Abstract: Objective To study in vitro the anticaries effect of ethanoic extracts of propolis varnish on prevention of artificial caries in primary teeth.Methods 48 extracted primary teeth were randomly divided into 4 groups, dealed with 10 g/L propolis varnish, 100 g/L varnish, fluor protector respectively together with a control group. After 96 h of incubation with S. mutans and S. sobrinus, the caries lesion depth and mineral losses of each group were analyzed.Results Both propolis varnish of all concentrations and Fluor Protector can significantly prevent the formation of artificial caries on primary teeth compared with negative control (P<0.001); while there was no significant difference among propolis varnishes and the fluoride varnish in protecting primary teeth from cariogenic challenge (P>0.05).Conclusion Propolis varnish can prevent the development of artificial caries of primary teeth, and this kind of propolis varnish has a similar anticaries effect with fluoride varnish.

Key words: propolis varnish, primary teeth, artificial caries