Sweden - Researchers perform first scientific evaluation of high-fluoride toothpaste?

Researchers perform first scientific evaluation of high-fluoride toothpaste
Published on March 26, 2012 at 4:43 AM ·
Do you really want to avoid cavities in your teeth? Try massaging them with a high-fluoride toothpaste after lunch. "Rubbing toothpaste onto your teeth increases the fluoride protection by 400%," says Anna Nordström, dentist, PhD and researcher at the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Eight years ago a new brand of toothpaste was launched in Sweden with more than three times as much fluoride as standard toothpaste. Available without prescription, it is aimed primarily at those with high caries risk.

First scientific evaluation

Researchers at the University of Gothenburg's Sahlgrenska Academy have now performed the first scientific evaluation of the effect of this so called "high-fluoride toothpaste". The study has resulted in a new method that quadruples the level of protection from fluoride.
Four times better protection
In the study, 16 volunteers tested a variety of brushing techniques, using either high-fluoride or standard toothpaste, and brushing either two or three times a day.
"The study revealed that those who used a high-fluoride toothpaste three times a day had four times better fluoride protection in the mouth than those who used standard toothpaste twice a day," says researcher Anna Nordström from the Institute of Odontology at the Sahlgrenska Academy.

Scientific evaluation? Just 16 people - and what about other long term affects on the rest of the body?