Oral health benefits of a daily dental chew in dogs.

An independent study was conducted to determine and quantify the oral care benefits of a daily edible dental chew in dogs as measured by plaque and calculus control, gingival indices, and oral malodor. A "clean mouth" test model was used comparing a commercial dry diet and a commercial dry diet plus one dental chew per day. The dental chew tested was representative of a retail canine dental chew. The test dental chew was a green-colored dental dog chew with a flexible texture that can be readily chewed by dogs. They are made with a knuckle bone shape on one end and a toothbrush shape on the other end. Sixty adult dogs were allocated in either control or test groups based on plaque stratification and studied for 28-days. The test group (30 dogs) received a dry diet and 1 dental chew each day. The control group (30 dogs) received the same dry diet only. At the end of the study, measurements of plaque and calculus accumulation and evaluations of oral malodor and gingival heath were performed. Adding a dental chew to the diet resulted in statistically significant reductions in plaque and calculus accumulation, and oral malodor while improving gingival indices.

Assessment of chewing sugar-free gums for oral debris reduction: a randomized controlled crossover clinical trial.

PURPOSE: To assess the oral debris removal efficacy of two commercial sugar-free chewing gums, based on a newly developed oral debris scoring system. METHODS: A randomized, examiner-blinded, three-arm crossover study was conducted, with a 1-week washout period between the crossover phases. 42 healthy adults were randomly assigned to sugar-free stick gum (Wrigley's Extra Freshmint), sugar-free pellet gum (Wrigley's Extra Fruit) or no-gum chewing groups. Subjects consumed a single chocolate cookie, and were examined at baseline, and at 2-, 5-, and 10-minute time points with or without gum-chewing treatment. Primary outcome measures were oral debris scores on the occlusal surface, interproximal and gingival margin areas. The entire test procedure was repeated on two subsequent visits. RESULTS: The baseline conditions in the three groups did not differ significantly. Chewing either stick gum or pellet gum resulted in significantly lower oral debris scores (P < 0.0001) compared to the control (no-gum) treatment for all intraoral sites, while no significant difference was observed between the two chewing gum groups. Intra-examiner repeatability of the new scoring criteria was high throughout the study (Kappa > 0.90).

[Efficacy determination of Splat Oral Care Foam 2 in 1].

The new oral hygienic foam Splat Oral Care Foam 2 in 1 was clinically tested. Oral hygiene improvement by regular using of oral foam was defined. Saliva pH normalization by using of oral foam after meal was detected. Oral Care Foam 2 in 1 improves efficiency of gingivitis treatment and reduces terms of adaptation to fixed and removable dentures.

Effectiveness of a mouthwash containing Triclosan and Gantrez in the reduction of biofilm and gingivitis: a clinical pilot study.

AIM: The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a mouthwash containing Triclosan and Gantrez in the reduction of bacterial biofilm and gingivitis. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Thirty patients were assigned to control and experimental groups. The visible plaque index and the marginal bleeding index were determined at the baseline, and at the second and third months, at which time a percentage of bacterial plaque and bleeding was obtained for each patient. All patients were given unlabeled toothpaste without Triclosan and Gantrez and soft-bristle toothbrushes. Additionally, the experimental group patients used unlabeled mouthwash with Triclosan and Gantrez. The participants were instructed to rinse for 60 seconds after brushing, twice a day. RESULTS: At the baseline, the control and experimental group's bacterial plaque and marginal bleeding indices were close to each other (46.61% and 50.75% respectively; 7.62% and 9.59% respectively). At the third month, the experimental group presented bacterial plaque and marginal bleeding indices of 6.56% and 0.43% respectively, while the control presented 11.37% and 2.41% respectively. There were no significant differences between the two groups (p>0.05), with a discrete tendency to better results in the experimental group for both variables. However, there were significant differences among the experimental periods (p<0.05), except between the second and third months of observation. CONCLUSION: The mouthwash did not bring forth an additional advantage when combined with brushing. Additional studies where the observation period may be prolonged and the number of subjects increased are recommended. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: It is important to understand the role chemical control of supragingival plaque can play as an aid in the treatment of periodontal diseases. Since bacterial biofilm is the primary etiological factor in gingivitis and periodontitis, it is essential to know how to control it in order to provide a more complete therapeutic strategy for patient care.

