Effect of Remineralizing Agents on Initial Caries Lesions - Clinical Pilot Study on School-Children

Abstract

Purpose: Enamel remineralization can be improved by increasing salivary calcium and phosphate ion concentration. Dentiplus® lozenges and Remin Pro® -mousse include these components and may have a positive effect on remineralization process. The study investigated if using these additional agents for a month improves dental remineralization compared to tooth brushing using fluoride tooth paste alone. Methods: Twenty-two patients were included in the final study and all participants had initial caries lesions. They were randomly divided into two test groups (A and B) and a control group. All groups brushed their teeth twice a day with a toothpaste (1500 ppm fluoride). In addition, patients in group A used Dentiplus® -lozenges three times a day and patients in group B used Remin Pro®-mousse once a week. The patients in the control group only brushed their teeth. Lesions were diagnosed by using ICDAS classification, Nyvad’s modified criteria and DIAGNOdent-Pen® scanning. Results: One third of the lesions in incisors/canines became inactive in both intervention groups, whereas in the control group the respective figure was 15.6%. There was a decrease in LF values in the Dentiplus® group whereas in Remin Pro® group the change was controversial in other except the 1st molar teeth. Both decrease and increase of the LF values was seen in the control group. There were only minor changes as for ICDAS values in this study. Conclusion: Remineralization of initial lesions by tooth brushing alone can be improved by remineralizing agents especially lozenges rich in calcium and phosphate used regularly. Laser fluorescence is excellent in monitoring change n remineralization with short monitoring periods.