Dental
caries is a disease caused by the bacteria Streptococcus mutans and
Lactobacillus, and affects everyone regardless of age. One way to overcome
dental caries is to clean the teeth with a toothpaste made from
hydroxyapatite-nanosilver-clove extract. Hydroxyapatite is a biomaterial that
has biocompatibility, bioactivity, and osteoconductive so that it can
remineralize teeth. Nanosilver is an antibacterial component that is able to
kill microorganisms that cause dental caries. The addition of clove extract as
an antimicrobial and aromatic compound can increase the attractiveness of the
product. This study aims to determine the physical and chemical characteristics
of the hydroxyapatite-nanosilver-clove extract gel formulation with varying
concentrations of hydroxyapatite 1%, 2%, and 3%, and nanosilver concentrations
of 1 ppm, 5 ppm, and 10 ppm. The results of the homogeneity test, pH level, dispersion,
and adhesion showed that the gel was in accordance with the test standard. The
results of organoleptic tests and statistical analysis showed that variations
in the concentration of hydroxyapatite and nanosilver affected the color and
aroma (P < 0.05), but did not affect the texture (P > 0.05) of the gel.
FTIR spectrophotometric analysis showed that the formulation already contained
OH, CO32-, PO43- groups derived
from hydroxyapatite, C=O derived from nanosilver, and OCH, CH3, C-C,
=C-H derived from clove extract.
Keywords: Clove,
Gel, Hydroxyapatite, Nanosilver, Toothpaste