Summary

This in vivo study investigated how long fluoride remains detectable in children's saliva after brushing. Two children's toothpastes were compared:

• Colgate Kids with 500 ppm Sodium Fluoride (NaF)
• Elsenz with 530 ppm fluoride in bioactive glass (Fluorocalciumphosphosilicate / BioMin F Technology)

Objective

The aim was to determine which toothpaste retains fluoride longer in the saliva, as longer fluoride availability is associated with better caries protection.

Method

• 30 children aged 3 to 6 years
• two groups of 15 children each
• Saliva samples were taken:
  • before brushing
  • 30 minutes after brushing
  • 1 hour after brushing

Results

• For both toothpastes, salivary fluoride levels increased after 30 minutes.
• For Elsenz / bioactive glass, fluoride levels remained significantly elevated even after 1 hour.
• For sodium fluoride (NaF), the fluoride level returned almost to the baseline after 1 hour.

Significance

This suggests that toothpastes with bioactive glass and incorporated fluoride release fluoride more slowly and for longer than classic NaF toothpastes.

This could mean they:

• protect tooth enamel longer
• better support remineralization
• can still be effective in children with lower fluoride content

Limitation

The study only examined fluoride retention in saliva up to 1 hour after brushing. Long-term data on actual caries reduction are lacking.

Conclusion

The bioactive glass toothpaste Elsenz showed better fluoride retention in saliva than the classic sodium fluoride toothpaste. This suggests that this technology could be particularly interesting for caries prevention in children.