In vivo effect of titanium tetrafluoride and sodium monofluorophosphate dentifrice on remineralization: a preliminary split-mouth clinical trial.

Luciana Pomarico, Michele Villardi, Lucianne Cople Maia

Index: Gen. Dent. 60(4) , e249-54, (2012)

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Abstract

The aim of this preliminary, split-mouth clinical trial was to evaluate how incipient carious lesions on permanent tooth enamel were affected by 4% titanium tetrafluoride (TiF4) when used with a sodium monofluorophosphate (MFP) dentifrice. Eight children were selected for this study, providing 18 pairs of permanent anterior teeth with incipient carious lesions. TiF4 was applied once to half of the sample teeth, while all teeth were brushed with the MFP dentifrice for four weeks. Clinical (texture, size, and brightness) and illustrative (photos and scanning electronic microscope replica) evaluations were performed. Descriptive-statistical analysis of the data was performed by analyzing pairs of teeth, using statistical software. Remineralization occurred in 13 of the 18 pairs of teeth that received both forms of treatment; seven pairs were partially remineralized while six pairs showed total remineralization (McNemar test: p = 0.375). Teeth treated with both TiF4 and MFP showed a 74.5% reduction in lesion size, compared to a 67% reduction in teeth treated with the MFP dentifrice only. The results indicate that a single application of TiF4 in conjunction with toothbrushing with a fluoride-containing dentifrice was no more effective than the use of dentifrice alone for treating incipient carious lesions.