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In situ Mineral Loss Inhibition by CO₂ Laser and Fluoride

¹ Faculty of Pharmacy, Dentistry and Nursing, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil;
² Faculty of Dentistry of Piracicaba, State University of Campinas, Av. Limeira 901, Piracicaba, SP, 13414-903, Brazil; and
³ University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA

^* corresponding author, nobre{at}fop.unicamp.br

Laser and fluoride treatments have been shown to inhibit enamel demineralization in the laboratory. However, the intra-oral effects of this association have not been tested. This study assessed in situ the effect of a Transversely Excited Atmospheric CO₂ laser ( = 9.6 µm) and the use of pressure fluoridated dentifrice on enamel demineralization. During two 14-day phases, 17 volunteers wore palatal appliances containing human enamel slabs assigned to treatment groups, as follows: (1) non-fluoride dentifrice, (2) CO₂ laser irradiation plus non-fluoride dentifrice, (3) fluoride dentifrice, and (4) CO₂ laser irradiation plus fluoride dentifrice. A 20% sucrose solution was dripped onto the slabs 8 times per day. The specimens treated with laser and/or fluoridated dentifrice presented a significantly lower mineral loss when compared with those from the non-fluoride dentifrice group. The results suggested that CO₂ laser treatment of enamel inhibits demineralization in the human mouth, being more effective when associated with fluoride.

KEY WORDS: CO₂ laser • fluoride • dental enamel • demineralization • dental caries