In vitro studies on the effects of fluoride on de- and remineralization.

The recent literature extensively describes the role of ambient fluoride in the de- and remineralization of dental enamel. Fluoride in sub-ppm concentrations is effective in promoting mineral deposition and inhibiting mineral dissolution. The latter phenomenon is most likely attributable to the concomitant precipitation of a fluoride-rich mineral phase which inhibits further dissolution. These fundamental processes result in an inhibition of enamel demineralization and an enhancement of enamel lesion remineralization. Alternatively, fluoride may also induce the 'arrestment' of enamel lesions. For the in vivo patterns and the effects of caries-preventive substances to be studied, de- and remineralization can best be examined with a pH-cycling system in which the pH depressions occurring in the oral environment are mimicked in a laboratory model. Such an approach has proved useful in developing optimal fluoride schemes which can be tested in animal, intraoral, and clinical studies.