maximum surface hardness and EDAX analysis values when compared to other groups.