Objective: To compare, in vitro, the ability of a fluoride varnish (Duraphat, Colgate Oral Pharmaceuticals) to resist demineralization of human enamel when applied once, twice and three times in 15 days.

Methods: Ninety six extracted human third molars were randomly divided into 4 equal groups. A metal orthodontic bracket(3M/Unitek) was bonded on the buccal surface of each tooth with composite resin Transbond XT (3M/Unitek Corp). All teeth were painted with nail polish, except for a 1mm wide window of enamel occlusal to the bracket. Group 1 received varnish on day one, Group 2 received varnish on days one and 8, Group 3 received varnish on days 1, 8, and 15, and Group 4 received no varnish (control). Teeth were cycled twice daily between artificial saliva and a cariogenic solution for 21 days. Teeth were brushed twice daily without dentifrice, after exposure to a cariogenic solution. All varnish was brushed away in 6 days. Teeth were sectioned and enamel lesion depths measured using polarized light microscopy and Image Pro Plus software (Media Cybernetics). Analysis of variance and Tukey's studentized range test were used to compare lesion depths between groups. An alpha of 0.05 was chosen.

Results: The ANOVA showed that mean lesion depths differed significantly (p equal to 0.0001). Tukey's test showed that Group 4 (control) had significantly (p less than 0.05)greater mean lesion depth than did the other 3 Groups. Group 1 had significantly greater mean lesion depth than did Groups 2 and 3, that in turn had similar mean depths. One application of varnish reduced mean lesion depth 53%, two applications reduced mean lesion depth 76%, and three applications reduced mean lesion depth 83%.

Conclusion: Two and three applications of fluoride varnish significantly reduced enamel demineralization near the bracket compared to one application.

Back to the Dental Materials: VIII - Others-Non-metallic Program
Back to the IADR/AADR/CADR 82nd General Session (March 10-13, 2004)

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