The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of enamel defects in the development of dental caries and their association with feeding practices and oral health behaviors in a cohort study of low-socioeconomic children from birth to 36 months of age in northeastern Brazil. Subjects were registered at birth and examined from 12 to 36 months of age. At baseline, 246 children were examined and at follow-up 228. The teeth were clinically examined and dried with gauze under natural light. Enamel defects were determined using the Developmental Defects of Enamel (DDE) index. Dental caries was determined using WHO criteria. Data were analyzed using descriptive and analytical techniques. At 36 months 78.9% infants presented at least one tooth with enamel defects and 25% of the children had at least one decayed tooth. A total of 16.9% teeth with enamel defects had become decayed (p = 0.0001). Opacity with enamel hypoplasia was the defect most frequently associated with dental caries (p = 0.001). Only 0.9% of the teeth without enamel defects developed caries. Multivariate analyses revealed that enamel defects, night breast-feeding and poor oral hygiene habits were predictors of dental caries at 18 and 24 months (p < 0.05). Considering the risk factors evaluated at 30 months of age, the presence of enamel defects was the single predictor of caries development at 36 months (p = 0.0001). Enamel defects are strongly associated with early childhood caries and, therefore, this correlation must be considered when focussing on low-socioeconomic communities.

Objective: The purpose of this scoping review was to identify gaps in the literature and summarize findings from studies examining the use of silicon-, silica-, and silicate-based toothpastes for the remineralization and repair of mineralized tooth tissues. Methods: A 10-year literature search was conducted using PubMed and Scopus, adhering to PRISMA 2020 guidelines. A total of 331 studies were initially identified, with 56 full-text review articles. After selecting the manuscripts, 27 studies were qualitatively analyzed by four reviewers, focusing on the results of both in vivo and in vitro methods. Results: The findings suggest that toothpastes containing silicon, silica, and silicate demonstrate promising results for remineralization and enamel repair, with evidence of mineral layer formation and/or deep enamel surface remineralization under various conditions. Additionally, the use of these toothpastes can lead to the obliteration of dentinal tubules within a few days. The results collectively support the efficacy of these toothpastes in enamel repair. Most of the clinical studies focused on dentine hypersensitivity, followed by white spot lesions. Conclusions: Silicon-, silica-, and silicate-based toothpastes (bioactive Si-toothpastes) can be considered effective based mostly on laboratory studies. There remains a need for more in vivo research studies on enamel and dentin mineral repair. Existing studies provide strong evidence that these technologies can reduce dentin hypersensitivity and promote enamel–dentin repair.

Erosive tooth wear has been a highly prevalent and emerging phenomenon related to eating habits of the population. Aim: This study sought to investigate industrialized fruit juices exposure in enamel and dentine substrates in terms of erosive effect. Human enamel and dentine specimens were randomized into 8 groups (n=8): Grape juice – Ades®, Grape juice – Del Valle Kapo®, Grape juice – Aurora®, Orange juice – Del Valle Kapo®, Orange juice – Ades®, Strawberry juice – Mais Vita®, Strawberry juice – Ades®, Citrus fruit juice – Tampico®. Specimens were submitted to an in vitro erosive challenge and to a microhardness test to evaluate the percentage of surface microhardness loss. The pH, titratable acidity, buffering capacity, degree of saturation and critical pH concerning hydroxyapatite and fluorapatite of the juices were measured as well as their composition of calcium, phosphate, fluoride, and total protein. Data were submitted to the analysis of variance and multivariate linear regression (α=0.05). All test agents were undersaturated concerning hydroxyapatite and fluorapatite. A significant interaction between the type of juice and substrate was found (α=0.000, β=0.99). However, Orange juice – Del Valle Kapo®, Orange juice – Ades®, and Strawberry juice – Mais Vitta® demonstrated no difference between substrates. Grape juice – Ades® promoted less mineral than other juices in enamel and dentine. The calcium concentration in juices was a protective variable for microhardness loss in both substrates. The erosive effect of industrialized fruit juices affects enamel differently from dentine, and this effect differed between some, but not all, tested juices. Key words:Tooth erosion, dental enamel, dentine. beverages, food habits.