Comparative evaluation of the efficacy of fluoride varnish and casein phosphopeptide - Amorphous calcium phosphate in reducing Streptococcus mutans counts in dental plaque of children: An in vivo study

To assess the comparative efficacy of fluoride varnish and casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP-ACP) complex visa viz. in plaque, and thereby the role that these two agents could play in the prevention of dental caries. A cluster sample of 120 caries inactive individuals belonging to moderate and high caries risk group were selected from 3-5-year-old age group based on the criteria given by Krassee and were randomized to four groups, namely, fluoride varnish - Group I, CPP-ACP complex - Group II, mixture of CPP-ACP complex -Gourp III, and fluoride and routine oral hygiene procedures as control - Group IV. The results thus obtained were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 16. A statistically significant difference in the pre and post-application scores of ( < 0.01) count was observed in all the groups with CPP-ACP plus fluoride group being the most proficient. Materials such as fluoride varnish, CPP-ACP, and CPP-ACP plus fluoride protects the tooth structure, preserving the integrity of primary dentition, with the most encouraging results being with CPP-ACP plus fluoride.