'Repair the defect' - Emerging topical fluoridated remineralizing agents : A review

Abstract

A universal public health issue that affects 60% to 90% of people worldwide is dental caries, especially in youngsters. Dental caries is a cyclical event with phases of demineralization and remineralization in addition to being a continuous and unidirectional process of the demineralization of the mineral. Cavitation results from an overbalance in the demineralization process. While remineralization is the process of increasing ion deposition into crystal gaps in demineralized enamel to achieve net mineral gain, it is defined as the supply of calcium and phosphate ions from a source external to the tooth surface. Despite the fact that many other therapies have been tried in recent years to treat early enamel carious lesions, fluorides have emerged as the most popular remineralizing agent due to their superior cariostatic efficacy and affordability. Alternative preparations with additional benefits would be of interest because currently available topical fluorides require patient participation and several treatments over the course of a year.