Fluoride Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Fluoride, including details on toothpaste, water, treatment, dangers.

Effect of withdrawal of fluoride-containing toothpaste on the interproximal plaque microflora.

Brailsford SR, Kidd EA, Gilbert SC, Clark DT, Beighton D

Department of Microbiology, Guy's, King's and St. Thomas' Dental Institute, King's College London, London, UK.

To compare the effects of fluoride-containing and fluoride-free toothpaste on plaque microflora, 15 subjects were enrolled in a double-blind crossover trial. All subjects used a fluoride toothpaste for 7 days before the trial started. Then, 4 interproximal sites per subject were professionally cleaned and subjects used one of the toothpastes for 5 days. On the 5th day plaque was collected from 2 sites, 12 and 6 h after toothpaste use. There was no difference between the groups in the numbers or proportions of aciduric bacteria (recovered at pH 4.8 or 5.2), or of yeasts, neisseriae, lactobacilli or streptococci (total or individual species, including Streptococcus mutans). However, the numbers and proportions of Gram-positive pleomorphic rods, primarily Actinomyces naeslundii, increased in 6-hour samples from subjects using fluoride toothpaste. The data suggest that the anti-caries effect of fluoride toothpaste is not mediated primarily through effects on the plaque microflora, although effects on plaque physiology could be important.

Published 25 May 2005 in Caries Res, 39(3): 231-5.
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