Clinical effectiveness of essential oil-containing dentifrices in controlling oral malodor.

PURPOSE: To assess the efficacy of two essential oil-containing dentifrices in the reduction of human intrinsic oral malodor ("morning bad breath"). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two clinical trials were conducted which used observer-blind, negative control, parallel designs. To insure a homogeneous test population with similar oral odor characteristics, subjects followed instructions that included toothbrushing with a standard ADA-accepted fluoride dentifrice the night before. On odor evaluation days, subjects refrained from all oral hygiene procedures and from eating or drinking any food or beverage or smoking prior to and during the odor evaluations. Eighty healthy adult subjects in the first trial and 90 in the second trial with qualifying baseline levels of oral malodor participated. Odor ratings of each subject's breath were made by 4-5 trained judges using a nine point hedonic scale, i.e., 1 = most pleasant, 5 = neutral, 9 = most unpleasant. Qualifying subjects were randomly assigned one of two essential oil dentifrices or a negative control dentifrice. Subjects brushed with their assigned dentifrice for 60 s, rinsed with 20 ml of water for 10 s, and received post-treatment hedonic odor ratings at 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, and 240 min. Data were analyzed using an ANCOVA to adjust for baseline scores. RESULTS: The essential oil dentifrices were significantly more effective (P < or = 0.033) than the control in reducing intrinsic oral malodor from 90 to 120 min.

The effects of a 0.3% triclosan-containing dentifrice on the microbial composition of supragingival plaque.

144 subjects completed a 6-month, double-blind study which examined the effects of a 0.3% triclosan/2% copolymer/0.243% sodium fluoride dentifrice on the microflora of supragingival dental plaque. The subjects were randomly assigned to use, in an oral hygiene program, either the triclosan/copolymer/fluoride test dentifrice or a control dentifrice. The latter had the same formulation as the test dentifrice except it did not contain triclosan. Supragingival plaque was collected from the buccal and lingual surfaces of 4 teeth at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months, and microbiologically examined by darkfield microscopy, gram stain morphology, immunofluorescence, and selective and non-selective media. Antimicrobial susceptibilities were determined by agar dilution and whole plaque susceptibility methodologies on plaque samples from 136 subjects at each of the above sample periods and at 6-week intervals for an additional 6 months post-therapy. Both dentifrices resulted in highly statistically significant reductions in the total cultivable flora obtained at both the 3 and 6-month samples relative to baseline as well as at 6 months relative to the 3-month sample. The relative decrease in total anaerobic counts and in strict anaerobes, while not statistically significant, was more pronounced at both the 3- and 6-month sample periods in subjects receiving the triclosan dentifrice than for the controls. Neither dentifrice resulted in detrimental shifts in the microbial composition of the normal flora nor led to the emergence of periodontal or opportunistic pathogens.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The effect of a new experimental prebrushing dental rinse on plaque removal.

A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated the effectiveness of a new and improved prebrushing dental rinse, Advanced Formula Plax, in reducing supragingival plaque. Following a 4-week pretest phase, the oral soft tissue, stain, gingivitis, and pre- and postbrushing plaque scores were evaluated for 153 subjects at baseline, 6, 12, 18, and 26 weeks. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either the active prebrushing dental rinse or a matching placebo that lacked the key ingredients responsible for the surfactant action of the active rinse. Compared with placebo, use of the active prebrushing rinse was associated with a significant reduction from baseline in postbrushing plaque scores at 12, 18, and 26 weeks on smooth surfaces, and with a significant reduction in postbrushing plaque scores on all surfaces at weeks 18 and 26. No significant difference was noted between the two treatment groups in gingivitis scores and stain indices. No product-related adverse experiences were noted. The results indicate that use of the new and improved prebrushing dental rinse represents a beneficial adjunct to toothbrushing and improved oral hygiene.