James R. Mellberg

Comparison of In Vitro Fluoride Uptake by Human and Bovine Enamel from Acidulated Phosphate-Fluoride Solutions:

Sound human enamel and bovine enamel were treated with various acidulated phosphate-fluoride solutions. Fluoride uptake by human and bovine enamel was different for many of the solutions. This difference demonstrates that bovine enamel may not be an adequate substitute for human enamel in fluoride uptake studies.

Caries Inhibition in the Rat by Water-Borne and Enamel-Bound Fluoride

Osborne-Mendel rats 22–25 days of age were subjected to a 7-day precaries test period during which they were fed a high starch diet and drank distilled water containing no added fluoride or with 10, 5

Acquisition of Fluoride in Vivo by Enamel from Repeated Topical Sodium Fluoride Applications in a Fluoridated Area: A Preliminary Report

Fluoride acquisition by the deciduous and permanent teeth of schoolchildren who consumed fluoridated water was studied during repeated topical applications in plastic mouth applicators of gel drops containing acidulated phosphate sodium fluoride. The fluoride acquired by the outer enamel from the topical treatments appeared to be permanently bound and progressively increased with the number of treatments completed.

Observations on Dental Caries in Primary Teeth After Frequent Fluoride Toplications in a Program Involving Other Preventives

The anticaries effect of repeated toplications with APF gel was assessed in the primary dentition of 2-6-year-olds after 8, 18 and 28 months. Frequent, but less than daily, topical fluoride therapy appeared to have little effect in pre-school children consuming water-borne fluoride and receiving other traditionally recommended modalities of prevention.

Failure to Demonstrate an Association Between Enamel Fluoride Concentration and Dental Caries in the Deciduous Dentition

This work was conducted to determine the relationship, if any, between the fluoride (F) content of sound enamel surfaces from exfoliated lower incisors and the dental caries experience in the deciduous dentition. Clinical examinations were conducted for def teeth and tooth surfaces on 138 white children, aged 5 to 6 years, native to Stickney, Ill whose water is fluoridated. All were lifelong residents; none had any erupted permanent teeth; half were female, and the average def teeth score was only 1.7 per child. During the following year, each child donated an exfoliated deciduous incisor, and enamel F concentrations for each tooth were determined by standard methods at depths of 5, 15, 30, and 60 micrometers (,um). The mean F concentrations, at a depth of 5 gm, were identical for the group of 73 children who were cariesfree, and the group of 65 who had a def surface score of I or more. The caries experiences (def teeth and def surface scores) of the children were grouped according to whether they fell into various ranges of F concentrations of from 300 to 2,000 ppm. For example, the mean def teeth score for the 66 children who had less than 800 ppm F in the outer 5 ,um of their enamel was similar to that of the 72 children with more than 800 ppm F in their outermost enamel and was 1.6 and 1.9, respectively. Furthermore, the lack of inverse relattionship between dental caries prevalence and F concentrations at depths of 15, 30, and 60 ,um was the same as it was for the comparisons at 5 gm. A similar lack of relationship existed between F concentrations and dental caries experience for buccolingual, occlusal, and proximal surfaces, and the anterior teeth. In retrospect, it appears naive to think that

Effect of a cariogenic challenge on fluoride uptake by enamel of rats receiving fluoridated drinking water.

Enamel fluoride levels of rats subjected to a 7-day precaries test period during which they received 0, 10, 50, 100 or 150 ppm F in their drinking water and then maintained for 56 days on a high starch diet and either non-F drinking water or 10 ppm F drinking water were compared to F levels in intact enamel of animals similarly treated but maintained for 56 days on a high sucrose caries test diet, infected with a caries-active flora and given 10 ppm F water. Enamel of animals exposed to a caries test challenge acquired much larger amounts of F from water containing 10 ppm F than those with the same F exposure but no caries test challenge. The results are interpreted as being due to fluoride enhanced remineralization of early carious demineralization.

Enamel Fluoride Uptake and Retention from Intensive APF Gel Applications In Vivo

Children in a fluor dated water area self-applied acidulated phosphate fluoride (APF) gel (pH3.2) on 5, 10, or 25 consecutive school days. Analysis of exfoliated deciduous teeth showed that F concentrations in enamel increased to high levels during the treatment periods. Following the treatments, F levels decreased significantly for 2-10 months, after which the remaining F appeared permanently bound.

Improvement in Abrasive Biopsy Sampling of Tooth Enamel

The abrasive biopsy technique for removal of enamel in vivo was modified by controlling the biopsy area, polishing speed, and pressure. These modifications resulted in greater uniformity of samples obtained by a single operator, as well as between different operators. A mean depth of 2.5 μm was obtained within the standardized area of the controlled biopsies.