The comparative plaque removal efficacy of two advanced manual toothbrush designs in two independent clinical studies.

Two independent studies were conducted to evaluate and compare the clinical performance of two commercially available manual toothbrushes (Colgate Total Professional and the Oral-B Cross Action). Study I was a short-term, examiner-blind crossover clinical trial (N = 30) designed to measure the removal of 24-hour plaque build-up. All subjects refrained from brushing for 24 hours and were screened for dental plaque on the facial and lingual surfaces of all natural teeth using the Rustogi Modified Navy Plaque Index. Patients then received one of the two study toothbrushes and brushed their teeth for a timed one minute. They were then re-assessed for plaque. The data showed that the Colgate Total Professional toothbrush performed better than the Oral-B Cross Action toothbrush in reducing whole-mouth plaque scores (p < 0.001). Study II was a definitive six-week, single-blind clinical trial (N = 55), conducted in harmony with American Dental Association guidelines, to assess the ability of the two toothbrushes to reduce supragingival plaque and gingivitis. In this study, the subjects were stratified into two balanced groups based on their baseline plaque and gingivitis scores. Subjects were then instructed to continue with their normal brushing technique twice daily for one minute with their assigned toothbrush and a commercially available dentifrice. Examinations for plaque (Rustogi Modified Navy Plaque Index), and gingivitis (Loe-Silness Gingival Index) were conducted by the same examiner at baseline, after three weeks, and again after six weeks. The data from this long-term clinical trial showed that the Colgate Total Professional toothbrush exhibited statistically significantly lower plaque and gingivitis scores than did the Oral-B Cross Action toothbrush. The magnitudes of these differences were 29.5% for plaque and 31.1% for gingivitis. These reductions are adequate to support the claim that the Colgate Total Professional toothbrush provides clinically superior control of supragingival plaque and gingivitis, when studied in accordance with the criteria provided by the 1999 Guidelines of the American Dental Association for determining superiority.

Comparison of gingivitis and plaque efficacy of a battery-powered toothbrush and an ADA-provided manual toothbrush.

This examiner-blind clinical study evaluated the efficacy of a new battery-powered toothbrush with oscillating head (Colgate Actibrush) on established gingivitis and plaque at 15 days and again at 30 days, as compared to a control manual toothbrush (American Dental Association [ADA]-provided toothbrush, full head, soft bristles). A total of 63 participants completed the study. They were stratified into two balanced groups according to their mean baseline prebrushing plaque scores and were randomly assigned to use the battery-powered test toothbrush or the manual control toothbrush. Participants were instructed to brush their teeth twice daily (mornings and evenings) for 1 minute with their assigned toothbrush for the 30-day duration of the study. Gingivitis and plaque (pre- and postbrushing) examinations were conducted by the same dental examiner at baseline, after 15 days, and again after 30 days. The Colgate Actibrush demonstrated a significantly greater reduction of plaque (46.53%) and gingivitis (18.57%) when compared to the ADA-provided toothbrush after 30 days of use. Additionally, a comparison of the plaque scores for the battery-powered toothbrush at 15 and 30 days shows a continued reduction in plaque of more than 25% for a cumulative difference from baseline of 73%. These results support the conclusion that the new battery-powered toothbrush is clinically superior in plaque removal efficacy and gingivitis efficacy to the manual toothbrush, and continues to significantly improve plaque scores even up to 30 days of use.

Comparative efficacy of the Colgate Actibrush battery-powered toothbrush vs Oral-B CrossAction toothbrush on established plaque and gingivitis: a 6-week clinical study.

The objective of this clinical program was to compare the efficacy of the Colgate Actibrush battery-powered toothbrush and the Oral-B CrossAction Toothbrush (full head, soft bristle) for the control of supragingival plaque and gingivitis. Two independent clinical studies were conducted: Study 1 (repeated 3 times) was a single-use, examiner-blind clinical study designed to measure the removal of plaque after 24 hours of no oral hygiene. Study 2 was a definitive 6-week, examiner-blind clinical study designed to determine plaque and gingivitis efficacy at 3 and 6 weeks. Sixty-one men and women, who had refrained from using oral hygiene procedures for 24 hours, were entered into the study and stratified into 2 balanced groups according to baseline (prebrushing) plaque and gingivitis scores. For Study 1, Modified Navy Plaque Index (Rustogi Refinement) scores were obtained prebrushing and after a 1-minute supervised brushing with the assigned toothbrush and a commercially available toothpaste. On 3 separate occasions, after 24 hours of no oral hygiene, the Colgate Actibrush battery-powered toothbrush removed significantly more plaque than did the CrossAction Toothbrush. For Study 2, subjects were instructed to brush their teeth twice daily for 1 minute with the assigned toothbrush. Plaque Index scores and Löe-Silness Gingival Index scores were assessed after 3 and 6 weeks. At the 6-week examination, the group using the Colgate Actibrush battery-powered toothbrush exhibited a statistically significant reduction in both supragingival plaque and gingivitis, compared with the group that used the CrossAction Toothbrush. The results of these clinical studies support the conclusion that the Colgate Actibrush battery-powered toothbrush is clinically superior for the control of both supragingival plaque and gingivitis, as compared with the Oral-B CrossAction manual toothbrush.

