Effect of mouthrinses with different active agents in the prevention of initial dental erosion.

Introduction: Hydrochloric acid (HCl) from the gastric juice is the only source of intrinsic acid, which can reach the oral cavity in cases of gastroesophageal reflux or chronic vomiting, enhancing the risk of dental erosion. Aim: Compare the effects of mouthrinses with different active agents in the prevention of initial dental erosion caused by HCl. Subjects and Methods: Casein (CAS at 0.2%), sodium hexametaphosphate (HMP at 0.02%), titanium tetrafluoride (TiF4 at 0.34%), and stannous fluoride (SnF2 at 0.87%) were individually added to an experimental mouthrinse. The mouthrinse without additives was used as the negative control (C) and a commercially available mouthrinse for erosion (ELM – Elmex®) as the reference product. Enamel specimens were exposed to human saliva and randomly assigned to 6 experimental groups (n = 8). Specimens were submitted to erosion in HCl for 10 s, followed by to the experimental mouthrinses for 30 s, and artificial saliva for 60 min. This cycle was repeated 3 times. The total amounts of calcium and phosphorus released by the specimens in the 2nd and 3rd erosive challenges were evaluated by atomic emission spectrometry. Statistical analysis used Shapiro–Wilks and Hartley tests, followed by one‑way ANOVA and Tukey tests. Results: When compared with C, ELM and HMP presented significantly less calcium in solution, with no difference between them. All the groups showed similar and significantly less phosphorus than C, except CAS. Conclusions: HMP was the only agent that could match the protection against initial erosion of the commercially available mouthrinse in both analyses.