Effect of fluoride mouthrinsing on caries lesion development in shark enamel: an in situ caries model study

Shark enamel consists of nearly pure fluorapatite and has been shown to demineralize in an in situ caries model. The present study was conducted to investigate whether additional fluoride supplementation in the form of mouthrinsing would inhibit lesion development in shark enamel. The study slabs of shark enamel were mounted in dental appliances. Six individuals wore the appliances while rinsing daily with a neutral 0.2% NaF solution for 4 wk. The specimens were analyzed by means of quantitative microradiography, and the data compared with a previous study using untreated shark enamel and the same participants. It was found that fluoride rinsing did not measurably inhibit enamel demineralization in 4 wk. Scanning electron microradiographs showed that calcium fluoride-like material was not formed on shark enamel after neutral fluoride treatment, supporting a previous study. The present study indicates, therefore, that formation of a calcium fluoride-like material on the enamel surface may be essential for the cariostatic effect of topical agents.