Use of fluoridated dentifrice and glucose retention at the approximal areas of anterior teeth

The present study was undertaken to learn to what extent the use of dentifr ice with fluoride affected glucose retention after glucose rinsing. Fifty-e ight subjects consisting of forty male adults and eighteen female adults wh ose average age was 21.9 years were divided at random into two groups; one group used fluoridated dentifrice and the other group used nonfluoridated d entifrice. Subjects rin :,ed their mouths for fifteen seconds with 20 mL of 0.5 M glucose solution. Samples of saliva were taken from the approximal a reas between the ri-ht and left central incisors of the maxilla and mandibl e by inserting the tip portion of a paper point three-minutes after the glu cose rinsing. Six minutes after rinsing, samples of sa-hva were taken from the neighboring approximal areas of the left central and left lateral incis ors. Glucose content of the paper points was determined using the enzyme me mbrane method. Determinations were made before and at the end of the first, third, and fifth month over a five-month period. Fluoride concentrations i n the resting saliva were also determined in different months during this p eriod. At three-minutes and six-minutes, glucose retention in the group using fluo ridated dentifrice was found to decrease slightly throughout the experiment ; while glucose retention in the group of nonfluoridated dentifrice leveled off or increased in the fifth month. Fluoride concentration in the resting saliva increased during the experiment in the group using fluoridated dent ifrice; while fluoride concentration in the group using nonfluoridated dent ifrice did not change. It was concluded that the regular use of fluoridated dentifrice made glucos e retention slightly lower and fluoride level in whole saliva higher.