Introduction
demineralized lesions, caries, orthodontic
DEMINERALIZATION, CARIES, SIDE EFFECT
Early demineralized lesions (DLs), also called white spot lesions (WSLs), are a common and undesirable side effect of orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances [There is good scientific support that fluoride complicates demineralization and facilitates remineralization [High-fluoride mouth rinse (0.2% NaF) is commonly recommended to patients with an increased caries risk. To the author’s knowledge, no large RCTs with sufficient power have compared the effect of high-fluoride toothpaste (5000 ppm F) and high-fluoride mouth rinse (0.2% NaF) on the development of DL during orthodontics. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effect of high-fluoride toothpaste and high-fluoride mouth rinse for preventing DL during orthodontic treatment. The null hypothesis was that there is no difference between the fluoride methods in preventing DL during orthodontic treatment.