KENYA STANDARD  DKS 2943 S/2022 ICS 
……….  
First Edition  
  
 © KEBS 2022  
  
 
 
Dentistry — Tooth Powder — Specification  
 
 
 
 
 DKS 2943 :2022  
ii © KEBS 2022 – All rights reserved  
 TECHNICAL COMMITTEE REPRESENTATION  
The following organizations were represented on the Technical Committee:  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Kenya Bureau of Standards — Secretariat  
REVISION OF KENYA STANDARDS  
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improvements to published standards, addressed to the Managing Director, Kenya Bureau of Standards, are 
welcome.  
© Kenya Bureau of Standards, 2020 
Copyright. Users are reminded that by virtue of Section 25 of the Copyright Act, Cap. 130 of 2001 of  the Laws of Kenya, copyright subsists 
in all Kenya Standards and except as provided under Section 25 of this Act, no Kenya Standard produced by Kenya Bureau of Sta ndards 
may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system in any form or transmitted by any mea ns without prior permission in writing from the 
Managing Director.   KENYA STANDARD  DKS  2943 :2022  
ICS ……..  
First  Edition  
 
© KEBS 2022 – All rights reserved  iii 
  Dentistry  —Tooth Powder —  Specification   
 
 
Kenya Bureau of Standards,  Popo Road, Off Mombasa Road,  
P.O. Box 54974 - 00200,  Nairobi, Kenya  
 +254 020 6948000, + 254 722202137, + 254 734600471  
 info@kebs.org  
 @KEBS_ke  
 kenya bureau of standards (kebs)  
  
DKS 2943 :2022  
iv © KEBS 2022 – All rights reserved  
 Foreword  
This Kenya Publicly Available Specification  was prepared by the Hospital devices, tools and equipment  
Technical Committee under the guidance of the Standards Projects Committee, and it is in accordance with the 
procedures of the Kenya Bureau of Standards  
A good tooth powder when used in normal manner assists in the removal of the usual daily accumulation of 
debris and deposits . 
During the preparation of this standard, reference was ma de to the following documents : 
IS 5383  — Indian Standard  — Specification for Tooth Powder  
Acknowledgement is hereby made for the assi stance derived from these sources.  
 DKS 2943 :2022   
 
© KEBS 2022– All rights reserved   
 Dentistry —Tooth Powder  — Specification  
1 Scope  
This Draft Kenya Standard  prescribes requirements  and the methods of sampling and test for tooth 
powders . 
2 Normative references  
The following referenced documents referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content 
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated 
references, the latest edition of the re ferenced document (including any amendments) applies.  
KS 87: Specification for hydrochloric acid  
 ISO 3696:1987: Water for analytical laboratory use  - Specification and test methods  
 ISO 11969:1996 - Water quality — Determination of arsenic  
 KS 1668: 2001 : Kenya  Standard — Methods of sampling cosmetics  
 KS 2937: 2021: Cosmetics — General requirements for Safety of Cosmetic Products — Specification  
 KS 1474 - 7: 2010 , Classification of cosmetic raw materials and adjuncts  
  
  
3 Terms and definitions  
For the purpose of this document, the terms and definitions given  in KS ISO 4007 and the following apply.  
3.1 Tooth powder  
 Is …….  
4 Requirements  
 4.1  Description  
 Tooth powder shall be smooth, uniform, or sluggishly flowing  fine powder dentifrice  formulation , free  
 from any foreign matter.  It shall be free from hard abrasive  material which could damage the dentine  
 enamel.  
       4.1.1  The tooth powders shall be classified into the following types : 
- Type 1 – Non-fluoridated  and  
- Type 2 – Fluoridated . 
 
4.1.2   Description  – Tooth powder shall be smooth, uniform, free -flowing fine powder, free from foreign 
matter. It shall be free from hard abrasive material.  
4.1.3  Ingredients  
The principal ingredient(s) shall be one or more of the conventionally used materials in the manufacture of 
tooth powders (see Annex A) and  shall conform to the requirements of respective Kenya Standards. 
Tooth powder shall not contain readily fermentable carbohydrates, such as mono - or disaccharides , e.g. 
glucose or sucrose.  
  
