Remineralization of the artifical caries lesion using CPP-ACP and Fluoride

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine efficacy of the commercially available 1% CPP-ACP cream (Tooth mousse, GC Co., Tokyo, Japan) and/or 0.05% NaF solution on the remineralization of artifical caries-like lesion in the bovine teeth enamel.

Methods: Sixty bovine teeth were embedded in orthodontic resin and flattened for surface hardness test. The enamel surface in 3 mm diameter was exposed with nail varnish. Specimens were stored in demineralizing solution and divided 5 groups; Group 1 (No treatment), 2 (0.05% NaF solution 1 min), 3 (Tooth mousse 3 min), 4 (After 0.05% NaF solution, Tooth mousse treatment), and 5 (After Tooth mousse treatment, soaking in 0.05 % NaF solution during 1 min). After treatment by groups, all specimens was stored in artificial saliva for 30 min, and rinsed with distilled water. After the process described as above was performed during 10 days without pH cycling, surface hardness (Vickers Hardness Number, VHN) was tested and analyzed by paired t-test and one-way ANOVA test with SPSS 14.0.

Results: In intragroup comparison between surface hardness of pre-treatment and post-treatment, group 3, 4, 5 showed statistically significant increase (P < 0.05). In intergroup comparison among surface hardness increase of all groups, difference of group 5 between pre and post-treatment (15.80±12.21) was the highest, and followed by group 4 (14.27±11.73), 3 (4.05±5.18), 2 (1.15±6.83), 1 (0.78±6.21). Both groups of combination treatment with 0.05% NaF and Tooth mousse, showed statistically significant increase of surface hardness than groups of treatment alone (P < 0.05).

Conclusions: Tooth mousse can be a good alternative strategy for localized application of fluoride, and the combination use with fluoride might have the additional anticariogenic effect, regardless of application sequence.