A newly published study in JDR Clinical & Translational Research examines the effectiveness of arginine-based dentifrices compared to a standard sodium fluoride toothpaste in reducing dental caries among children. The research was supported by the International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (IADR) and the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (AADOCR).
Dental caries continues to be a widespread oral health issue worldwide. While fluoride is well established as an effective anticaries agent, the study explores arginine as a potential alternative or complementary preventive approach.
The study, titled "Arginine Dentifrices and Childhood Caries Prevention: A Randomized Clinical Trial," was conducted by Wei Lin and colleagues at Sichuan University. It was a 2-year, phase III, randomized controlled trial carried out between April 2019 and March 2022 at three centers in China. A total of 6,000 children aged 10 to 14 years, all of whom had at least two active caries lesions, participated in the trial. Participants were assigned to use one of three dentifrices: 8.0% arginine, 1.5% arginine, or 0.32% sodium fluoride (NaF), the latter serving as a positive control.
After 2 years, children using the 8.0% arginine dentifrice showed a statistically significant reduction in caries, with 26.0% lower DMFS (decayed, missing, and filled surfaces) and 25.3% lower DMFT (decayed, missing, and filled teeth) scores compared to those using the 0.32% NaF toothpaste. The 1.5% arginine group showed no statistically significant difference compared to the fluoride control.
These findings suggest that at higher concentrations, arginine-containing toothpastes may offer comparable or potentially greater caries prevention than standard fluoride toothpastes in children with existing caries.
Source: International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research
