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Purpose: Intraoral fluoride-releasing (IFR) devices provide elevated levels of fluoride in the mouth for extended periods of time. However, retention and protection of the devices have posed major challenges for clinical applications. The objectives of this study were to develop new methods for retaining and protecting IFR devices in the mouth and to assess their effects on salivary fluoride levels and distribution in adolescents., Methods: Four different IFR systems (combinations of an IFR device and its retainer) were evaluated in four groups of 10 adolescents each, 12-15 years of age, for a period of six months. Each child wore two IFR systems of a given type affixed to the buccal surface of each permanent maxillary first molar. Unstimulated saliva samples were collected at each clinical examination and analyzed for fluoride., Results: A significant increase in salivary fluoride concentration from a baseline mean of 0.07-0.69 microgram/mL was observed on day 14 postinsertion. IFR system retention was 85% after 6 months and, of the systems retained, 100% were functional., Conclusions: These findings suggest that IFR devices can be successfully protected and retained in the mouth for prolonged periods of time.

Fluoridated mouthrinses are not advised for preschool children who may swallow much of the agent. An alternate method of delivering topical fluoride to the interproximal tooth surfaces in these young patients may be fluoridated dental floss. The purpose of this study was to determine the fluoride levels of demineralized primary enamel both before and after the use of a commercially available dental floss impregnated with commercially available fluoride-containing products. The results showed that demineralized primary tooth surfaces treated with fluoride-impregnated dental floss exhibited significantly higher fluoride levels than those surfaces treated by immersion in a fluoridated mouthrinse or deionized water.