A four-year clinical study to determine the caries-inhibiting effect of calcium glycerophosphate and sodium fluoride in calcium carbonate base dentifrices containing sodium monofluorophosphate.

Abstract

A double-blind, clinical trial involving 923 children and extending over 4 years was carried out on the Isle of Wight. It investigated the additional protection against dental caries resulting when an effective calcium base dentifrice, containing 1,000 ppm fluoride as 0.76% sodium monofluorophosphate, was modified either by the addition of 0.13% calcium glycerophosphate or by the replacement of half the sodium monofluorophosphate (500 ppm fluoride) by sodium fluoride. After 4 years regular, unsupervised, home use, children using the 0.76% sodium monofluorophosphate dentifrice had significantly lower caries increments than those using the same dentifrice but omitting fluoride. The inclusion of 0.13% calcium glycerophosphate in the effective sodium monofluorophosphate dentifrice was associated with additional, statistically significant, reductions in caries increments. Use of sodium monofluorophosphate plus sodium fluoride was also associated with lower increments than sodium monofluorophosphate used alone, but these differences were only significant in respect of smooth surfaces.