A Randomized Open-Label Prospective Study of Remineralizing Therapy for Dental Caries in School-Aged Children

Abstract Initial carious lesions of permanent teeth in children often develop without pronounced clinical signs, necessitating the use of objective quantitative methods for diagnosis and monitoring of remineralizing therapy. Objective. To evaluate the effectiveness of fluoride-, calcium-, and arginine-containing products in the remineralizing treatment of initial caries of permanent teeth in school-aged children using quantitative light-induced fluorescence (QLF) and the enamel resistance test (ERT). Materials and Methods. An open-label prospective clinical study was conducted in 658 children aged 7–15 years, divided into five age groups. The condition of the hard tissues of permanent teeth was assessed by visual-tactile examination, the ERT, and QLF technology, with recording of ΔF max, ΔF average, ΔQ, White Spot Area, White Spot ΔR, White Spot ΔR max, and White Spot ΔR area. Measurements were obtained before and after a course of remineralizing therapy. Statistical analysis included parametric and nonparametric methods; differences were considered significant at p < 0.05. Results. QLF detected significantly more initial foci of demineralization than visual-tactile examination and the ERT. The mean ERT value was 23.31 ± 4.35% in children with a high mineralization level and 56.35 ± 5.34% in those with a low mineralization level. The corresponding ΔF average values were − 8.11 ± 0.67% and − 22.34 ± 0.84%; the between-group differences were highly significant (p < 0.0001). After remineralizing therapy, all age groups showed statistically significant improvements in ΔF max, ΔF average, ΔQ, White Spot Area, and White Spot ΔR, together with lower ERT values (p < 0.05). Conclusion. Products containing fluoride, calcium, and arginine promote restoration of mineral density and increase the acid resistance of permanent tooth enamel in children. The combined use of QLF and the ERT enables timely diagnosis of initial demineralization, quantitative assessment of its severity, and objective monitoring of the effectiveness of remineralizing therapy.