Short-term clinical effects of adjunctive antimicrobial photodynamic therapy in periodontal treatment: a randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the effect of adjunctive antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) in chronic periodontitis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twenty patients with untreated chronic periodontitis were included. All teeth received periodontal treatment comprising scaling and root planing. Using a split-mouth design, two quadrants (test group) were additionally treated with aPDT. Sulcus fluid flow rate (SFFR) and bleeding on probing (BOP) were assessed at baseline, 1 week and 3 months after treatment. Relative attachment level (RAL), probing depths (PDs) and gingival recession (GR) were evaluated at baseline and 3 months after treatment. RESULTS: Baseline median values for PD, GR and RAL were not different in the test group and control group. Values for RAL, PD, SFFR and BOP decreased significantly 3 months after treatment in the control group (median delta RAL: -0.35 mm, inter-quartile range: 0.21 mm), with a higher impact on the sites treated with adjunctive aPDT (median delta RAL: -0.67 mm, inter-quartile range: 0.36 mm, p<0.05). GR increased 3 months after treatment with and without adjunctive aPDT (p<0.05), with no difference between the groups (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with chronic periodontitis, clinical outcomes of conventional subgingival debridement can be improved by adjunctive aPDT.

A clinical and microbiological evaluation of denture cleansers for geriatric patients in long-term care institutions.

BACKGROUND: Many elderly patients in long-term care hospitals cannot adequately brush their dentures because of disease, dementia and poor dexterity. Such inadequate cleaning may allow for the multiplication of Candida spp. and bacteria, which could serve as reservoirs for disseminating infections. OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of 3 denture cleansers in reducing the number of microorganisms on dentures in a hospitalized geriatric population. METHODS: Three brands of cleanser (Denture Brite, Polident and Efferdent) were compared; water was used as the control. Microbiological samples were obtained before and after 3 one-week periods of cleanser use; these samples were taken by a microbiologist blinded to the assigned treatment. In the statistical analysis, the ranks of the differences between the before-treatment and after-treatment scores of each regimen were compared by means of the general linear model. In addition, the efficacy of each cleanser in reducing accumulation of plaque, stain and food was assessed. RESULTS: The rank of the differences in the number of colony-forming units (CFUs) of Candida spp. before and after one week of use of Denture Brite (p = 0.04) and Polident (p = 0.01), was significantly greater than that of the control group, but there was no difference between Efferdent use and control (p = 0.10). No significant differences in reduction of Streptococcus mutans were observed between Denture Brite (p = 0.13) or Polident (p = 0.12) and the control group, whereas dentures cleaned with Efferdent exhibited significantly greater reduction in Streptococcus mutans (p = 0.02) than dentures cleaned with water. Over all study periods, there were no significant differences among the cleansers in reduction of Candida spp. or Streptococcus mutans. Dentures cleaned with Denture Brite, Polident or Efferdent appeared to have similar reductions in the level of plaque, stain and food, and all had substantially greater reductions than dentures cleaned with water only. The significant difference in the rank of the reduction in Candida spp. CFUs (p = 0.005) was related to the variance between study periods (p = 0.01) and the variance between subjects (p = 0.008). CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The use of denture cleansers significantly reduced the number of microorganisms on dentures in a hospitalized geriatric population.

Effectiveness on oral health of a long-term health education programme for mothers with young children.

AIM: To determine the effect of dental health education (DHE) on caries incidence in infants, through regular home visits by trained DH Educators over a period of 3 years. METHOD: A randomly selected cohort of 228 children born between 1st January and 30th September 1995, in a low socioeconomic/high caries suburb of Leeds (UK) were divided into the following groups: A) DHE focused on diet; B) DHE focused on oral hygiene instruction (OHI) using fluoride toothpaste; and C) DHE by a combined diet and OHI message. DHE was given using an interview and counselling for at least 15 minutes at home every 3 months for the first 2 years and twice a year in the third year of the study. A fourth group D was given diet and OHI, at home, once a year only. All children and mothers were examined for caries and oral hygiene. A fifth group E (control) received no DHE and were never visited but examined at 3 years of age only. RESULTS: In the groups of children visited regularly only two developed caries and three had gingivitis (all in group A). In group E, however, 33% of children had caries and nine (16%) had gingivitis. The differences in caries levels and caries risk factors between study and control groups were statistically significant (P < 0.001). Mothers of the study groups also showed an improvement in their own levels of gingivitis, debris and calculus scores by the second and third examinations (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Regular home visits to mothers with infants, commencing at or soon after the time of the eruption of the first deciduous teeth, was shown to be effective in preventing the occurrence of nursing caries.

