Halt Early Stage Tooth Decay in Its Tracks

As a dental hygienist in a public health clinic, Lisa Juliana sees her fair share of patients with incipient decay and white spot lesions. Eager to find ways to halt tooth decay in its tracks, Juliana and her fellow hygienists were excited to learn about Curodont Repair Fluoride Plus from Young Specialties, an easy-to-apply material that provides early-stage caries intervention without drilling or staining. According to Young, Curodont naturally rebuilds and repairs enamel with in-depth remineralization while maintaining the integrity of the tooth.

"My patients are open and excited to try a non-invasive treatment," said Juliana, adding that after treatment with Curodont, some of her patients did not need to return for restorative treatment with the dentist. Juliana added that she looks forward to seeing patients' progress when they return for updated X-rays at their 6-month follow-up appointments.

What Is Curodont?

Curodont Repair Fluoride Plus is a noninvasive, easy-to-use material that uses a proprietary peptide to help teeth naturally remineralize. Using calcium, phosphate, and other minerals found in a patient's saliva, Curodont helps rebuild down to the depth of the lesion, unlike fluoride, which only promotes remineralization on the tooth’s surface.

Ideal for patients who are less than cooperative about their oral home care routine, Curodont is applied directly to the tooth with a brush-like applicator and can be applied several times, with 3 to 6 months between treatments. Calling it “easy to use at any appointment,” hygienist Lois Palermo likes having Curodont “as an option to try on white spots on enamel,” and hygienist Tessa Simpson agreed that “it is nice to be able to provide a new option for treatment to my patients.” Hoping to “halt early decay from progressing,” Diana Carr, RDHAP, said, “I like the concept of stopping decay and rebuilding tooth structure.” After using it on several patients, Carr is hopeful that “the people I treated will have positive outcomes.”

How Does Curodont Work?

Within 5 minutes of application, Curodont begins to remineralize enamel, and it continues strengthening for weeks following treatment. The unique formula penetrates deep into the lesion, where it leverages calcium and phosphate from patient saliva to help new hydroxyapatite grow. Pleased to have “an additional option for preventive caries management and desensitization,” Simpson said, “I like the ready-to-use applicator,” and Karen Dong, RDH, said, “The packet with the applicator is convenient, and the steps are straightforward and simple to follow.”

Noting that “white spot lesions are such a common concern,” hygienist Amber Metro-Sanchez wanted to help patients in the early stages of decay reverse the issue with a minimally invasive product. After trying Curodont Repair Fluoride Plus, she said, "I love having a noninvasive option for my patients who want to improve the appearance of their teeth post ortho. Curodont helps rebuild the enamel like no other product on the market.”

Clinical Results

Indicated for use on non-cavitated, incipient lesions with an ICDAS score of 1 to 3, Curodont is appropriate for interproximal, occlusal, buccal, facial, and lingual surfaces, according to Young. It is suitable for patients 4 years and older, and can be used during or after orthodontic bracketing, as well as in conjunction with fluoride varnish.

After trying Curodont on herself and her patients, Katelin Johnson, RDH, said she “was happy with the results” and called it a “very effective, simple” option to “remineralize enamel in a noninvasive and stain-free way.” After applying Curodont on several patients with decalcified upper anteriors associated with orthodontic treatment, Metro-Sanchez “noticed an improvement in the appearance of the enamel immediately, and the look of the enamel continued to improve over time.” Because Metro-Sanchez used Curodont on her daughter, she has been able to examine the area frequently and disclosed, “I do believe that a tooth in her upper anteriors appears to look more like the surrounding healthy tooth structure than it did before Curodont was placed.”

Patient Acceptance

Several hygienists, including Johnson, reported that “patients get excited when there are new products to help with hopeless sensitivity.” Margaret Conrad, RDH, said she was “glad to offer Curodont to patients as an alternative to using a paste over a long period of time” and is “eager to see the longer-term effects of this product.” Palmero said her patients appreciated that they didn’t have to come back for a separate appointment, and Dong’s patients liked that it “has no smell or taste during or after treatment.” Noting that “all of my patients were very open to trying Curodont,” Metro-Sanchez explained, “Patients are very receptive to using a product to repair their enamel when it doesn't involve removing the decay with a drill.”

Using Curodont “helps us manage patient decay more progressively and helps patients be healthier,” shared Dong. “We no longer need to just wait and see what happens.” Calling Curodont “so easy to use,” Metro-Sanchez declared, “I felt proud to be using a product that actually rebuilds my patients' enamel.” And Conrad concluded, “If it truly works as it says it does, it's a great product to use in our practice.”