Oral Fluoride Measurements for Estimation of the Anti-caries Efficacy of Fluoride Treatments

Abstract

The aims of this work were (a) to assess the oral bioavailability of fluoride delivered from dentifrices and (b) to test for a possible link between the results and clinical data obtained with the same dentifrices. Oral fluoride concentrations were measured in samples of saliva and plaque taken from seven subjects, after use of dentifrices which contained 0, 1000, 1500, and 2500 micrograms F/g as sodium monofluorophosphate. Salivary fluoride in samples obtained within the first few hours after a single dentifrice application, or up to 20 h after four weeks' daily use, increased with increasing F content of the dentifrice. For example, the mean zero-time intercepts of the second phase of salivary fluoride clearance curves for the above dentifrices were 0.46, 1.48, 1.88, and 3.03 mumol F/L, respectively. Plaque fluoride measured after four weeks' daily use of the dentifrices exhibited similar dose-response behavior. Linear regression analysis showed these trends to be statistically significant for both saliva (p less than 0.001) and plaque (p less than 0.025). Mean saliva and plaque fluoride concentrations were inversely associated with mean three-year caries increments for the three fluoride-containing dentifrices obtained in a recent clinical trial: DMFS scores 6.80, 6.33, and 5.71, respectively (Stephen et al., 1988). This suggests that oral fluoride measurements are a valuable in vivo method for the evaluation of the potential anti-caries efficacy of fluoride-containing dental products.

Fluoride retention in saliva and in dental biofilm after different home-use fluoride treatments

“…7,8,14,15,25,26,30 In these studies, fluoride measurements were taken on saliva samples collected 6-24 h after the regular daily use of fluoride products, brushing with a fluoride dentifrice, and/or using fluoride mouthrinsing. Most of these studies reported that the fluoride concentrations in saliva remained significantly elevated, over a period of 12-24 h, compared with the baseline.…”

“…dental exposure to low and steady fluoride concentrations via oral fluids. 7,8 An increase in the fluoride concentration in saliva from 0.01 to 0.1 ppm, i.e., a 5-to 10-fold increase, for prolonged periods may be very effective for caries control.…”

Fluoride uptake in dental enamel after using fluoridated dentifrice, preceded or not by a CaCl2 solution rinse

“…This suggests that only small particles that nucleated and/or penetrated into the pores in the early time interval were fixed inside the pores by their further growth and aggregation. Duckworth, et al 5 (1992) observed an increase in salivary fluoride levels with increasing fluoride dentifrice concentration (0, 1000, 1500, and 2500 ppm F as SMFP) after a single dentifrice application or after a fourweek daily use. In this sense, if the treatment time of the present study was increased to at least one week, it is possible that a positive correlation could have been found in enamel fluoride uptake and in the salivary fluoride after using a fluoridated dentifrice preceded by a rinse with a CaCl 2 solution.…”

School-based health education programmes, health-learning capacity and child oral health–related quality of life

“…Quantitative assessment of fluoride toothpaste use: salivary fluoride levels Research by Duckworth and colleagues had shown that the equilibrium baseline fluoride salivary concentration at 18-hour post-brushing was higher among regular users of fluoride toothpaste than among others (Duckworth et al 1992, Duckworth and Stewart 1994, Toumba and Curzon 2001. It was decided therefore to use saliva fluoride concentration as a quantitative method of assessing the children's toothbrushing with fluoride toothpaste behaviour.…”