Home Oral Care Domiciliary Protocol for the Management of Dental Erosion in Rugby Players: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Abstract

People performing regular physical activity are at high risk of dental erosion especially in cases of high sport drinks intake. Biomimetic hydroxyapatite-based oral hygiene products, like toothpastes and mouthwashes, have been investigated in recent years for their remineralizing activity on the teeth. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of two different oral hygiene protocols, respectively consisting of the combination of a hydroxyapatite-based toothpaste plus mouthwash (Trial group) or toothpaste alone (Control Group). At baseline (T0), as well as at 15 days (T1), 30 days (T2) and 90 days (T3), the following clinical indexes were assessed: Basic Erosive Wear Examination (BEWE), Schiff Air Index (SAI), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Plaque Index (PI) and Bleeding Index (BI). In general, for all the indexes assessed, a progressive intragroup reduction was noticed from the baseline to the subsequent timepoints, with no intergroup differences. Accordingly, the use of the hydroxyapatite-based toothpaste, alone or in combination with the mouthwash containing hydroxyapatite as well, is an effective method for the domiciliary management of dental erosion in physically active individuals like rugby players.

Keywords: athletes; demineralization; dental erosion; erosion; hydroxyapatite; physical activity; remineralization; rugby players; sport drinks; white spot lesions.

Figure 1

CONSORT flow chart of the study.

Figure 2

Diagrams of the clinical indexes (mean and SD) assessed at T0, T1, T2, and T3: (a) Bleeding Index; (b) Visual Analogue Scale; (c) Schiff Air Index; (d) Plaque Index; (e) Basic Erosive Wear Examination. Legend: ns: not significant; *: p < 0.05.