© KEBS 2022 – All rights reserved  iii 
  4.1.4  Dyes, colours  and pigment  
These ingredients, if used, shall conform to the requirements of EAS 377 -3:2013.  
 
4.1.5 Additional ingredients, such as flavours and sweating agents may be added to improve the appearance, 
taste and flavour of the powder. These ingredients shall conform to the provision of KS EAS 377 -2:2013.  
 
4.1.7 The tooth powder shall also meet the requirements given in Table 1 when tested in accordance with the 
methods given in Annex A.  
 
Packing and Marking  
4.1 The material shall be packed in suitable well -closed containers.  
 Table 1. Requirements for Tooth Powder  
SN Characters  Type 1  Type 2  Method of Test (Ref to Cl 
No. of Annex A)  
i) Fineness:  
a) Particles retained on 150 -
micron, % by Wt., Max 
b) Particles retained on 75 -
micron, % by Wt., Max  
0.1 
2 
  
0.1 
5 A-2 
ii) Moisture and volatile matter, % by Wt., 
Max 5 5 A-3 
iii) pH of per cent aqueous suspension  8-10.5 6-9 A-4 
iv) Foaming powder, mL, Min 50 - A-5 
v) Lead (as Pb), ppm, Max.  20 20 A-6 
vi) Arsenic (as AS 2O3), ppm, Max.  2 2 A-7 
vii) Abrasion  To pass 
test To pass 
test A-8 
 
4.2 The container shall be legibly and indelibly marked with the following information:  
a) Name and physical address of the manufacturer ; 
b)  Recognized Trade name, if any ; 
c) The name  and type  of the material;   
d) Net weight;  
e) Batch number, in code or otherwise, to enable the  lot of manufacture to be traced from records.   
f) Number of pieces in the secondary package;  
 
  DKS 2943 :2022 
iv © KEBS 2022 – All rights reserved  
  
 
 Annex A  
(Informative)  
Ingredients  
 
 
a) Calcium carbonate, precipitated;  
b) Magnesium carbonate;  
c) Dicalcium phosphate;  
d) Tricalcium phosphate;  
e) Insoluble sodium metaphosphate;  
f) Hydrated alumina;  
g) Amorphous precipitated silica, and  
h) Charcoal.    
© KEBS 2022 – All rights reserved  v 
  Annex B  
(normative)  
Methods of Test for Tooth Powder  
 
B-1 Quality of the Reagents   
B-1.1 Unless specified otherwise, pure chemicals and distilled water meeting the requirements of KS EAS 123 
shall be employed in test.  
B- 2 Determination of fineness   
B-2.1 Procedure – Place about 50 g of the material, accurately weighed, in a 75 -micron sieve and shake till no 
more material passes through the sieve. Transfer the residue with the help of a brush to a tared sheet of 
glazed paper and weigh. Calculate the weight  of the material retained on the sieve and express it as 
percentage by weight of the material taken for the test.  
B-2.2 Place the residue obtained in A -2.1 in a 150 -micron Sieve and proceed as A -2.1. Transfer the residue 
left on the sieve to a glazed paper and weigh. Calculate the weight of the residue as percentage by weight of 
the material taken for the test in A -2.1.  
B-3 Determination of moisture and volatile matter   
B-3.1 Procedure – In previously dried and weighed petri -dish, take about 2 g of the material, accurately 
weighed. Dry it at 105 ⁰C ± 2 ⁰C in an oven for 4 hours or till constant weight. Cool in a desiccator and weigh.  
B-3.2 Calculation  
 
Moisture and volatile matter, % by Wt., = 100  (𝑊−𝑤)
𝑊 
 
Where,  
 W = weight in g of the material taken for test, and  
 w = weight in g of the material after drying.  
 
