Journal of Dental Research, Vol 65, 1084-1086, Copyright © 1986 by International & American Associations for Dental Research Online Journals
Effects of two fluoride gels on fluoride uptake and phosphorus loss during artificial caries formation
J. R. Mellberg, A. Charig, M. Deutchman, W. O'Brien and A. Lass
Blocks of human enamel were cycled through a
demineralization--F-treatment-remineralization procedure and then analyzed
for fluoride and the presence of caries-like lesions. Treatments with a
sodium fluoride gel (5000 ppm F) increased the enamel fluoride
concentration to 6500 ppm F, whereas a stannous fluoride gel (1000 ppm F)
increased enamel fluoride to about 1200 ppm F. Although a control treatment
(water) allowed caries-like lesions to form, as observed by
microradiography, no lesions were found in either of the fluoride-treated
groups. When the experiment was repeated with radioactive teeth, mineral
loss, as determined by release of 32P, was again greatest in the
water-treated control group, but some loss was observed in the fluoride
treatment groups. The least loss was found in the sodium fluoride group. It
was concluded that the fluoride treatments not only increased enamel
resistance but also enhanced remineralization so that calcium phosphate was
replaced during the subsequent remineralization phase. Because of the
probability that stannous ions were deposited during the stannous fluoride
treatments, some of the apparent calcium phosphate re-deposition in this
group was probably stannous compounds.
