Fluoride Release from Fluoride Varnishes under Acidic Conditions

Objective: The aim was to investigate the in vitro fluoride release from fluoride varnishes under acidic conditions. Study design: Poly(methyl methacrylate) blocks (Perspex, n=3 per group) were painted with 80 +/- 5 mg fluoride varnish (n=10) and placed into artificial saliva for 30min. Then, blocks were placed into either 1% citric acid (pH 2.27) or 0.3% citric acid (pH 3.75) solutions (n=3 per solution and varnish) for 30min with the solutions being replaced every 5min. Saliva and acid solutions were analyzed for fluoride content. Data were analyzed using three-way ANOVA (varnish, solution, time). Results: The three-way interaction was significant (p<0.0001). Fluoride release and release patterns varied considerably between varnishes. Fluoride release in saliva varied by a factor of more than 10 between varnishes. Some varnishes (CavityShield, Nupro, ProFluorid, Vanish) showed higher fluoride release in saliva than during the first 5min of acid exposure, whereas other varnishes (Acclean, Enamel-Pro, MI Varnish, Vella) showed the opposite behavior. There was little difference between acidic solutions. Conclusions: Fluoride release from fluoride varnishes varies considerably and also depends on the dissolution medium. Bearing in mind the limitations of laboratory research, the consumption of acidic drinks after fluoride varnish application should be avoided to optimize the benefit/risk ratio.