Can a mouth rinse stop cavities? small study puts rinses to the test

NCT ID NCT04033263

First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026 · Updated 1 time

Summary

This study tested three mouth rinses—plain water, a fluoride rinse, and one with plant extracts—to see how well they protect teeth from cavities and erosion. Twelve healthy adults used each rinse for five days while wearing special trays with tooth and dentin samples. The goal was to measure mineral loss and identify protective proteins in saliva.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance

Mouth rinses (water, Elmex Erosion Protection, fluoride mouth rinse)

What this could lead to

If successful, this could point toward better mouth rinses for preventing cavities and tooth erosion.

What could go wrong

This is a very small, early study with only 12 healthy adults, so results may not apply to everyone. It measures short-term effects on tooth slabs, not real-world cavity prevention.

Disclaimer Read more

This is a summary of the original study . Summaries may miss details or leave out important information. Before applying or accepting participation, make sure you have read and understood the full study. Curemydisease.com takes no responsibility whatsoever for anything missed, misunderstood, or acted upon as a result of our summary — we know it does not capture everything.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

dental caries tooth erosion, non-bacterial

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Univesity of Bern (Klinik für Zahnerhaltung, Präventiv- und Kinderzahnmedizin)

    Bern, Canton of Bern, 3010, Switzerland