Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the fluoride-releasing ability of an experimental tooth separator consisting of polyurethane elastomer with tin fluoride and its effect on the acid resistance of human enamel. The tooth separator was set around an enamel slab and stored in de-ionized water for 10 days. The daily concentration of fluoride in the de-ionized water was measured. Then the enamel surface was artificially decalcified by a lactic acid buffer solution (pH 4.5) for 96 hours. The mineral density at the surface layer of the enamel was measured to evaluate the acid resistance. The fluoride release increased with the amount of fluoride in the separator, but decreased with the immersion time. Both the enamel area contacting with the separator and its surrounding area showed lower mineral loss and lesion depth compared with the controls (P<0.05). It is suggested that the experimental tooth separator would release enough fluoride and improve the acid resistance of the enamel surface layer.
