Potential remineralization of demineralized enamel after application of fluoride varnish

To evaluate remineralization effects of a topical fluoride varnish applied over a caries-like lesion compared to around a caries-like lesion.

Caries-like lesions were created on 30 molar surfaces. Sections were cut through each lesion, photographed under polarized light microscopy, and quantitated with a computerized imaging system. The sections were repositioned with only the lesion exposed. Half were painted with a 5% NaF varnish, including the surface of lesion. The remaining half were painted excluding the surface of the lesion. The sections were placed in artificial saliva for 30 days, re-photographed and re-quantitated.

Using a student t-test for analysis, the results demonstrated the mean (+/- S.E.) percent remineralization of lesion size to be 10.8 (4.8) for lesions completely covered by the fluoridated varnish and 9.5 (2.9) for lesions that had the fluoridated varnish surrounding the lesion. Both application techniques indicated remineralization effects, yet there was no significant difference between the two application techniques evaluated in this study (P < 0.05). The data from this in vitro study indicated that there was no significant difference in methods of application for fluoridated varnish. Both application techniques demonstrated effective remineralization.