[Comparison of the effect of fluoride and non-fluoride dentifrices on enamel demineralization and remineralization in vitro].

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of the experiment is to investigate the effect of fluoride dentifrices in China on the intact and artificial caries-like bovine enamels.

METHODS

The artificial caries-like lesions were created by dipping the teeth into an acid buffered solution. Both the bovine intact enamels and the artificial caries-like enamels were assigned tooth brushing 20 times every half an hour with 3 kinds of fluoride dentifrices and one kind of non-fluoride dentifrices respectively. The amount of calcium dissolved by lactic acid was determined as the susceptibility of demineralization by atomic adsorption spectrometry (AAS).

RESULTS

The group treated with fluoride dentifrice showed significantly less demineralization than the non-fluoride group (P < 0.02). The effect of inhibition of acid solubility in artificial caries-like enamel after tooth brushing is significantly greater than that in intact enamel.

CONCLUSION

Fluoride dentifrices in this experiment can prevent both intact enamel and artificial caries-like enamel from acid solubility after tooth brushing, and it seems that the effect of the fluoride dentifrices on the redemineralization is greater than the reduction of enamel solubility.