ABSTRACT
Background: The esthetic of the teeth can be restored with a whitening procedure such as bleaching that uses certain compounds. Some bleaching agents, such as peroxide-based bleaching agents, may arise some unfavorable effects and be harmful to the patient, therefore natural bleaching agents are observed to fulfill the unfavorable effect of peroxide-based bleaching agents. The natural bleaching agent that has been proven to have whitened teeth was Apis mellifera honey (Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) contained) and miswak (Peroxide enzymes contained). However, the effect of the combination of both compounds has not been discovered. Objective: Our study was conducted to find the effect of the combination of natural bleaching agents (Apis mellifera honey and miswak) on tooth whitening. Methods: Prior to the treatment, 30 samples of extracted maxillary premolars were soaked in coffee for artificial staining, hereinafter, the samples were immersed in a natural bleaching agent (Apis mellifera honey and miswak) with various concentrations (100%, 50%, and 25%) at 37°C for 96 hours. Spectrophotometer was used to record the tooth color before and after the treatment. All the data were recorded in Microsoft Excel, then statistical analysis was performed. Result: The natural bleaching agent (Apis mellifera honey and miswak) at 100% showed a lighter tooth color change with a mean of ∆L 6.55. Darker tooth color change was seen in 50% and 25% with mean ∆L −1.36 and −11.23, respectively. Statistical significance was seen in all groups with p = 0.000. Conclusion: A combination of honey and miswak at 100% concentration can increase the effectiveness of tooth whitening and reduce the side effects of hydrogen peroxide on tooth structure.
