Calcium fluoride formation in enamel from semi- or low-concentrated F agents in vitro.

The formation of CaF2 was measured on sound enamel and in artificial, standardized (acidified gelatin, pH 4.5) caries-like enamel lesions after exposure to: (a) dentifrice/saliva slurries adjusted to relevant F-concentrations of approximately 100 or 8 ppm by appropriate addition of 1,000 ppm F NaF or Na monofluorophosphate (MFP) dentifrice, respectively, or (b) a mixture of saliva with a 0.2% NaF solution obtained by a usual 1-min rinse procedure or an aqueous solution of 0.2% NaF. CaF2 was determined after extraction with KOH and fluoride analysis by gas chromatography. Only negligible amounts of CaF2 were produced on sound enamel ranging from (mean +/- SEM) 0.76 +/- 0.14 micrograms F/cm2 with the 0.2% NaF solution to as little as 0.04 +/- 0.06 with the MFP dentifrice slurry. In caries-like enamel lesions, the CaF2 production with the 0.2% NaF solution/saliva mixture corresponded to 3.7 +/- 0.4 micrograms F/cm2 and corresponding amounts obtained with the dentifrice/saliva slurries were 1.5 +/- 0.19 micrograms F/cm2 with NaF, but only 0.19 +/- 0.04 with MFP. It was suggested that the deposition of CaF2 in the micropores of early lesions can be expected to be an important mechanism with F rinses, probably to some extent with NaF dentifrices, but barely with MFP dentifrices. The formation of CaF2 on sound enamel is unlikely to play a significant role in the caries-reducing effect of F rinses and F dentifrices.