Objective: Assessment of the effect of a sugarless mint containing CaviStat^®, (an arginine bicarbonate/calcium carbonate complex) on caries development in (i) erupted first permanent molars and (ii) erupting permanent premolars and second molars of 9-10½ year old Venezuelan children. Methods: 167 children were examined and then divided into two groups (81 and 86). One group (A) received mints containing CaviStat^®; the other (B) received mints without. Each child chewed two mints in the morning and two in the evening, each day for 12 months. Subjects were scored using the DMFS index (Acevedo et al, J. Clin. Res. 16:1-8, 2005) and for non-cavitated initial lesions by visual detection of white lesions after careful cleaning to remove plaque before and after air drying. Scoring was done for categories (i) and (ii) above at baseline, six and twelve months. All children brushed twice daily with 1450ppm fluoride toothpaste. Results: DMFS scoring was much less sensitive than scoring of initial lesions. In Group A, new non-cavitated lesions increased in number from zero at baseline to 17 at six and 24 at twelve months, whereas in Group B they increased from 0 to 42 at six and 54 at twelve months. Six and twelve month differences between A and B were both significant at P<0.001 (t test). Later erupting premolars plus second molars also showed a clear difference. In Group A, no new non-cavitated lesions were detected during the 12 months of treatment in premolars plus second molars, whereas in Group B, lesions were evident in (i) the second molars at 6 and 12 months (ii) the first premolars at 12 months but (iii) not in the second premolars. Conclusion: Mint confections containing CaviStat^® inhibited both caries onset and progression. The inhibition pattern resembled that seen earlier in a CaviStat^® toothpaste caries study (reference above).

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