The role of Tooth Mousse in reducing erosive tooth wear

In addition to its role as a remineralizing agent in preventing dental caries, recent evidence has shown that Tooth Mousse (TM, GC Corporation, Japan) can reduce dental erosion. Objective: Our aim in this study was to determine whether TM could reduce erosive tooth wear involving toothbrush abrasion. Methods: Flat, polished enamel and dentine specimens (n=72) were subjected to 10 wear regimes, with each regime involving immersion in 0.3% citric acid (pH 3.2) for 10 min followed by toothbrush abrasion in a slurry of fluoride-free toothpaste and artificial saliva (1:3 ratio by weight) under a load of 200gm for 200 cycles. The specimens were immersed in artificial saliva for 2hrs between wear episodes. In experimental group 1 (n = 12 each for enamel and dentine), TM was applied at the beginning of each wear episode for 5min whereas Tooth Mousse without the remineralizing agent (TM-) was applied in experimental group 2 (n=12 each for enamel and dentine). No TM or TM- was applied in the control group (n = 12 each for enamel and dentine). Results: A linear mixed model showed that intervention involving TM and TM- had a significant effect on both enamel and dentine wear (p<0.01). The mean wear depth for enamel in experimental group 1 (mean ± SE, 1.26 ± 0.33µm) was significantly less than that in the control group (3.48 ± 0.43µm) (p<0.001), but not significantly different from that of experimental group 2 (2.41 ± 0.50µm) (p>0.05). The mean dentine wear in experimental group 1 (2.16 ± 0.89µm) was significantly less than those in experimental group 2 (5.75 ± 0.98µm) (p<0.01) and control group (10.29 ± 1.64µm) (p<0.001). Conclusion: Our findings that TM can reduce erosive tooth wear, probably by remineralizing and lubricating eroded tooth surfaces, have clinical implications in the management of tooth wear.