In vitro evaluation of the effect of mouth rinse with trimetaphosphate on enamel demineralization

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of sodium trimetaphosphate (TMP) addition to mouth rinses to inhibit enamel demineralization. Design: Bovine enamel blocks (n = 88) were selected by surface hardness and divided into eight treatment groups (n = 11 per group): placebo, 100 or 225 μg F/ml; the rinses with 100 μg F/ml had differing TMP concentrations (range 0-0.6%). The blocks were subjected to pH cycling for 5 days and treated twice a day with mouth rinses. After that, surface and cross-sectional hardness as well as fluoride in enamel were measured. Results: The groups containing both 100 μg F/ml and 0.4% TMP inhibited demineralization most effectively (p < 0.001). This formulation yielded lower values of lesion areas than the formulations containing 100 or 225 μg F/ml but no TMP. The addition of 0.4% TMP increased the fluoride in enamel. Conclusion: It is possible to improve the effectiveness of a mouth rinse with 100 μg F/ml by addition of TMP, this being superior in inhibiting enamel demineralization compared with mouth rinses containing 225 μg F/ml. © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.