Fluoride in the interdental area after two different post-brushing water rinsing procedures

The aim of the present investigation was to study two post-brushing water rinsing procedures: (1) on fluoride (F) accumulation in approximal dental plaque, and (2) on F clearance in the interdental area. Twenty subjects participated first in the accumulation study, including three experimental periods (A, B and C), each lasting for 7 days. During period A, they brushed with a 0.32% NaF dentifrice for 2 min, followed by a 1-min active mouth rinse with the toothpaste foam combined with 5 ml of water. During period B, the 2-min brushing was followed by three quick water rinses with 15 ml each. During period C, toothbrushing, which was carried out without any toothpaste, was followed by a 2-min active mouthrinse with 10 ml of a 0.05% NaF solution. All three procedures were performed in the morning (after breakfast) and in the evening (just before bedtime). The results showed that the accumulation of F in pooled approximal plaque after 7 days reached on average 2.7 times higher values after procedure A than B (p<0.001). Procedure C also resulted in more F in plaque than B (p<0.001). The same 20 subjects participated in the clearance study on a separate occasion. When measuring the F concentration in the interdental area at 3 h after the application, procedure A resulted in a significantly higher F concentration than both toothbrushing B and mouth rinse C; the AUC was 2.2 times larger for A than for B (p <0.001). Thus, both the accumulation of F in approximal plaque and the clearance of F in the interdental area are related to the mode of water rinsing after toothbrushing.