The Use of Coconut (Cocos nucifera) Oil as Alternative Ingredient for Commercial Toothpaste

Abstract

INTRODUCTION

Toothpaste is used to promote oral hygiene. It serves as an abrasive and aids in removing dental plaque and food from teeth, assists in suppressing halitosis and delivers active ingredients mostly common fluoride to help prevent tooth and gum disease. This study would help them know the acceptability of coconut oil as an ingredient for homemade toothpaste by using natural ingredient than those leading brands that use chemicals that might harm people. The researcher believes that the substance is not just an alternative but helps consumers to use natural ingredient than that of chemicals like fluoride and glycerin. Most people commonly urban dwellers consider this research as a homemade toothpaste due to its processes like coconut oil extraction, which is not simple to do but the researchers proved the acceptability of the product.

METHODS

An experimental method was used to determine the acceptability of coconut oil as alternative ingredients in making toothpaste. The researchers conducted four treatments: T0 was the commercial toothpaste; T1-1tbsp of coconut oil and ½ cup of baking soda; T2-1 ½ tbsp of coconut oil and ½ cup of baking soda; T3-2 tbsp of coconut oil and ½ cup of baking soda. One hundred pupil-respondents answered survey form using a questionnaire from Guyam Elementary School to determine the acceptability of the natural ingredient.

RESULTS

The study showed that among four treatments T3 has 3.88 WM and T0 has 4.25 WM was found to be acceptable by pupil-respondents, with a difference only of .16 WM. This is compared to T1 with 2.94 WM, and T2 with 3.59 considered as moderately acceptable.

DISCUSSIONS

Most of the respondents said that the product was almost the same as that of commercial toothpaste specifically fluoride toothpaste but not merely its taste and texture. The effect of this study could be of great help in raising the issue of using fluoride in toothpaste because of the seen effects of the product to the users. It was suggested that further study is needed in order to improve the facts it contains to improve the product of using the natural ingredient.