Elif ALKAN, Ahmad BITTAR, Dilek TAĞTEKİN
Journal of Health Sciences and Medicine - 2026;9(5):1328-1333
Aims: To compare 24-hour changes in quantitative light-induced fluorescence (QLF)-derived optical outcomes in artificially demineralized human enamel treated with glycerol-stabilized calcium phosphate (GCPC) or artificial saliva. Methods: Artificial enamel lesions were produced using a calcium/phosphate/fluoride-containing acetate-buffered demineralization solution (pH 4.7) for 72 hours. Forty-two enamel blocks were allocated to GCPC or artificial saliva (n=21 per group). QLF images were obtained at baseline (T0) and 24 hours (T24). Outcomes were maximum fluorescence loss (DeltaFmax), integrated fluorescence loss (DeltaQ), and software-mapped lesion area. DeltaFmax was analyzed with t tests; DeltaQ and lesion area were analyzed with nonparametric tests. Results: Mean DeltaFmax change was +3.58+/-1.32% with GCPC and +0.67+/-1.52% with artificial saliva; the between-group mean difference was 2.91 percentage points (95% confidence interval, 2.02 to 3.80; Hedges g=2.01; p<0.001). Median DeltaQ change was +624 px% (+97 to +14,399) versus +75 px% (-475 to +1,236; p=0.001), and median lesion-area change was -62 px² (-1,716 to -21) versus +27 px² (-373 to +959; p=0.014). Baseline lesion area differed between groups (p=0.011). Conclusion: GCPC produced greater 24-hour QLF-derived optical changes in DeltaFmax and DeltaQ than artificial saliva. Lesion-area change also differed, but baseline imbalance limits interpretation. Because QLF is an indirect optical method and no complementary mineral or structural validation was performed, the findings do not establish direct mineral gain or clinical effectiveness.
