Color Change of Primary Teeth Following Using 4 Types of Iron Supplements Available in the Iranian Pharmacopeia

Background: Iron supplementation plays an important role in the growth and development of children. However, iron causes persistent discoloration of primary teeth, which creates some concerns for the parents. This study aimed to assess the color change of the primary teeth following the use of four types of iron supplements available in the Iranian pharmacopeia. Methods: In this in vitro experimental study, 60 primary incisors (120 tooth surfaces) with intact crowns were collected and randomly divided into 5 groups (1 control and 4 experimental groups). The color of the teeth was then measured at baseline (time 0) and 24, 48, 72, and 96 hours after the immersion in solutions containing 250 mL of artificial saliva in the control group and artificial saliva plus iron supplements containing 100 mg of iron in the experimental groups using the Vita Easy Shade Compact. Finally, the data were analyzed using the ANOVA test and pairwise comparisons were made using Tukey’s and least significant difference tests via SPSS, version 23. Results: The primary teeth showed a significant color change after 24 and 48 hours of immersion in the solutions (P<0.05) but no significant change was noted after 72 and 96 hours of immersion (P>0.05). Conclusions: In general, the color change of the primary teeth was not significantly different following exposure to the four iron supplements. Eventually, the Iranian and foreign-made iron supplements caused a similar color change in the teeth.