Comparative analysis of the effect of self-assembling peptide P11-4 on enamel erosion: a confocal laser scanning microscopy study

Objectives This study aims to comparatively assess the preventive and protective effects of the self-assembling peptide P 11 -4 on enamel erosion and evaluate the potential for enamel surface recovery when professional products are combined with home-use dental-care products during the erosive process. Materials and methods Ninety-nine bovine incisors were divided into nine groups: a control group, four groups with the application of professional-products [P 11 -4 peptide (Curodont-Repair), stannous/Sn 2+ containing solution (8% Sn 2+ ), casein-phosphopeptide-amorphous-calcium-phosphate fluoride/CPP-ACPF (MI Varnish), sodium fluoride/NaF (Profluorid)] and four groups with the combination of professional products and home-use daily dental care products [P 11 -4 peptide (Curodont Repair + Curodont Protect), stannous ions containing agents (8% Sn 2+ +Emofluor Gel Intensive-Care), CPP-ACPF (MI Varnish + MI Paste Plus), NaF (Profluorid + ReminPro)]. Professional products were applied once before a five-day erosive cycle, involving six 2-minute citric-acid exposures per day. In combined-groups, a home-use dental-care product was applied daily at the end of each cycle day. After the cycle, lesion depth and fluorescence were analyzed using confocal-laser-scanning-microscopy, and results were statistically evaluated using paired t-tests, ANOVA, and Tukey’s post-hoc tests. Results The P 11 -4 group was significantly more effective among the professional-only groups in both parameters ( p