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Fluoridated toothpicks (John O. Butler Co.), containing an average of 0.80 mg F as NaF, demonstrated a quick F release in vitro after 1 min immersion in distilled water (0.13 mg; 16%). Continued F release was found after 5 (0.22 mg; 28%) and 60 min (0.35 mg; 44%) and 24 hr (0.55 mg; 69%). In addition, F concentrations were measured in whole saliva of 10 adults before and after 1 min use of an F toothpick and after sucking on an 0.25 mg F tablet (Fludent). Baseline F concentrations of about 1 microM/L increased to 35 microM/L after using the toothpick. In comparison, the F tablet gave a mean salivary F concentration of 71 microM/L. The F levels in saliva after 1 hr were for the F toothpick 3 microM/L and for the F tablet 8 microM/L. Thus, F impregnated toothpick seems to be an interesting vehicle for F release in the oral cavity and merits further studies from a cariostatic point of view.

The caries-inhibiting effect of unsupervised daily use of four different toothpastes was compared in a 3-year clinical and microbiological study: (1) 0.8% sodium monofluorophosphate (MFP) with 3% xylitol and 6% sorbitol; (2) 0.03% sodium fluoride with 3% xylitol and 6% sorbitol; (3) 0.8% MFP with 9% sorbitol, and (4) 0.03% sodium fluoride with 9% sorbitol. In all 284 children, 12-13 years old at baseline, took part in the study. After 3 years, no statistically significant differences were found between the different toothpaste groups concerning either development of initial or gross caries lesions or number of mutans streptococci and lactobacilli in saliva. However, children with no detectable approximal caries at baseline, who used the MFP toothpaste with the xylitol-sorbitol mixture, showed a lower (p less than 0.05) caries increment as compared with children who used the MFP toothpaste with sorbitol alone.