Comparative evaluation of combined remineralization agents on demineralized tooth surface

The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the effects of casein phosphopeptides (CPP)-ACPF, NovaMin+ fluoride-containing toothpaste and Xylitol+ fluoride containing cream on demineralized areas on the enamel surface.

A total of 100 enamel slab samples was prepared to investigate in the laboratory experiments. For this purpose, a total of 50 freshly extracted third molar teeth which completed root formation split into two portions in the mesiodistal direction. Enamel surfaces were immersed in a pH cycling protocol as described in the literature to simulate oral conditions for 9 days in order to evaluate the effect of test materials on the artificial enamel lesions. Then the remineralization agents were applied on the enamel surfaces, and we analyzed their effects.

We used Vickers Microhardness with the purpose of calculating the amount of lost or acquisition of minerals on the enamel surface qualitatively; inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) to define the calcium and phosphorus ions that dissolved in acid. One-way ANOVA and Tukey's T Post-Hoc tests were performed to distinguish significant differences among groups (P < 0.05).

Remineralization was provided in all treated groups, according to the data obtained from all tests. NovaMin was more effective in increasing acid resistance. It was also found that all three experimental groups were effective in increasing the surface hardness, but CPP-ACPF and NovaMin are more effective than Xylitol. However, there was no statistically significant difference between the experimental groups.