SALIVARY FLUORIDE LEVELS IN OVERDENTURE WEARERS AFTER TOPICAL FLUORIDE GEL APPLICATION

This study describes salivary fluoride levels after topical fluoride g el application on overdenture abutments. Fluoride levels were evaluate d separately for the subjects with normal unstimulated salivary flow r ate (n = 16) and for those with a low flow rate (n = 8). One drop of f luoride gel (Karigel-N, Lorvic) was placed in two abutment depressions of the duplicated overdenture, after which unstimulated whole saliva was collected for 30 minutes. Samples for fluoride analysis were taken at 5-minute intervals. Two additional samples were taken at 45 and 60 minutes. Fluoride concentration at the abutment-denture interface (re maining fluoride concentration) was measured at the end of the study. Salivary fluoride concentrations decreased gradually in both groups of subjects, but after 1 hour they remained at a higher level in subject s with low flow rates. Subjects' salivary flow rates correlated negati vely with remaining fluoride concentration at the denture-tissue inter face. Consequently, mean remaining fluoride concentration was signific antly higher in subjects with low flow rate than in their normal count erparts.