Clinical effects of 1450 ppm fluoride dentifrice on the remineralization of root caries

Objective The objective of this longitudinal study was to investigate the effects of 1450 ppm fluoride dentifrice on the remineralization of root caries. Methods Qualified adults satisfied with inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to this randomized double-blinded clinical trial. The subjects were randomly assigned to non-fluoride dentifrice group (control group) and 1450 ppm fluoride dentifrice group (experimental group). Clinical criteria including hardness, area, plaque index and electrical caries monitor (ECM) were used to evaluate root caries in subjects at baseline, 3 months and 6 months. All data were analyzed using SPSS 13.0 software. Results Total of 179 subjects were included in the present study (89 in experimental group and 90 in control group), among which 156 subjects(87.6%) completed the entire study. At the end of the study, root caries in the experimental group showed higher gingival distance than those in the control group [(0.34 ± 0.42) mm and (0.19 ± 0.36) mm, P=0.021], less plaque index (1.25 ± 0.78 and 1.56 ± 0.77, P=0.015) and higher Lg ECM (3.52 ± 0.54 and 3.24 ± 0.40, P 0.001). More root caries in the experimental group became hard than those in the control group (34.18% and 15.58%, respectively, P=0.027). Conclusions Dentifrice containing 1450 ppm fluoride is effective on the remineralization of root caries in adults.