THE EFFECT OF A CALCIUM PRE-RINSE ON THE SALIVARY AND PLAQUE FLUORIDE AND CALCIUM CONCENTRATIONS AFTER A 900 PPM NaF RINSE: A PLACEBO-CONTROLLED RANDOMIZED CLINICAL TRIAL

The amount of available calcium delivered to plaque is dependent on the use of calcium compounds. This study assessed the salivary and plaque concentrations of the fluoride ion [F] and the calcium ion [Ca] after the use of a calcium pre-rinse. Thirty subjects completed this double-blind crossover trial in a dormitory in Zahedan, Iran. The subjects were recruited using a table of random numbers. After prophylaxis and two weeks of oral hygiene practices using non-fluoride products, 15 subjects, chosen randomly, rinsed with calcium placebo/sodium fluoride and the other 15 subjects rinsed with calcium lactate/sodium fluoride. One and 12 hours later, salivary and plaque samples were collected. After another prophylaxis and the elapse of a further two weeks, with the previous conditions of oral hygiene using non-fluoride products, the participants rinsed with the treatment that they had not previously used. After 1 and 12 hours, sampling was again done. The [F] and [Ca] were analyzed using a fluoride electrode and atomic absorption spectrometry, respectively. The data were analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA at a significance level of 5%. The 1 and 12 hour salivary [F] were significantly higher after the calcium and fluoride rinses (p<0.001). No significant difference was found in the plaque [F] between the two rinse treatments (p>0.05). A significant difference was detected in the plaque [F] when comparing the values obtained at different times with each treatment (p<0.001). With respect to the salivary and plaque [Ca], there was no significant difference in the values obtained at the different times for each treatment, regardless of whether the rinse was with calcium or calcium placebo (p>0.05). The salivary [F] increased with the calcium and fluoride rinsing. Our attempts to increase the salivary [Ca] and plaque [F] and [Ca], by using a calcium pre-rinse met with no success.