Comparison of the Cariostatic Effect of Topically and Systemically Administered Controlled-Release Fluoride in the Rat

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Abstract
Rats treated continuously with topical fluoride from an intraoral delivery system (Intraoral Fluoride-Releasing Device) developed significantly fewer proximal, sulcal, and total carious enamel areas after 5 weeks on a caries-conducive regimen than did rats that received fluoride at a similar rate systemically from a subcutaneously implanted controlled-release delivery system. Rats treated with continual topical fluoride or with intermittent topical fluoride from drinking water had significantly fewer carious enamel areas on third-molar surfaces than rats treated with continual systemic fluoride. The findings suggest that the substantial cariostatic benefits produced by the intraoral fluoride-releasing device in rat caries trials were the result of topical effects due to the continual presence of fluoride in the oral fluids.