Doses of fluoride toothpaste for children up to 24 months.

AIM: The aim of this study was to test the dose of fluoride toothpaste by parents for their children aged up to 24 months. METHODS: Parents who use fluoride toothpastes for their children were asked to dose two commercially available toothpastes (A and B) with 1000 ppm fluoride each for their children as they would normally do at home. The toothpaste amounts were weighed, and as reference, the weight of an 'optimal' grain of rice-size amount of each toothpaste was used. RESULTS: 61 parents dosed a mean of 0.263 ± 0.172 g toothpaste A and 0.281 ± 0.145 g toothpaste B. The parents' mean doses were 5.9 times higher for toothpaste A and 7.2 times higher for toothpaste B than an 'optimal' grain of rice-size amount (the reference dose as recommended). The difference between parent's and reference dose was statistically significant (p < 0.001). Moreover, 39.3% of parents were not aware about conditions of use and warnings that have to be printed on the package of fluoride toothpastes. CONCLUSION: In this study, parents significantly overdosed the toothpaste for their children. To avoid fluoride intake from toothpaste, parents can choose fluoride-free alternatives for the oral care of their infants and toddlers.

In Vivo Effects of a Hydroxyapatite-Based Oral Care Gel on the Calcium and Phosphorus Levels of Dental Plaque.

OBJECTIVES: Particulate hydroxyapatite (HAP; Ca5(PO4)3(OH)) is a biomimetic oral care ingredient. One mode of action in caries-susceptible individuals may be the adhesion/incorporation of HAP into dental plaque. Therefore, the aim of this in vivo study was to analyze the 3-day effects of a newly developed hydroxyapatite-based oral care gel on the calcium and phosphorus levels within the dental plaque of children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted in Kebon Padangan at Bali in Indonesia. Thirty-four children (mean age, 8.9 years; mean DMF-T [decayed, missing, and filled teeth; permanent teeth], 0.6; mean dmft-t [primary teeth] 4.5) were included in the study. The gel was applied thrice for 3 days by an experienced dentist. Dental plaque was collected at baseline and after the study. Levels of calcium and phosphorus of plaque samples were analyzed by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Medians for both calcium and phosphorus levels were calculated (baseline and 3-day application of HAP-gel). RESULTS: The calcium level increased after 3 days of application of the HAP-gel from 0.25 wt% (median) to 0.40 wt% (median), while the phosphorus level increased from 1.17 wt% (median) to 1.41 wt% (median). However, variations in both calcium and phosphorus levels measured in the pooled dental plaque samples were high. CONCLUSION: Within the limitations of the study, the 3-day application of the oral HAP-gel in children increased the median of both calcium and phosphorus levels in plaque. Consequently, a positive influence on the remineralization/demineralization process is very likely.

Sociodemographic determinants of spatial disparities in early childhood caries: An ecological analysis in Braunschweig, Germany.

OBJECTIVES: To identify spatial disparities in dental caries experience (measured by dmft (decayed missing filled teeth) index) of children in the city of Braunschweig and to evaluate whether these disparities can be explained by sociodemographic characteristics. METHODS: We examined the dental health of children aged 3-6 years visiting a daycare centre (DCC) in the metropolitan area of Braunschweig between 2009 and 2014 by combining data on dental health from the annual visits of the local health service with aggregated data on sociodemographic factors for Braunschweig's city districts. We assessed longitudinal patterns of change in average dmft index at district level from 2009 to 2014 using a finite mixture model. We analysed spatial autocorrelation of the district's average dmft indices by Moran's I to identify spatial clusters. With a spatial lag model, we evaluated whether sociodemographic risk factors (data from 2012) were associated with high dmft scores (data from 2014) and whether spatial disparities remained after adjusting for these sociodemographic characteristics. RESULTS: The average dmft index decreased slightly (ß=-0.048; P<.03; CI 95% [-0.079; -0.017]) from 2009 to 2014. The finite mixture model resulted in four different groups of trajectories over time. While three groups showed a decrease in dmft score, one group showed an increase from 2009 to 2014. Moran's I test statistic showed strong evidence for spatial clustering (Moran's I 0.30, P=.002). A cluster of districts with high dmft values was identified in the centre of the city. The spatial lag model showed that both the proportion of unemployed persons (aged 16-65) and the proportion of persons with migration background were associated with the dmft values at district level. After adjusting for these, no further spatial heterogeneity was observed. CONCLUSION: We identified regional clusters for poor dental health in a German city and showed that these clusters can be explained by sociodemographic characteristics. The findings support the need of targeted interventions and prevention measures in regions with less favourable sociodemographic characteristics.