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Despite the dramatic decline of caries incidence among children during the last decades, there are still individuals at risk, especially those who exhibit poor oral hygiene or unfavourable eating habits. Such patients need extra prophylactic measures. In this study, fluoride varnish was compared with professional tooth-cleaning for remineralization of white spot lesions using the light-induced fluorescence method (QLF). Thirty patients, 13-15 years of age, with two white spot lesions each, were assigned into either of two groups. In group A, the patients were treated with fluoride varnish (Fluorprotector®) at the beginning of the study, after 1 week and then once every 6 weeks for 6 months. In group B, professional tooth-cleaning was carried out on the patients once every 6 weeks for 6 months. Similar oral hygiene instructions were given to the patients in both groups, they all used fluoride dentifrice (0.145%) twice a day throughout the study. Enamel fluorescence was measured at the beginning of the study and at each visit. Two parameters were measured, the mean fluorescence loss over the lesion and the lesion area. A two-tailed Student's t test was used. Preliminary results showed that there was a 6.8±16.6% increase in fluorescence and a 14.2±30.3% decrease in the lesion area in group A (p<0.05). The corresponding changes in group B were 11.2±20.1 and 21.4±58.2%. The changes in group B were not statistically significant. It was concluded that in high-risk patients, repeated fluoride application had a favourable effect on the remineralization of white spot lesions as measured after 6 months. Supported by the Swedish Patent Revenue Research Fund. |