Objectives: Compare enamel demineralization around brackets on extracted teeth that were alternately exposed to artificial saliva and cariogenic solution under four different brushing conditions during a 24-day in-vitro test.

Methods: Human third molars (96) were randomly divided into eight equal groups. Steel brackets were bonded to 48 teeth with composite resin (CR) Transbond, and to 48 teeth with resin-modified glass ionomer (RMGI) Fuji Ortho LC. Teeth were brushed with 1100 ppm F- dentifrice (D) Crest Multi Care, alone, and combined with 500 ppm F- mouth rinse ACT, or 1.1% NaF acidulated phosphate gel (APG) Phos-Flur Gel. Group 1 (CR no brush), Group 2 (CR with D), Group 3 (CR with D and MR), Group 4 (CR with D and APG), Group 5 (RMGI no brush), Group 6 (RMGI with D), Group 7 (RMGI with D and MR), and Group 8 (RMGI with D and APG). Bracketed teeth were stored in artificial saliva and immersed in a cariogenic solution two separate 90-minute periods each day. Teeth were brushed for 10 seconds, exposed to other F- sources, and rinsed with water two times each day after removing them from the cariogenic solution. The Kruskal-Wallis test measured differences between the groups.

Results: The no brush groups had significantly greater (P£ 0.05) lesion depths compared to all brushed groups. Median lesion depths for the non-brushed groups did not differ significantly at 10.1 microns for group 1(CR) and 8.1 microns for group 5(RMGI). Median lesion depths for the brushed groups approached zero microns each and did not differ significantly.

Conclusion: Brushing with a fluoridated dentifrice alone and in combination with fluoridated mouth rinse and fluoridated acidulated phosphate gel protected teeth in this study from enamel demineralization.

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