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introduction

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The effectiveness of hydroxyapatite in the treatment of caries has been shown in several in situ and in vitro studies. What was missing, however, are in vivo studies to consolidate these results. To date, clinical studies on hydroxyapatite are only available in the areas of periodontitis prophylaxis and the treatment of pain-sensitive teeth. A study comparing hydroxyapatite and fluoride in caries prophylaxis has not been available to date.

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Question

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Is hydroxyapatite as clinically effective as fluoride in preventing tooth decay?

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material and methods

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This multicenter, double-blind, randomized clinical study was carried out at five university hospitals in Germany. The subjects were between 11 and 25 years old, represented a risk group of caries (orthodontic treatment) and were recruited at the first presentation. None of the subjects had any tooth decay at the start of the study. Professional teeth cleaning was carried out before the orthodontic treatment. The dental status was assessed using the ICDAS code (International Caries Detection and Assessment System; www.icdas.org). An ICDAS code of 1 or greater was set as the primary endpoint. The study duration was 6 months. Studies show that caries can be detected in this risk group after 6 months. The subjects were regularly called in for check-ups,

After recruitment, the test subjects were randomly divided into two groups: test group with a toothpaste containing hydroxyapatite (Karex) and a control group with a toothpaste containing amine / tin fluoride.