Clinical efficacy of fluoride dentifrice on remineralization of white spot lesions

• Published in: Journal of Osaka Dental University Vol. 41; no. 1; pp. 41 - 49
• Main Authors: Nishijima, Noriyuki, Uemura, Mibu, Kambara, Masaaki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Osaka Odontological Society 2007; 大阪歯科学会
• Subjects: Clinical study; Fluoride dentifrice; Quantitative light-induced fluorescence; Remineralization; White spot lesion
• ISSN: 0475-2058; 2189-6488
• DOI: 10.18905/jodu.41.1_41

We used quantitative light-induced fluorescence (QLF) clinically to quantitatively assess changes in white spot lesions of permanent enamel for different age groups and to determine the efficacy of a fluoride dentifrice on remineralization of these lesions. One hundred twenty-nine patients between 10 and 48 years of age were assigned randomly to a fluoride group and a placebo group. Sixty-five subjects used a fluoride dentifrice containing 950 ppm fluoride as sodium fluoride, and 64 used a non fluoride (placebo) dentifrice. The subjects were required to brush their teeth twice each day with the respective dentifrices for one year. Remineralization was evaluated by three QLF parameters : mineral loss ΔQ(%・mm2); lesion area S (mm2); and maximum lesion depth ΔMax(%). Measuremerits were made at three, six and twelve months after the baseline examination. We concluded that fluoride dentifrice promoted remineralization of clinical white spot lesions in all age groups. We also found that QLF was an effective method for measuring and quantifying the magnitude of this effect.