Three clinical trials comparing xylitol- and sorbitol-containing chewing gums for their effect on supragingival plaque accumulation.

Studies have evaluated the effects of xylitol when administered in chewing gum, as a dietary substitute for sugar, in dentifrice and in mouthrinse. Three clinical trials were conducted to further investigate chewing gums containing xylitol or xylitol/sorbitol mixtures for their ability to reduce plaque accumulation when compared to a sorbitol containing gum. These studies all had two phases; supragingival prophylaxis with an assessment of plaque accumulation to be used for balanced assignment for the second phase, which assessed plaque regrowth following a second supragingival prophylaxis and various chewing gum regimens. In the first trial of xylitol/sorbitol versus sorbitol gum only, the combination gum had a significantly greater reduction in plaque growth. In the second trial, different regimens of chewing gums with xylitol/sorbitol and sorbitol alone were compared. The combined average of the plaque regrowth scores for the subjects chewing the xylitol/sorbitol gum was significantly better than that for the sorbitol gum alone. The final trial evaluated two regimens in two forms (stick and pellet) of a xylitol gum versus a sorbitol gum. Both xylitol-containing gum forms were statistically superior to the sorbitol gum in retarding plaque regrowth.

Four clinical studies comparing the efficacy of flat-trim and multi-level trim commercial toothbrushes.

Four independent clinical studies were conducted to compare the short- and long-term effectiveness of three commercially available toothbrushes. Two of the four studies compared plaque removal in a single-use, crossover design, and two studies compared plaque and gingivitis reduction efficacy for a long-term, three-month use. The Turesky modification of the Quigley-Hein Plaque Index and the modified Gingival Index were used to assess plaque and gingivitis levels, respectively. The two long-term studies directly compared the Oral-B P-35 and Crest Complete toothbrushes, while the two single-use studies compared the Oral-B P-35, Crest Complete and Colgate Precision toothbrushes. In all four studies, there were no significant differences found between any of the toothbrushes.