Effectiveness of a battery-powered toothbrush on plaque removal: comparison with four manual toothbrushes.

The objective of these four clinical studies was to evaluate the efficacy of the Colgate Actibrush battery-powered toothbrush in comparison with four top-selling manual European toothbrushes (Dr. Best Flex Toothbrush [Germany]; Reach Triple Action Ultra Clean Toothbrush [Germany]; Jordan Multi-Action Toothbrush [Norway]; and Sanogyl Systeme In'Side Double Action Toothbrush [France]) for plaque removal. Each clinical study used a single-use, examiner-blind design in which the Colgate Actibrush battery-powered toothbrush was compared with one of the 4 manual toothbrushes for removal of plaque in adult subjects after 24 hours of no oral hygiene. Supragingival plaque formation was assessed prebrushing and after a 1-minute supervised brushing with either the battery-powered toothbrush or 1 of the manual toothbrushes. After 24 hours of no oral hygiene, Colgate Actibrush removed statistically significantly more plaque than did all 4 of the manual toothbrushes. The results of these clinical studies support the conclusion that Colgate Actibrush is clinically superior for the control of supragingival plaque, compared with the leading selling European manual toothbrushes.

Comparative efficacy of Colgate Actibrush battery-powered toothbrush and Colgate Plus (manual) toothbrush on established plaque and gingivitis: a 30-day clinical study in New Jersey.

The objective of this 30-day clinical study, conducted in harmony with American Dental Association guidelines, was to evaluate the efficacy of a new battery-powered toothbrush (Colgate Actibrush) relative to a manual toothbrush (Colgate Plus Diamond Head Toothbrush, Full Head, Soft Bristle) in the control of supragingival plaque and gingivitis. A total of 110 adult men and women from the Northern New Jersey area were entered into the study and stratified into 2 balanced groups according to baseline plaque and gingivitis scores. Participants were instructed to brush twice daily (morning and evening) for 1 minute with their assigned toothbrush and a commercially available toothpaste (Colgate Cavity Protection Great Regular Flavor Fluoride Toothpaste). Examinations for plaque and gingivitis were conducted by the same dental examiner at baseline, after 15 days, and again after 30 days of product use. All 110 participants complied with the protocol and completed the 30-day clinical study. At the 30-day examinations, the group using the Colgate Actibrush battery-powered toothbrush exhibited a statistically significant greater reduction in plaque (26.7%) and in gingivitis (25.8%) than did the group who used the Colgate Plus Diamond Head Toothbrush. The results of this 30-day clinical study support the conclusion that the Colgate Actibrush battery-powered toothbrush provides a clinically superior level of efficacy for the control of supragingival plaque and for the control of gingivitis when compared with a manual toothbrush.

Comparative efficacy on supragingival plaque and gingivitis of a manual toothbrush (Colgate Plus) and a battery-powered toothbrush (Colgate Actibrush) over a 30-day period.

This clinical study compared the effect of Colgate Actibrush, a battery-powered toothbrush, and Colgate Plus Diamond Head, a full-head, soft-bristled manual toothbrush, on established supragingival plaque and gingivitis over a 30-day period. Sixty-two healthy adult men and women were entered in the study. The subjects were stratified into two balanced groups according to their mean baseline plaque and gingivitis scores. Each group was randomly assigned to the use of one of the two toothbrushes. Subjects were instructed to brush their teeth at home twice daily (morning and evening) for 1 minute with their assigned toothbrush and a commercially available tooth-paste for the 30-day duration of the study. Gingivitis and plaque examinations, as well as a soft-tissue evaluation, were conducted by the same dental examiner at baseline and after 15 and 30 days of toothbrush use. Plaque and gingivitis scores were reduced significantly from baseline after the use of both toothbrushes for 30 days. However, improvement in both supragingival plaque and gingivitis scores was significantly greater in the group using Colgate Actibrush. In conclusion, although both toothbrushes provided a significant plaque and gingivitis benefit when used as part of a normal oral hygiene regimen, the efficacy of the Colgate Actibrush was demonstrated to be superior to that of the Colgate Plus Toothbrush after 30 days of use.

