Remineralizing roots: A study on toothpastes for asthmatic kids

Innovative toothpastes with biomimetic and re-mineralising properties have been shown to have great potential against enamel demineralisation as observed in recent years.

A Scribante and co-authors compared two toothpastes that help remineralize teeth in children with asthma and allergic rhinitis after a six-month treatment period. At the University of Pavia's, Unit of Dental Hygiene (Italy), 40 patients (aged 6 to 14 years) with enamel demineralizations, aged 6 to 14, participated in a randomized trial.

Patients were split evenly into two groups following mechanical debridement using piezoelectric instruments and glycine powder. Group 1 used toothpaste containing Zinc hydroxyapatite, while Group 2 used toothpaste with Calcium sodium phosphosilicate to be used twice a day on a soft bristle toothbrush. The study period of analysis was at baseline and after 1 month, 3 months and 6 months.

The use of these toothpastes greatly reduced different indices- plaque, bleeding on probing (bleeding gums), and Schiff air index in these patients over six months. Both groups saw similar improvements with no notable differences between them. Interestingly, while Group 1 showed a significant decrease in susceptibility index from the second to the third month, Group 2 did not. Other measures like salivary pH, decayed missing filled teeth, and Basic Erosive Wear Examination remained unchanged across all groups.