Saliva fluoride before and during 3 years of supervised use of fluoride toothpaste.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of the study was to examine pre-brushing saliva fluoride concentrations before and during a large, 3-year, prospective toothpaste study on the effect of post-brushing rinsing on dental caries. The aims were to study saliva fluoride over time and the effect of rinsing on saliva fluoride and to relate saliva fluoride to caries increments and accumulation of plaque.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Saliva samples (baseline and 1, 2, and 3 years) were collected from 11-year-old children attending two schools (A and B) in Kaunas, Lithuania, who refrained from brushing the evening and morning before saliva collection. Numbers of saliva samples collected varied from 264 at baseline to 188 at the 3-year follow-up. Children in school A rinsed with water after daily brushing, while children in school B did not rinse. Total caries and visible plaque were registered at baseline and after 3 years.

RESULTS

Mean saliva fluoride concentrations at baseline and after 1, 2, and 3 years from school A (rinsing) were 0.014, 0.026, 0.029, and 0.034 ppm and from school B (no rinsing) were 0.013, 0.028, 0.031, and 0.031 ppm, respectively. Increases in saliva fluoride from baseline were significant (Wilcoxon's test, p < 0.001), but the increase from baseline to year 1 was not statistically significantly different between schools. Saliva fluoride did not increase beyond year 1 and did at no time point differ between schools. Reductions in numbers of tooth surfaces with dental plaque were significantly positively related to the number of caries reversals over the 3 years.

CONCLUSIONS

Background saliva fluoride concentration is increased by brushing at least once daily on schooldays, does not increase further over 3 years, and is not affected by rinsing after brushing.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Continuous use of fluoride toothpaste produces ambient saliva fluoride levels similar to saliva fluoride in areas with fluoridated water.