A six-week clinical efficacy study of three commercially available dentifrices for the removal of extrinsic tooth stain.

The objective of this double-blind clinical study was to compare the extrinsic tooth stain removal efficacy of three commercially available dentifrices: Colgate Platinum Whitening Toothpaste with Fluoride, Aquafresh Advanced Whitening Toothpaste with Fluoride, and Crest Regular Fluoride Toothpaste. Following a baseline examination for extrinsic tooth stain, qualifying adult male and female subjects from the Toronto, Ontario, Canada are were randomized into three treatment groups which were balanced for age, gender, tobacco habits, and level of extrinsic tooth stain using the Lobene Stain Index. Subjects were instructed to brush their teeth twice daily (morning and evening) for one minute with their assigned dentifrice using a soft-bristled toothbrush. Examinations for extrinsic tooth stain were repeated after six weeks' use of the study dentifrices. One-hundred forty-nine (149) subjects complied with the protocol and completed the entire study. At the six-week examination, subjects assigned to the Colgate Platinum treatment group exhibited statistically significant reductions (p < 0.05) from baseline level with respect to extrinsic tooth stain area (49.4% reduction) and extrinsic tooth stain intensity (52.4% reduction). Statistically significant reductions (p < 0.05) for both extrinsic tooth stain parameters were also exhibited by the subjects assigned to the Aquafresh Whitening treatment group (14.0% reduction for area, 15.5% reduction for intensity). Both tooth whitening treatments provided statistically significantly greater reductions (p < 0.05) in extrinsic tooth stain than did the Crest Regular Fluoride dentifrice, which exhibited a small increase in the extrinsic tooth stain parameters over the course of the study. Additionally, the Colgate Platinum dentifrice provided statistically significantly (p < 0.05) greater removal of extrinsic tooth stain over the course of this six-week study than did the Aquafresh Whitening dentifrice. Thus, the results of the double-blind clinical study support the conclusion that the two tooth whitening dentifrices, Colgate Platinum and Aquafresh Whitening, provide significantly greater (p < 0.05) removal of extrinsic tooth stain than does Crest Regular Fluoride, a sodium fluoride/silica dentifrice. Further, the results of the study support the conclusion that Colgate Platinum dentifrice provides a greater (p < 0.05) level of extrinsic tooth stain removal efficacy than does Aquafresh Whitening dentifrice.

The clinical effectiveness of a dentifrice containing triclosan and a copolymer for controlling breath odor measured organoleptically twelve hours after toothbrushing.

The objective of this double-blind clinical study was to investigate the effectiveness of a dentifrice containing triclosan and a copolymer, Colgate Total Toothpaste, for controlling breath odor twelve hours after brushing the teeth compared to a placebo dentifrice which did not contain triclosan or a copolymer. Breath odor was evaluated by a panel of four expert judges using a nine-point hedonic scale. Following a baseline evaluation of breath odor, prospective study subjects who presented scores above the threshold value for unpleasant breath odor were stratified by score, and randomized into two treatment groups. Subjects were provided with a soft-bristled toothbrush, and brushed their teeth thoroughly in their regular and customary manner with their assigned dentifrice. Subjects refrained from dental hygiene, breath mints, or mouth rinses for the next twelve hours, after which they were once again evaluated for breath odor. Sixty-three (63) adult male and female subjects from the Mississauga, Ontario, Canada area participated in the study. At twelve hours after brushing their teeth, subjects in both dentifrice treatment groups presented mean breath odor scores which were statistically significantly lower than the mean scores observed at baseline. However, the difference between the mean twelve-hour breath odor scores differed significantly between the two dentifrices. The mean twelve-hour breath odor score for the Colgate Total Toothpaste group was 4.77, which is within the range of values corresponding to pleasant breath odor; the mean twelve-hour breath odor score for the placebo group was 6.05, which is above the value corresponding to unpleasant breath odor. Thus, the results of this double-blind clinical study support the conclusion that Colgate Total Toothpaste provides effective control of breath odor at twelve hours after brushing the teeth.

The clinical effectiveness of a dentifrice containing triclosan and a copolymer for providing long-term control of breath odor measured chromatographically.

