The study of early detection of incipient dental caries

本研究旨在利用定量光诱导荧光(QLF)技术评价含氟牙膏对白斑再矿化的效果。145名年龄在10岁以上的志愿者获得了知情的书面同意。他们被随机分配到两组，一组是含950ppm氟化物的测试牙膏组，另一组是安慰剂对照组。分别于基线检查后6个月和12个月复查QLF。通过从基线测量值计算矿物质损失减少百分比(增量Q)来评估测试和安慰剂牙膏的有效性。12个月后，试验组的增量Q下降了88%，而安慰剂牙膏组下降了43%。作为一种有效的诊断工具，QLF系统被认为满足了很大一部分要求。临床试验表明，含氟牙膏的再矿化潜力最大。我们可以将QLF法对釉质下病变的评价作为龋病危险性评估的一个宿主因素，对龋病的早期高危因素进行准确的评估。此外，这可能为继发性龋病的疗效评价、龋病治疗的表现形式和新的预防措施制剂的发展提供参考。这项临床研究的结果清楚地表明了含氟牙膏对临床白斑病变逆转和再矿化的影响，特别是QLF监测和量化这一影响的能力。由于氟化物牙膏的影响已经在临床上使用传统的龋齿检测方法多次得到证实，这些数据表明QLF有能力使用相对较少的受试者小组和较短的时间段来量化这种影响。

The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of dentifrice containing fluoride on remineralization of white spot lesions by use of QLF (quantitative light-induced fluorescence). Informed written consents were obtained from 145 volunteers aged over 10 years old. They were allocated randomly to two groups, one for test dentifrice containing 950 ppm fluoride, the other for placebo control. They were re-examined at three times, six and twelve months after baseline examination by QLF. The effectiveness of the test and placebo dentifrice were evaluated by calculating percentage reduction in mineral loss (delta Q) from the baseline measurement values. After twelve month, 88% reduction in delta Q in the test group, whereas 43% reduction was observed in the placebo dentifrice group. It is thought that QLF system satisfies significant parts of requirements as a validated diagnostic tool. It could be showed that dentifrice containing fluoride has the highest potential of remineralization by clinical trial. We can add the evaluation of enamel subsurface lesion with QLF method as a host factor to caries risk assessment and evaluate precisely a high risk for dental caries at early stage. Furthermore, it may lead to development of effectiveness evaluation of second caries manifestation of caries treatment and new prevention measures agent. The results of this clinical study clearly demonstrate the impact of a fluoride dentifrice upon the reversal and remineralization of clinical white spot lesions and particularly the ability of QLF to monitor and quantify the magnitude of this effect. Since the impact of fluoride dentifrices have been clinically demonstrated on numerous occasions using the conventional caries detection methods, these data indicate the ability of QLF to quantify this effect using a relatively small panel of subjects and a reduced time period.