Prevention of enamel demineralization around orthodontic brackets – An in vitro study

Abstract

Introduction: Despite extensive research in various preventive technologies over the years, white spot lesion (WSL) development in association with orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances remains an unwanted clinical problem. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted to compare the efficacy of various cariostatic products available commercially that would help in prevention of white spot lesions. Total 120 healthy extracted premolars were taken and divided into a sample of four groups. GC Tooth Mousse, Clin pro and Anticay were compared for their protective efficiency. Three test groups had three different topical agents applied and the fourth group acted as a control. After the test materials were applied they were subjected to pH cycling using artificial saliva with a pH of 4.5 that acted as a demineralization agent and fluorescence was assessed using spectroscopy. Results: One way Anova and Student‘t’ test revealed the efficacy of all the three materials as cariostatic agents, GC Tooth Mousse and Anticay were revealed to have the best protective efficiency. Conclusion: GC Tooth Mousse and Anticay can be used by the orthodontic patients as an in home application product for the prevention of development of white spot lesions. Keywords: White spot lesions, Spectroscopy, Artificial Saliva, CPP-ACP, CaSP.