Effects of short professional mechanical tooth-cleaning (PMTC) program in young adults with mental disabilities.

We evaluated the usefulness of a short professional mechanical tooth-cleaning (PMTC) program to improve periodontal conditions and caries susceptibility in 10 young adult patients with mental and/or physical disabilities. The PMTC program was carried out once on each of 6 sextants of the full mouth during 6 visits at two-week intervals. Even one treatment with PMTC was found to be significantly effective in reducing the probing depth in eight of the 10 subjects. A reduction in the total number of bleeding sites on probing was also clearly observed in all subjects. Moreover, the debris index was reduced in nine subjects by the PMTC program. Although caries susceptibility was improved, albeit very slowly, by PMTC, the Cariostat pH values showed no consistent tendency. The effects lasted for more than 6 weeks. Analysis of these results suggests that the PMTC program can be effective in adults with mental disabilities, especially in reducing gingival inflammation.

Driving toothbrush innovation through a cross-functional development team.

A cross-functional team was assembled to take on the project of developing a toothbrush that could deliver a "whole mouth clean." As such, this brush needed to not only demonstrate superior plaque removal from teeth, it also needed to provide a means for safe cleaning of soft oral tissues. During use, the brush needed to be comfortable both in hand and in mouth, and it required contemporary esthetics to help drive consumer acceptance. This article will take the reader through the full development cycle of the new toothbrush, identifying the proposed benefit of each brush feature along the way. Where appropriate, care was taken to identify the specific insights leading to the development of several new features not previously seen in commercial toothbrushes. This article also will attempt to demonstrate the value of forming new product development teams with representatives of multiple functional areas, including marketing, product development, advanced technology, clinical, engineering, and manufacturing.

Laboratory evaluations of three dentifrices with polishing or brushing.

The purpose of this study was to determine the depth of deposit removal of three dentifrices using a dental felt polishing tip or an Oral-B P 35 toothbrush. The dentifrices were compared using a laboratory method which simulates clinical tooth polishing or toothbrushing procedures, and utilizes a pressure-sensitive paper that records the depth of deposit removal. Each polishing time was conducted for five seconds; toothbrushing time was 15 seconds. Both polishing and toothbrushing were performed at a weight of 250 grams. Depth of Deposit Removal (DDR) was recorded using a 0-4 scale from a comparative color chart. The dentifrices evaluated were Arm & Hammer Dental Care, Colgate Regular, and Crest Regular. Twenty-four replicates of each dentifrice, tested undiluted, were performed. Results indicated that dentifrice efficacy was ranked numerically as Arm & Hammer Dental Care > Colgate Regular > Crest Regular. In all of the assays the Arm & Hammer Dental Care dentifrice had significantly (p < 0.01-0.001) higher DDR mean values compared to the Colgate Regular and Crest Regular dentifrices. The Colgate Regular dentifrice was significantly (p < 0.01-0.001) superior to the Crest Regular dentifrice in the assays conducted.

Applications of polymers in dentifrices and mouthrinses.

This review highlights the specific applications of polymers in oral hygiene products. Specific examples are provided to show how polymers can be used to improve retention and release of active agents for therapeutic effects in an oral environment where the residence time of the actives is low, owing to the continuous flow of saliva which washes them away. Polymers are uniquely suited as active therapy for intraoral applications and as replacement agents for augmenting the macromolecule's deficiency (saliva) caused in the aging mouth. It is expected that the next generation of products and delivery systems will be based on polymers derived from natural sources and will have functions such as enamel replacement agents for caries control, adhesion macromolecules for gingival tissue attachment to teeth, saliva mucin replacement, and the delivery of new active agents using biopolymers.

Hexametaphosphate effects on tooth surface conditioning film chemistry--in vitro and in vivo studies.

