Two-year longitudinal study of a peroxide-fluoride rinse on decalcification in adolescent orthodontic patients

The purpose of the present study was to determine if once daily use of a 1.5% H2O2 rinse with 0.05% NaF was more effective in preventing decalcification in adolescent orthodontic patients than comparable use of a 0.05% NaF rinse without H2O2, or in patients using no rinse at all. Ninety-five subjects were selected consecutively from adolescents scheduled to receive fixed orthodontic treatment on both dental arches. Three groups were formed that were matched in percentages for age and sex. The first group (control group, n = 35) used a 1100 ppm F toothpaste only. The second group (NaF rinse group, n = 30) used both the same toothpaste and a once daily 0.05% NaF rinse. The third group (H2O2-NaF rinse group, n = 30) used the toothpaste and a once daily rinse containing both 0.05% NaF and 1.5% H2O2. Decalcification was assessed single-blind on the facial surfaces of all erupted teeth at baseline (before appliances were placed), and 3 months after fixed appliances were removed. The difference between baseline and post-treatment decalcification levels determined the incidence of decalcification during orthodontic treatment. Since the first molars were found to have the highest decalcification scores, separate analyses of variance were carried out for the whole mouth and first molar assessments. A p value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The results showed no significant differences between any of the groups before orthodontic treatment.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)