Total and soluble fluoride concentration of toothpastes available in Iran

Objective: Using fluoridated toothpaste is one of the effective preventive methods of dental caries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the total and soluble fluoride concentration in different toothpastes available in the Iranian market.   Methods & Materials: In this study, total and soluble fluoride concentration of eight brands of Iranian and five brands of non-Iranian toothpastes were measured. The samples were extracted from top and bottom end of each tube. Then they were mixed until homogenous suspension was achieved. Total and soluble concentration of fluoride ion was measured by potentiometer. To compare results of total and soluble fluoride concentration in the top and bottom of each tube and results between domestic and foreign toothpastes, the Mann-Whitney test was used.   Results: A total of 13 toothpastes were tested, of which five products were for children and eight products were for adults. Eleven toothpastes had Sodium Monofluorophosphate agent. Among adult toothpastes, only ABC and Signal toothpastes had international standard range of fluoride concentration and the total fluoride concentration was near to the amount printed on the tube. Bass, Ferris, Goldent and Komodo Iranian Children toothpastes showed higher concentration of total fluoride compare to international standard range of fluoride for children. None of Iranian children toothpastes had the total fluoride concentration same as what printed on the tube.   Conclusion: More serious supervision and accurate quality control on the concentration of fluoride in toothpastes is required, especially in Children toothpastes, it should be paid more attention. If soluble fluoride concentration is printed on toothpaste tube, it helps to select the right toothpaste.