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Table of Contents |
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Vol. 49, No. 6, 2015
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Issue release date: Published online first (Issue-in-Progress)
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Abstract
Objective: To assess the anti-caries effect
of arginine-containing formulations in vivo on caries lesions compared
with fluorides or placebo.
Methods: Randomized or
quasi-randomized human clinical trials wherein arginine was delivered by
any method were considered. The MEDLINE, Web of Science, EMBASE,
Cochrane Library, and CBM databases were searched to identify relevant
articles published up to December 2014. Grey literature was also
searched. Two authors performed data extraction independently and in
duplicate using data collection forms. Each included study was assessed
using the Cochrane risk of bias assessment tool.
Results:
Of the 470 studies screened, 31 full articles were scrutinized and
assessed for eligibility. Ten studies (n = 15,546 participants) were
selected for final inclusion. The meta-analysis results (n = 7 studies)
demonstrated a synergistic effect of arginine when used in conjunction
with fluoride on early coronal and root caries compared with placebo or
fluoride alone. No specific side effects related to arginine usage were
identified.
Conclusions: When used in combination with a
calcium compound and fluoride, arginine potentially provides a superior
anti-caries effect compared with matched formulations of fluoride alone.
However, the level of evidence was downgraded because of risks of bias
and potential publication bias. In the future, more high quality,
non-industry-supported clinical studies in this research area are
required before any definitive recommendations can be made.
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