To investigate the short-term effects of different fluoride toothpaste formulations on total salivary calcium concentration following brushing.
Approach:
Study Design: A randomized, 3-treatment, 3-period crossover trial involving 48 healthy participants.
Participants: Mean age of 22.55 years; 54% women and 46% men, recruited from Witten/Herdecke University, Germany.
Toothpaste Formulations: Participants used Dentalux, Parodontax, and Sensodyne in randomized order with a 2-day washout between treatments.
Measurements: Unstimulated saliva was collected before brushing, immediately after, and at 30 and 60 minutes post-brushing.
Analysis: Calcium concentrations were measured using a colorimetric assay and evaluated with linear mixed-effects models.
Key Findings:
Immediately after brushing, salivary calcium concentration was 37.70 ppm with Sensodyne, 36.57 ppm with Dentalux, and 18.81 ppm with Parodontax.
At 30 minutes, calcium concentrations were 39.74 ppm (Sensodyne), 39.15 ppm (Dentalux), and 35.82 ppm (Parodontax).
By 60 minutes, no statistically significant differences in salivary calcium concentrations remained among the three formulations.
Interpretation:
The study found that different toothpaste formulations produced varying short-term effects on total salivary calcium, but these effects were transient and not sustained over time.
Limitations:
Total salivary calcium was measured, not biologically active ionized calcium.
Salivary flow rate, pH, phosphate, fluoride, and buffering capacity were not assessed.
The sample consisted of healthy young adults from a single university, limiting generalizability.
Only short-term effects were evaluated, leaving long-term implications unknown.
Conclusion:
The observed effects of toothpaste formulations on salivary calcium were transient, and further studies are needed to explore potential long-term oral health effects.
