Influence of bioadhesive polymers on the protective effect of fluoride against erosion

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated if the incorporation of the bioadhesive polymers Carbopol 980, Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), and Aristoflex AVC in a fluoridated solution (NaF-900ppm) would increase the solution's protective effect against enamel erosion. METHODS: =[(KHN3-KHN2)/KHN2]*100 was used to define the protective effect of the treatments. After the 5-day cycling, surface loss (SL, in μm) was evaluated with profilometry. Data were analyzed with 2-way ANOVA and Tukey's tests (p<0.05). The profilometric analysis showed that Carbopol, associated or not with NaF, exhibited the lowest SL, while CMC and Aristoflex did not exhibit a protective effect, nor were they able to improve the protection of NaF. CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded that Carbopol enhanced NaF's protection against initial erosion. Carbopol alone or associated with NaF was able to reduce SL after several erosive challenges. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Carbopol by itself was able to reduce the erosive wear magnitude to the same extent as the sodium fluoride, therefore, is a promising agent to prevent or control enamel erosion.