Indications
The success of MI Paste is due in great measure
to the long list of conditions it treats:
- Reversing tooth sensitivity and restoring
enamel loss after whitening procedures
- Relieving dry mouth caused by medications
- Reducing high levels of oral acid from
excessive consumption of soft drinks/sports
drinks
- Reversing tooth sensitivity before and after
professional cleaning
- Reducing high oral acid levels resulting
from pregnancy
- Buffering acids produced by bacteria and
plaque
- During orthodontic treatment to prevent
white spot lesions and after band removal
to reverse white spot lesions
- Providing calcium phosphate for patients
suffering from erosion, caries, and conditions
arising from xerostomia.
MI Paste may also be recommended for patients
undergoing radiation and/or chemotherapy and
patients with “meth” mouth and/or “Mountain
Dew mouth.” In addition, MI Paste is a good complement
to saliva testing, which can be done as part
of a patient’s routine examination.
The Science Behind MI Paste
Healthy saliva contains the minerals needed for
healthy teeth: calcium, phosphorus, and fluoride.
Together with salivary proteins, the saliva delivers
bioavailable calcium and phosphate to the tooth
surface during remineralization. According to GC
America, MI Paste supplies calcium and phosphate
needed for patients with poor saliva
flow, a situation that can be further augmented
by elevating the level of fluoride.
MI Paste was the first professional
product to contain RECALDENT*
(CCP-ACP), which uses casein phosphopeptides
(CPP), naturally occurring
molecules that can bind calcium and
phosphate ions in an amorphous form
(ACP). The CPP binds to surfaces such
as plaque, bacteria, soft tissue, and
dentin, providing a reservoir of
bioavailable calcium and phosphorus in
the saliva and at the surface of the
tooth. ACP is released from the CPP
complex during oral acidic challenges.
Stabilization of ACP by CPP ensures
delivery of calcium and phosphate ions
into the tooth structure before they precipitate/
crystallize.1-4 MI Paste also prevents
and reverses early caries lesions
often seen as white spots.5 To read more
about RECALDENT, visit GC America’s
web site (www.gcamerica.com), which
contains over 120 research studies.
Rapidity of Results
The speed of MI Paste’s effectiveness
depends on individual situations and the
specific ways the product is used. If used
for relief of sensitivity after a simple
whitening procedure, relief should be
possible within 2 minutes of applying MI
Paste. Before or after ultrasonic prophylaxis
or root planing, a 5-minute application
of MI Paste is effective. Reversing
white spots requires 2 to 3 months of
twice-daily, at-home applications of MI
Paste for remineralization.
Allergy Precautions
Because RECALDENT is made from
a natural milk-derived protein, people
with (or suspected to have) milk protein
allergies should not use this product. MI
Paste should not be used on patients with
a sensitivity or allergy to benzoate preservatives.
RECALDENT is milk-derived
with lactose content less than 0.01%.
MI Paste Application
Dental professionals apply MI Paste
with custom trays or a gloved finger.
When used by the patient at home, MI
Paste is typically applied after brushing
the teeth, both morning and night, by
squeezing a pea-sized amount of MI
Paste onto a finger and applying it over
the surfaces of the teeth. MI Paste
should be left on the teeth for at least 3
minutes. For patients who are whitening
their teeth, it is applied immediately
after each whitening session. MI
Paste may be needed more often for
patients with dry mouth.
Five Flavors
MI Paste is a water-based, sugar-free
créme that is applied topically to the
tooth surface or the oral cavity. It is
available in 40-g tubes in 5 different flavors:
mint, strawberry, melon, tutti
frutti, and vanilla. For more information,
contact GC America Inc. at
www.gcamerica.com or the phone
number provided below.
Product Evolution
In 2007, GC America introduced
MI Paste Plus. This version of MI Paste
has all of the same features as the original
MI Paste, but now it contains 900
ppm of sodium fluoride. It is not recommended
for children under 6 years
of age. These patients can still use regular
MI Paste. MI Paste Plus is the only
product that provides the correct
bioavailable ratio of 5 parts calcium to
3 parts phosphate to 1 part fluoride,
the same ratio found in healthy enamel.
—Jackie Syrop
References
1. Schupbach P, Neeser JR, Golliard M, et al.
Incorporation of caseinoglycomacropeptide
and caseinophosphopeptide into salivary pellicle
inhibits adherence of mutans streptococci. J
Dent Res. 1996;75:1779-1788.
2. Reynolds EC. Remineralization of enamel subsurface
lesions by casein phosphopeptide-stabilized
calcium photsphate solutions. J Dent Res.
1997;76:1587-1595.
3. Rose RK. Effects of an anticariogenic casein
phosphopeptide on calcium diffusion in streptococcal
model dental plaques. Arch Oral Biol.
2000;45:569-575.
4. GC America. Data on file.
5. Reynolds EC, Cain DJ, Webber FL, et al.
Anticariogenicity of tryptic casein- and synthetic-
phosphopeptides in the rat. J Dent Res.
1995;74:1272-1279.
