Dental caries and strontium concentration in drinking water and surface enamel.

We investigated the possible cariostatic effect of strontium in the absence of effective amounts of fluoride by relating the DMFT index of the population to the strontium and fluoride concentrations in drinking water and enamel surfaces. The epidemiological survey was conducted in two neighboring districts in the northwest part of Greece, involving 582 children ranging in age from 11 to 14. The average DMFT values were 5.26 in the high-strontium (2.9-7 ppm Sr) area and 6.95 in the low-strontium (0.2-1.3 ppm Sr) area, while fluoride was low (less than 0.06 ppm) in both districts. Further, the average strontium concentration in surface enamel was higher in the high-strontium area.

A study of in vivo fluoride uptake by dental tissues from fluoride-containing silver amalgams.

Teeth to be extracted for orthodontic reasons were filled in vivo with regular and fine-cut silver amalgams containing 1% and 5% SnF2. The teeth were extracted after 15 or 30 d, and the in vivo fluoride release and uptake by the dental tissues were studied using an electron microprobe analysis technique. The obtained results show that the use of SnF2 silver amalgams can be of potential value for minimizing caries adjacent to dental restorations.

A laboratory evaluation of fluoride dentifrices used in Greece.

A laboratory investigation of the fluoride dentifrices commonly used in Greece was done in order to evaluate their caries-preventive potential. The evaluation was based on the determination of the free ionic fluoride and the total soluble fluoride present by a potentiometric fluoride electrode technique. Dentifrices containing MFP, NaF and AlF3 were analyzed. The measured total soluble and free ionic fluoride content were discussed in conjunction with the various dentifrice components. Most of the examined dentifrices were MFP type and the free ionic fluoride was found to vary from 130 to 180 parts/10(6) F-.