[Sodium fluoride controlled release system for intra buccal use].

Hydroxyapatite which has the same elemental chemical composition as natural bone and teeth is one of the promising raw material for the design of drug controlled release system in intrabuccal use. It is stable and biocompatible and widely used in orthopedics and odontology. So, in order to improve the administration of drugs for intrabuccal use, we have developped a fluoride controlled release delivering system. We have formulated tablets of 160 to 200 mg to be fixed on the vestibular face of a molar or a premolar and permitting to reach high enough local concentrations for desirable therapeutic effect. The tablets have a granular matrix composed of hydroxyapatite and fillers, ethylcellulose and/or Eudragit. For all tablets, the pharmacotechnical values support the pharmacopoeia norms. On fragments of tissue maintained in culture, the sodium fluoride is released at constant rate. The release profiles observed are predictable. No disintegration of tablets have been observed during release studies and after. Histological analyses performed after release studies showed the biocompatibility qualities of the tablets.