These studies compared the effects of Crest Dual Action Whitening dentifrice with sodium hexametaphosphate and control commercial dentifrices on the surface chemistry of conditioning film-coated dental enamel in vitro and in vivo. Conditioning film chemistry was studied by measurements of film thickness, ability to wet the surface/surface energy, conditioning film chemical composition and zeta potential. Laboratory and in vivo studies demonstrated that brushing and chemical-only treatment of pellicle-coated enamel surfaces produced marked changes in surface chemistry. Brushing of surfaces with all commercial dentifrices significantly reduced pellicle film quantity. Effects on non-brushed areas, of significance in the clinical situation, were different for different dentifrices. For dentifrice chemical treatments, calcium phosphate surface active builders, such as pyrophosphate and hexametaphosphate, produced stronger effects than standard (non-tartar control) dentifrices, peroxide baking soda dentifrices and dentifrices formulated with carboxylate polymers, viz. Colgate Total with copolymer. Crest Dual Action Whitening hexametaphosphate dentifrice removed more pellicle conditioning film, produced a lower zeta potential, produced the largest changes in film composition and had the greatest impact on surface free energies of the tested dentifrices. Crest Dual Action Whitening dentifrice also produced lasting changes in the reacquisition of pellicle conditioning film, as established by in vitro cycling immersion studies. Crest Dual Action Whitening dentifrice produced stronger and more lasting effects on surface film chemistry than low molecular weight pyrophosphate (Crest Tartar Control) or other polymeric-based dentifrice systems (Colgate Total). These surface chemistries may contribute to the unique clinical actions of hexametaphosphate established in recently reported, randomized clinical studies of tartar control, stain prevention and stain removal effects.

The benefits of toothpaste--real or imagined? The effectiveness of toothpaste in the control of plaque, gingivitis, periodontitis, calculus and oral malodour.

Toothbrushing with toothpaste is the most widely used method of home dental care for the populations of the Western world. The traditional role of toothpaste is primarily cosmetic, in aiding the cleaning of teeth and producing fresh breath. Today, however, formulations contain ingredients which may also help oral health by way of reducing dental plaque and improving gingival/periodontal health. This article provides a short review on the usefulness of these chemicals when used primarily in toothpastes.

Benefits of a 'dental hygiene chew' on the periodontal health of cats.

A study was undertaken to determine the clinical efficacy of a chew designed to improve dental hygiene in the cat. The accumulation of dental deposits (plaque and calculus) and the effect on gingival inflammation were assessed in 15 client-owned cats while on two different regimens. In the first leg of the study, the cats were fed a nutritionally complete dry diet supplemented with one dental hygiene chew. In the second leg of the study, the same cats were fed only the nutritionally complete diet. This study demonstrated that the daily addition of the chew to the dry diet resulted in significantly less plaque and calculus accumulation on tooth surfaces. It was our experience that daily feeding of the chew helped maintain dental hygiene in cats; however, regular professional therapy is still indicated.

Assessment methods and clinical outcomes: chemical and microbial composition, formation, and maturation dynamics of pellicle, plaque, and calculus.

Understanding the functional dynamics of the oral cavity helps researchers design methods to predict clinical outcomes. Most information about the oral cavities of companion animals must be drawn from animal studies designed to understand human oral disease and from human studies. Based upon functional criteria for any animal or experimental research study, supragingival plaque and calculus can be assessed within four to six weeks. Although longer studies may be more appealing, such study designs may compromise the oral soft tissue health of the animals and are complicated by oral cavity dynamics. Thus, they are less sensitive and predictive of longer term clinical outcomes. Additional research is necessary to relate tooth surface accumulation phenomena with oral soft tissue health.

[The principles of organizing hygiene education for the population]. / Printsipy organizatsii gigienicheskogo vospitaniia naseleniia.

The authors recommend the only type of movement of the toothbrush: along the vertical axis of the tooth with the maximal involvement of the gingival mucosa. The duration of the process depends not on its time, but on the number of the cleaning movements made. Twenty paired movements with the toothbrush are sufficient to remove completely the bacterial coating of the incisors, 25 movements to make so for the canines and premolars, and 30 movements for the molars. Use of this mode of tooth-brushing by subjects of various age groups has demonstrated its high efficacy for the prevention of dental diseases.

Evidence summary: does 'routine' scaling have any beneficial effects, or is it a waste of time?

Since August 2009, members of the Primary Care Dentistry Research Forum (http://www.dentistryresearch.org) have taken part in an online vote to identify questions in day-to-day practice that they felt most needed to be answered with conclusive research. The question which received the most votes formed the subject of a critical appraisal of the relevant literature. Each month a new round of voting takes place to decide which further questions will be reviewed. Dental practitioners and dental care professionals are encouraged to take part in the voting and submit their own questions to be included in the vote by joining the website.This paper details a summary of the findings of the sixth critical appraisal. In conclusion, the critical appraisal identified a high quality systematic review carried out in 2007 relating to routine scaling. Since the Cochrane Review of 2007, we could find no new randomised controlled trials to assess the beneficial and sustained effects of routine scaling and polishing.