This study describes salivary fluoride levels after topical fluoride gel
application on overdenture abutments. Fluoride levels were evaluated
separately for the subjects with normal unstimulated salivary flow rate
(n = 16) and for those with a low flow rate (n = 8). One drop of
fluoride gel (Karigel-N, Lorvic) was placed in two abutment depressions
of the duplicated overdenture, after which unstimulated whole saliva was
collected for 30 minutes. Samples for fluoride analysis were taken at
5-minute intervals. Two additional samples were taken at 45 and 60
minutes. Fluoride concentration at the abutment-denture interface
(remaining fluoride concentration) was measured at the end of the study.
Salivary fluoride concentrations decreased gradually in both groups of
subjects, but after 1 hour they remained at a higher level in subjects
with low flow rates. Subjects' salivary flow rates correlated negatively
with remaining fluoride concentration at the denture-tissue interface.
Consequently, mean remaining fluoride concentration was significantly
higher in subjects with low flow rate than in their normal counterparts