Objectives:This in situ study evaluated the effect of saliva, associated or not with fluoride, on enamel previously submitted to prophylaxis using sodium bicarbonate.Methods:The study was conducted on enamel blocks submitted to in vitro prophylaxis using sodium bicarbonate. The blocks were randomly divided into 2 groups (G1/G2) and mounted on intraoral appliances wore by 10 volunteers. G1 blocks were directly exposed to saliva in situ, while blocks in G2 were exposed to saliva with fluoride (rinsing with 0.2% NaF solution during the initial minute). Enamel alterations were evaluated using surface microhardness and profilometry. Enamel hardness data were analyzed by ANOVA and Tukey tests and surface wear was evaluated using paired t test (P<.05).Results:No significant differences were found between G1 and G2 for enamel hardness and wear. The wear after prophylaxis was not different from the wear after the in situ stage. Baseline mean values of enamel hardness, after prophylaxis and after the in situ stage were 340±16.6, 329±35.7 and 354±37.8 for G1 and 338±15.6, 312±46.3 and 340±21.8 for G2, respectively.Conclusions:It was concluded that saliva alone exhibited a similar effect to saliva associated with fluoride; after 4h of in situ remineralization, there was no recovery in height of the enamel structure that had been lost due to the application of sodium bicarbonate.

AIM: Investigating dental caries prevalence and the need of student’s treatment in a small municipality. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A population composed by 217 students was studied, 161 (74.2%) from the urban zone and 56 (25.8%) from the rural zone, resident in Independência, Rio Grande do Sul. The indexes DMFT and dmft for dental caries were used, and the need of dentistry treatment was evaluated according to codes and criteria from Projeto SB Brasil, 2010. RESULTS: Regarding to the presence of dental caries, it was observed that 83.8% (93) of the students presented caries at 06 years old, and 94.3% (100) at 12 years old. The dmft at 6 years was 4.17 and DMFT at 12 years was 3.53. Regarding to the need of treatment, 71.8% (156) of students needed some type of attention, and the surface restoration was the most prevalent. CONCLUSION: High prevalence of dental caries was found, both at 6 and 12 years old (4.17 and 3.53) respectively, and 71.8% needed some type of treatment. The most prevalent treatments were dental surface restoration, dental extraction and sealing pits and fissures.

AIM: To verify the incidence of dental caries in a multicentric prevention program applied in pediatric dentistry clinics from different regions of Brazil for 10 years, and compare with results obtained by previous studies. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 697 children of both genders, ranging from 30 months to 15 years, were included in a primary preventive strategy program for mechanical control of dental plaque through professional prophylaxis (sodium bicarbonate jet on a monthly schedule). Diagnosis of carious lesions was assessed by monthly clinical examinations and annual radiographs. This procedure aimed to provide a biological equilibrium without producing undesirable side effects.  RESULTS: The average age of children at beginning of the program was 81.71 months. Before entering the program the children presented an average of 2.66 lesions/surface, while during the program the average was 0.20 lesions/surface; the incidence rate of caries per year before starting the program was on average 0.62 lesions/surface while during the program it was 0.05 lesions/surface; the time of permanence in the program was on average 44.15 months and the absence rate was 0.14 per year. CONCLUSION: The results confirm the effectiveness of the program, even when applied by different professionals and in different groups of children, turning it into an indispensible method for the control of dental caries.

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