Methods: Twenty non-carious extracted human teeth were sectioned creating 80 samples which were cycled daily in a demineralizing solution to simulate the natural pH changes that occur in the oral environment. Sections were treated twice a day in their respective fluoride treatment groups (n=20/per group) and stored in artificial saliva. Sections were evaluated using polarized light photomicroscopy to determine the average lesion depth due to mineral loss from the root surface. Comparisons were made between the different fluoride treatments in their ability to inhibit demineralization in this model system. One-way ANOVA with post-hoc Tukey’s HSD test was used to determine if significant differences existed among four fluoride treatment groups (alpha=0.05).
Results: The mean lesion depth observed in Crest was significantly greater than the other three fluoride treatment groups, whereas mean lesion depth observed in Renew was significantly greater that that observed in Prevident. However, no significant differences were found between Renew and Clinpro, and between Prevident and Clinpro.
Conclusions: Assessing the efficacy of the available products on their ability to prevent demineralization of exposed root surfaces in the oral environment allows a fuller understanding on how to manage patients at risk of developing root surface lesions and may lead to a more effective treatment protocol. This in vitro study suggests that the three products with 5,000 ppm Fluoride used in this model may be more effective in inhibiting the development of root caries than a standard, 1,100 ppm Fluoride-containing dentifrice.