Impact of a toothpaste with microcrystalline hydroxyapatite on the occurrence of early childhood caries: a 1-year randomized clinical trial

Sci Rep. 2021 Jan 29;11(1):2650. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-81112-y.

Abstract

The aim of this trial was to determine whether a toothpaste with microcrystalline hydroxyapatite is not inferior to a fluoride toothpaste in prevention of caries in children. This double-blinded randomized control trial compared two toothpastes regarding the occurrence of caries lesions using International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS) ≥ code 1 on the primary dentition within 336 days. The test group used a fluoride-free hydroxyapatite toothpaste three times daily while control group used a toothpaste with fluoride. 207 children were included in the intention-to-treat analysis; 177 of them finished the study per protocol. An increase in caries ICDAS ≥ code 1 per tooth was observed in 72.7% of the hydroxyapatite-group (n = 88), compared with 74.2% of the fluoride-group (n = 89). The exact one-sided upper 95% confidence limit for the difference in proportion of participants with ICDAS increase ≥ 1 (-1.4%) was 9.8%, which is below the non-inferiority margin of 20% demonstrating non-inferiority of hydroxyapatite compared to the fluoride control toothpaste. This RCT showed for the first time, that in children, the impact of the daily use of a toothpaste with microcrystalline hydroxyapatite on enamel caries progression in the primary dentition is not inferior to a fluoride control toothpaste (Clinical Trials NCT03553966).

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Dental Caries / epidemiology
  • Dental Caries / prevention & control*
  • Double-Blind Method
  • Durapatite / administration & dosage*
  • Female
  • Fluorides / administration & dosage
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Toothpastes / administration & dosage*

Substances

  • Toothpastes
  • Durapatite
  • Fluorides

Associated data

  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT03553966