On June 1st, 2022, a paper, entitled “The Effect of MI Varnish™ on Caries Increment and Dietary Habits among 6- and 12-Year-Old Children in Riga, Latvia: A 3-Year Randomized Controlled Trial” was published in the Dentistry Journal (Dent. J. 2022, 10(6), 96; https://doi.org/10.3390/dj10060096). The paper reported on a 3-year clinical trial on reducing the incidence of tooth decay in 6 and 12 year old children in Riga Latvia by applying GC Corporation’s MI Varnish (5% sodium fluoride and Casein Phosphopeptide-Amorphous Calcium Phosphate) every 3 months. This study was led by Dr. Jekaterina Gudkina and her colleagues, Dr. Stephen Abrams, Dr. Bennett Amaechi, Dr. Anda Brinkmane, and Dr. Eva Petrosina. The paper demonstrated that a simple application of MI Varnish every 3 months reduced the decay rate in the 6 year old group by 10.8% and reduced the caries increment in the 12 year old group by 8.6% over a three year period. The paper concluded that the application of MI Varnish was able to reduce the decay rates in these high-risk populations.

Tooth decay or dental caries is a very common disease and some studies show that it affects over 40% of primary or baby teeth. In a previous study, Dr. Gudkina and colleagues found that the decay rates in 6 and 12 year old children in Riga, Latvia was very high. Two of the major drivers for that tooth decay were diets high in sugar and lack of fluoride in the water system. The children had at least 3 – 4 cups of tea per day with two teaspoons of sugar per cup. (Gudkina J, Brinkmane A, Abrams SH, Amaechi BT. Factors influencing the caries experience of 6 and 12 year old children in Riga, Latvia. Stomatologija, Baltic Dental and Maxillofacial Journal, 18: 14-20, 2016).

Dr. Bennett Amaechi concluded that “There are many tools and approaches to managing tooth decay. Placing restorations only treats the effects of tooth decay. One needs to develop a preventive program for the family that engages the child, changes behaviors and uses products to help prevent new caries and reverse existing tooth decay.” Dr. Stephen Abrams felt that “MI Varnish is one tool that will help to control tooth decay, but one also needs to access regular preventive / dental care through a dental home and use devices that detect, measure, and monitor changes in tooth structure over time. These devices will then help to monitor the success of a preventive program. The “dental home” will allow a team to monitor ongoing dental health of the patient.”