RESUMO
The fluoride level in saliva is considered an important parameter in caries prevention. Elevation of the salivary fluoride level by a fluoride-releasing orthodontic bonding adhesive would most likely be beneficial in the prevention of enamel caries. In this study, the fluoride level in saliva was measured after bonding brackets with a visible light-curing adhesive containing fluoride (12.4 wt% total F). The fluoride released from the adhesive has been shown in a previous study to inhibit demineralization adjacent to orthodontic brackets in vivo. Twenty-four patients each had 20 brackets bonded and saliva samples taken before bonding (t = 0) and after 1, 3, and 6 months. The participants were requested to brush daily with a fluoride toothpaste during the study period. The saliva fluoride analysis was done with the microdiffusion method. The analysis of the saliva showed fluoride levels (+/- SD) of 0.011 +/- 0.007, 0.011 +/- 0.009, 0.0011 +/- 0.007, and 0.012 +/- 0.008 ppm at t = 0, 1, 3, and 6 months, respectively. There was no significant difference at the 5% level. The study indicated indirectly that the caries inhibiting effect of the orthodontic adhesive shown previously was most likely due to a localized fluoridation of the cariogenic environment rather than to an elevation of the fluoride level in saliva.