CLINICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TWOPHASE TECHNOLOGY TOOTHPASTES ON DENTAL STATUS INDICATORS IN CHILDREN

Abstract

Caries in childhood remains one of the most common pathologies of hard tooth tissues, adversely affecting the overall health and quality of life of children. Modern approaches to caries prevention mainly focus on the use of fluoride-containing toothpastes of varying concentrations. At the same time, a high intake of sugars and acids is an important factor in the development of carious lesions, necessitating the improvement of toothpaste formulations to provide additional enamel protection. The use of innovative two-phase technologies in toothpastes (particularly those that simultaneously act against caries and neutralize sugar acids) is a promising direction; however, clinical data on their long-term effectiveness in pediatric dentistry are limited. Aim of the study. To evaluate the effectiveness of toothpastes with a two-phase technology (anticaries action and protection against sugar acids) on the dental status of children aged 0 to 8 years. Materials and methods. Sixty child volunteers participated in the study. They were divided into three groups depending on the type of toothpaste used. The examinations were conducted according to a standard methodology in clinical settings. The condition of the hard tooth tissues was assessed using the dmft, DMFT indices; the condition of the periodontal tissues and oral hygiene level were evaluated using the PMA%, Silness-Loe, and Stallard indices. Statistical analysis of the obtained data was performed using Student’s t-test at p<0.01. Results. It was found that regular use of toothpastes with a two-phase technology contributes to the stabilization of the dmft index for primary teeth and improves periodontal (PMA%) and oral hygiene (Silness-Loe, Stallard) indicators. During the first month of toothpaste application, a particularly pronounced decrease in the aforementioned parameters was noted compared to baseline (p<0.001). However, after discontinuing the use of these toothpastes, a gradual deterioration of caries indicators and hygiene status was observed, emphasizing the importance of long-term and continuous use of the tested agents. Conclusions. Twophase technology toothpastes demonstrate a positive impact on the dynamics of dental indicators in young children. Their regular use helps reduce caries intensity, improves periodontal tissue condition, and enhances oral hygiene parameters. Conversely, discontinuation of these toothpastes leads to a rebound increase in carious lesions and a decline in hygiene status, indicating the need for prolonged prophylactic use of such products.