B-4 Determination of pH  
B-4.1 Procedure  – Take 5 g of the material in a 100 -mL beaker. Add 45 mL of freshly boiled and cooled water 
and mix well. Determine the pH with a pH -meter using glass and Calomel electrodes.  
B-5 Determination of foaming power  
B-5.1 General  – Strict attention shall be paid to all details of the procedure in order to ensure concordant 
results. Particular care shall be taken to shake the cylinder exactly as described.  
B-5.2 Overview of the method  
A suspension of the material in water is taken in a graduated cylinder and given 12 shakes under prescribed 
conditions. The volume of the foam formed is observed after keeping the cylinder for 5 minutes.  
B-5.3 Apparatus  
B-5.3.1  Graduated cylinder  – Glass stoppered, with graduations from 0 to 250 mL, with 2 mL divisions, overall 
height about 35 cm and the height of the graduated portion about 20 cm.  
B-5.3.2  Graduated cylinder  - with graduation from 0 to 100 mL, with 1 mL divisions.  DKS 2943 :2022 
vi © KEBS 2022 – All rights reserved  
 B-5.3.3  Thermometer  – of range 0 ⁰C to 110 ⁰C.  
B-5.3.4 Procedure  
B-5.3.4.1 Weigh about 5 g of the tooth powder accurately in a 100 -mL glass beaker, add 15 mL water, cover 
the beaker with a watch -glass and allow to stand for 30 minutes. This operation is carried out to make the 
tooth powder easily dispersible.  
Note – Ensure that the detergent is completely dissolved, warming the aqueous suspension, if necessary.  
B-5.3.4.2 Stir the contents of the beaker with a glass rod and transfer the slurry to the graduated cylinder, 
ensuring that no foam (more than 2 mL) is produced and no lumpy paste goes into the cylinder. Repeat the 
transfer of the residue left in the beaker with further portions of 5 to 6 mL of water ensuring that all the matter 
in the beaker is transferred to the cylinder.  
B-5.3.4.3 Adjust the contents in the cylinder to 50 mL by adding sufficient water and bring the contents of the 
cylinder to 30 ⁰C. Stir the contents of the cylinder with a glass rod or thermometer to ensure a uniform 
suspension.  
B-5.3.4.4 As soon as the temperature of the contents of the cylinder reaches 30 ⁰C, stopper the cylinder and 
give it 12 complete shakes, each shake comprising movements shown in Figure 1 in a vertical plane, upside 
down and vice versa. After 12 shakes have been given, allow the cylinder to stand still for 5 minutes and read 
the volume of:  
a) Foam plus water (V1 mL), and  
b) Water only (V2 mL) as shown in Figure 2.  
 
 
 
 
A-5.3.4.5  Calculation  
 
© KEBS 2022 – All rights reserved  vii 
   
Foaming power, mL = V1 – V2 
Where  
 V1 = volume in mL of foam plus water, and  
 V2 = volume in mL of water only.  
 
 
 
B-7 Test for Lead  
B-7.1 Test method outline  
The material is brought into solution. The brown colour produced with aqueous hydrogen sulphide solution is 
matched with that produced with a standard lead solution.  
B-7.2 Apparatus  
B-7.2.1  Nessler Tubes  – 100 mL capacity  
B-7.3 Reagents  
B-7.3.1  Concentrated Nitric Acid   
B-7.3.2  Hydrofluoric Acid  – 40 per cent (w/w)  
B-7.3.3  Citric Acid   
DKS 2943 :2022 
viii © KEBS 2022 – All rights reserved  
 B-7.3.4  Bromophenol Blue Indicator  – Dissolve 0.1 g of bromophenol blue in 100 -mL of rectified spirit.  
B-7.3.5  Copper Sulphate  
B-7.3.6  Hydrogen Sulphide  – gas, from Kipp’s apparatus  
B-7.3.7  Dilute Nitric Acid  – approximately 1 per cent  
B-7.3.8  Ammonium Hydroxide  – Dilute one volume of liquor ammonia (20 percent by weight) with 10 volumes 
of water  
B-7.3.9  Thymol Blue In dicator  – Dissolve 0.1 g of thymol blue in 100 mL of rectified spirit  
B-7.3.10  Potassium Cyanide Solution  – 10 percent (w/v)  
B-7.3.11  Hydrogen Sulphide Solution  – Freshly prepared, saturated solution  
B-7.3.12  Standard Lead Solution  – Dissolve 1.6 g of lead nitrate in water and make up the solution to exactly 
1000 mL. Pipette out 10 mL of the solution and dilute it again with water to 1000 mL. One millilitre of final 
solution contains 0.01 mg of lead (Pb). The solution should be fres hly prepared.  
B-7.4 Procedure