Determination of bioavailable fluoride in toothpastes marketed in Medellín, Colombia, through capillary electrophoresis

Currently, the FDI recommendation (World Dental Federation) for fluoride concentration in toothpastes is that the total fluoride content declared by manufacturers be between 1,000 and 1,500 ppm, and of this amount, at least 800 ppm should be bioavai­lable fluoride. The aim of this study was to describe the market of toothpastes marketed in Medellín and to measure the concentration of bioavailable fluoride by capillary electrophoresis to verify their compliance with the FDI recommendation for the prevention of dental caries. After sampling the toothpastes available for sale in the 16 communes of the city of Medellin, a single operator measured in triplicate the concentration of bioavailable fluoride in 36 samples of previously blinded toothpastes using the capi­llary electrophoresis (EC) technique. Most of the evaluated toothpastes that declared a content of 1,000–1,500 ppm fluoride met the recommendation of presenting at least 800 ppm bioavailable fluoride. Measurement of bioavailable fluoride in toothpastes with MFP (sodium monofluorophosphate) is recommended, as it is known that binding to the abrasive can decrease its concentration over time.