Fluorotic Enamel Susceptibility to Dental Erosion and Fluoride Treatment

Abstract

The purpose of this in vitro study was to test the hypothesis that fluoride treatment can prevent dental erosion on fluorotic enamel of different severities. It followed a 3×2 factorial design, considering a) fluorosis severity: sound (TF0, Thylstrup-Fejerskov Index), mild (TF1-2), moderate (TF3-4); and b) fluoride treatment: 0 (negative control) and 1150ppmF. Human molars with the three fluorosis severities (n=16, each) were selected and randomly assigned to the two fluoride treatments (n=8). Enamel blocks (4×4mm) were prepared from each tooth and subjected to a dental erosion cycling model, for 10 days. The daily cycling protocol consisted of erosive challenges (1% citric acid, pH 2.4), interspersed by periods of immersion in artificial saliva, and three 2-minute treatments with either 0 or 1150ppm F. The enamel volume loss (mm3) was calculated by subtracting values obtained by microtomography before and after cycling. Two-Way ANOVA showed no significant interaction between fluorosis severity and fluoride treatment (p=0.691), and no significant effect for either fluorosis severity (TF0 mean±standard-deviation: 13.5(10-2±0.42(10-2, TF1-2: 1.50(10-2±0.52(10-2, TF3-4: 1.24(10-2±0.52(10-2, p=0.416) or treatment (0ppmF: 1.49(10-2±0.53(10-2; 1150ppmF: 1.21(10-2±0.42(10-2; p=0.093), when evaluated independently. Considering the limitations of this in vitro study, the presence and severity of fluorosis in enamel do not appear to affect its susceptibility to dental erosion. Fluoride treatment was not effective in preventing the development of dental erosion in both sound and fluorotic enamel substrates under our experimental conditions.