Effects of suctioning devices on oral fluoride retention

This study examined the effectiveness of suctioning devices in reducing oral fluoride retention after professional 4-minute applications of a 1.23% fluoride gel. The value of patient expectoration was also evaluated in the child subjects. The suction devices were statistically significant adjuncts in reducing oral-retained fluoride in all cases; however, the oral-retained fluoride doses after the suctioning procedures were still distinct in both adults (10.3 +/- 2.3 mg) and children (7.7 +/- 1.0 mg). These amounts of oral-retained fluoride would result in substantial elevations in body fluid fluoride concentrations. One minute of expectoration after the suctioning procedures in children was a statistically significant method of further reducing oral fluoride retention to a clinically acceptable level (1.6 +/- 0.5 mg). We recommend that suction devices be used during topical fluoride treatments, but most importantly that the patients be requested to expectorate thoroughly after topical treatment.