FLUORIDE UPTAKE IN-SITU AFTER THE USE OF DENTAL-FLOSS WITH FLUORIDE

The possibility or having a commercial product such as waxed Boss with an additional agent for controlling and preventing caries is promisin g. The aim of this research was to determine the uptake of fluoride on tooth enamel in situ after the utilization of a dental Boss with fluo ride incorporated into the wax. One hundred blocks of bovine enamel we re artificially demineralized and randomly separated into a Control Gr oup (C) and a Test Group (T). The dental blocks in group T were mounte d two-by-two simulating proximal contacts and were fixed into intra-or al lower arch devices. Eight volunteers with a similar salivary flow a nd buffer capacity wort devices with the enamel blocks for eight days. During this period of time the subjects applied a 25 cm long portion of a mint waxed floss with fluoride (0.15 mgF/m, Oral-B(R)) between th e blocks, 3 times a day for 2 minutes after each meal. At the same tim e. brushing was carried out with a fluoride-free toothpaste. The alkal i-soluble fluoride (CaF2) formed on the enamel was extracted using the Caslavska et al. method and measured with the Orion 96-09 electrode-s pecific and the EA 720 ion analyzer. The results showed that the group that had the most CaF2 on the enamel (median, minimum and maximum in mu F/cm(2)) was Group T (3.00. 2.11 and 4.00), which differed signific antly (p < 0.01) from group C (0.26. 0.10 and 0.69). It was concluded that fluoride uptake on enamel was 11.54 times higher after use of den tal floss with fluoride in this study.