Clinical monitoring of the effect of fluorides on long-existing white spot lesions.

The aim of this examiner-blind, clinical monitoring was to observe long-existing white spot lesions over a period of 6 months and to evaluate the effectiveness of fluoridated toothpastes on these lesions. Thirty-nine subjects with at least one lesion participated in the study. They were randomly divided into two groups (n=20 and n=19) and instructed to brush their teeth either with toothpaste containing sodium fluoride (1500 ppm) (group 1) or with toothpaste containing amine fluoride (1250 ppm) (group 2). Lesions were measured with quantitative light-induced fluorescence (QLF) and alterations were quantified by DeltaQ as fluorescence loss integrated over the lesion area (% x mm(2)). All QLF images were taken by one examiner at baseline (DeltaQ1) and follow-up visits after 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 weeks, and after 4, 5, and 6 months (DeltaQ10). The results showed a slight but not significant progression of DeltaQ (% x mm(2)) in group 1 ((p>0.05; t-test), DeltaQ1 -20.31 (+/-41.06); DeltaQ10 -26.2 (+/-47.69)) and in group 2 ((p>0.05), DeltaQ1 -22.28 (+/-43.86); DeltaQ10 -26.39 (+/-46.4)). The results indicated no significant differences regarding the influence of the fluoridated toothpastes (p>0.05). It can be concluded that within 6?months the long-existing white spot lesions are stable concerning fluorescence loss over the lesion area. Moreover, fluoride does not seem to have any effect on long-existing white spot lesions.