An Effective Treatment for Preserving Natural Teeth

Walking into a deli or sub shop, where the possibilities for creating the perfect sandwich seem delightfully endless, customers find joy in getting to choose exactly what they want based on their individual preferences.

Nowadays, dental clinicians experience a similar sense of excitement about the growing "menu" of treatment options that enable them to deliver the best patient care possible, particularly when it comes to preventive and restorative cases.

“Having Curodont Repair Fluoride Plus in my toolkit empowers me to offer more individualized care and better meet the needs of my patients, depending on their age, level of cooperation, and the nature of what is happening to their teeth,” said Jeanette MacLean, DDS, a pediatric dentist, speaker, and advocate for minimally invasive dentistry who has been using Curodont Repair Fluoride Plus in her practice for the past two years. “It expands your options to better serve your patient population and provide comprehensive patient care. As a practice, you can offer preventive, minimally invasive interventions as well as conventional, surgical dentistry, versus focusing on one or the other.”

A Unique Remineralizing Agent

Curodont Repair Fluoride Plus from vVARDIS is a biomimetic, pain-free, brush-on system with a patented, low-viscosity formulation that effectively diffuses into the enamel and works with the minerals in saliva, including fluoride and calcium, to bring about Guided Enamel Remineralization.

The clinically proven technology is suitable for buccal, occlusal, and proximal surfaces, and is safe to use on patients of all ages. One box of Curodont Repair Fluoride Plus with 10 ready-to-use applicators can treat up to 30 lesions, with 1 applicator treating 1 to 3 lesions per patient.

Dr. MacLean noted that Curodont Repair Fluoride Plus is unique because it is a non-invasive, non-staining treatment option that can be applied to early, non-cavitated carious lesions to remineralize enamel. "Typically, I'm putting it on interproximal, incipient caries lesions or on those on the buccal or facial surfaces, which appear as white spot lesions," she said.

A single application procedure of less than 10 minutes is sufficient, during which the formula diffuses into the lesion within 3-5 minutes to begin the remineralization process. Dr. MacLean said it is easy to integrate Curodont Repair Fluoride Plus into the practice for patients who present with early-stage caries during routine cleanings or regular checkups.

“Normally, applying Curodont can be delegated to hygienists and dental assistants, so it is a nice adjunct that will benefit the patients without taking up much chair time,” Dr. MacLean said. “Patients are seeking minimal interventions. By helping preserve their natural teeth through treatment with Curodont Repair Fluoride Plus, it benefits the practice in terms of more production, patient retention, and word-of-mouth referrals.”

Answering the Call for Minimally Invasive Dentistry

Dr. MacLean, who has experienced a high acceptance rate for treatment with Curodont Repair Fluoride Plus, noted that it's important to take the time to explain the significance of the treatment and show patients that you care about their overall health.

“I like to bring parents back for their children’s cleanings and exams, and I will show them the white spots in the mirror, or the gray triangles on a digital bite wing if it is between teeth,” Dr. MacLean explained. “We have the conversation that if the decay becomes more porous, eventually it is going to break open and need a filling. And once you do a surgical treatment on a tooth, it irreversibly changes that tooth, and fillings don’t last forever.

“That really resonates with the parents because they often have some dental problems of their own—fillings cracking and needing root canals, extractions, crowns, or implants—so they understand why it would be beneficial to address the problem before we have to drill it and fill it.”

Dr. MacLean noted that she has had recalls of patients who received treatment with Curodont Repair Fluoride Plus a year and a half ago, and she has yet to see any of the lesions in question come back cavitated. “I haven't needed to make the shift from monitoring an incipient lesion that's been treated with Curodont Repair Fluoride Plus to surgically restoring it,” she said.

Considering the shifting focus toward more minimally invasive dentistry—with many patients seeking out practices that carry specific treatment options such as Curodont Repair Fluoride Plus—Dr. MacLean said it's in the best interest of dentists to learn about these products and the value they may bring to patients and the practice as a whole.

“Offering Curodont is only going to help your practice grow, so why would you just watch something in this day and age when you can do something? If we have a treatment option that can help prevent incipient lesions from reaching the point of no return and extend the lifetime of patients’ natural dentition, that is very advantageous," she said.