The objective of this double-blind clinical study was to investigate the effectiveness of a commercially available dentifrice containing triclosan and a copolymer (Colgate Total Toothpaste) for controlling long-term, i.e., seven-hour and overnight breath odor. In particular, a comparison was made between the level of control of breath odor provided by the test dentifrice, and that provided by a placebo dentifrice which did not contain triclosan or a copolymer. This study followed a two-treatment, two-period crossover design. Prospective subjects were provided with a supply of a commercially available fluoride dentifrice, which was used for a one-week period prior to the two seven-day treatment periods. During each treatment period, subjects were instructed to brush their teeth twice a day, morning and evening, for sixty seconds with their assigned study dentifrice, using the soft-bristled toothbrush which had been provided. On the morning following the seventh day of each treatment period, subjects reported to the clinical facility for overnight breath odor assessments. Directly following this, subjects brushed their teeth, ate and drank normally, and reported once again to the clinical facility at seven hours post-toothbrushing for another breath odor assessment. Prior to the overnight breath odor assessments, subjects refrained from brushing their teeth, rinsing their mouths or using breath mints, and from eating or drinking anything on the morning of the evaluation. Subjects refrained from the use of tobacco products, and from eating onions, garlic, or strong spices throughout the entire study. Breath odor was instrumentally evaluated by measuring the level of volatile sulfur compounds in the mouth air using a 565 Tracor gas chromatograph equipped with a flame photometric detector. Measurements were taken in duplicate, and then averaged. Levels of volatile sulfur compounds were expressed in nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml) of mouth air. The two dentifrices exhibited statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) with respect to both overnight breath odor and seven-hour post-toothbrushing breath odor. The mean overnight breath odor scores were 9.63 ng/ml for Colgate Total Toothpaste, and 12.64 ng/ml for the placebo dentifrice. For seven-hour breath odor, the mean scores were 5.62 ng/ml for Colgate Total Toothpaste, and 7.10 ng/ml for the placebo dentifrice. Thus, the results of this double-blind clinical study on 19 subjects support the conclusion that Colgate Total Toothpaste provides effective seven-hour and overnight control of breath odor.

Development of a quantitative measurement to assess the whitening effects of two different oxygenating agents on teeth in vivo.

A new approach to assess color change in teeth involves application of the Minolta CR-221 Chroma Meter. The process has been assessed in vitro by Dr. Stephen Rosenstiel of Ohio University and by Dr. Robert Seghi of the University of California School of Dentistry. The purpose of this study was to develop a technique to assess the tooth-whitening effects of peroxides on teeth in vivo, using a small-area colorimeter. Twenty male and female subjects participated. Study casts were made from alginate impressions. Two maxillary, white, polyvinyl siloxane, custom-postioning splints were fabricated for each subject. Each splint was modified to accept exactly the head of the colorimeter to a window exposing the middle one third of the facial surface of one central incisor. The coloimeter converts all colors within the range of human perception into a common numerical code. The use of the positioning splint allowed the researchers to reposition the colorimeter precisely for multiple reading each time measuremehts were taken. The color parameters were recorded in the L*a*b* color space. This method shows that multiple measurements on the same subject are consistent and statistically accurate. The standard deviation for L* (lightness) values was 0.22. This technique showed quantitatively the whitening effect on teeth to be increase in L* and a decrease in a* (red) and b* (yellow). The mean color difference (deltaE) for the 3-week study was 5.07.

Clinical comparison of Colgate Platinum Toothwhitening System and Rembrandt Gel Plus.

A 2-week, three-cell study was conducted to evaluate the tooth-whitening efficacy of the Colgate Platinum Professional Toothwhitening System vs Rembrandt Gel Plus (a regimen of products consisting of a 10% carbamide peroxide gel, a whitening toothpaste, and a mouthrinse), and a placebo paste. Seventy subjects completed this parallel, single-blind, three-compartment, randomized clinical study. The subjects were balanced into two groups based on a minimal shade of A3 on the Vita shade guide and assigned a product. The duration of product usage was 1 hour twice daily for 2 weeks. Change in tooth color was measured by reflectance spectroscopy using a colorimeter. The readings were taken in the L*, a*, b* color space at the initiation, at 1 week, and at 2 weeks of the study. Calculation of color change (delta E) was performed using the color difference equation established by the Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage. Visual evaluation of shade changes was performed using the Vita shade guide. Results from this clinical study showed that Colgate Platinum was 77.7% more effective at tooth whitening after 1 week and 41.8% more effective after 2 weeks of treatment vs the Rembrandt regimen. Results showed that the Colgate product is significantly superior vs Rembrandt at increasing tooth whiteness (increase in delta E). Shade guide changes showed an overall improvement of 7.08 Vita tabs for the Colgate product and 5.12 Vita tabs for the Rembrandt regimen.

Clinical evaluation of Colgate Platinum Professional Toothwhitening System and Rembrandt Lighten Bleaching Gel.

A 2-week study was conducted to evaluate the tooth-whitening efficacy of Colgate Platinum Professional Toothwhitening System vs Rembrandt Lighten Bleaching Gel. Thirty-eight subjects completed this single-blind, randomized, parallel clinical study. The subjects were balanced into two groups based on a minimal shade of A3 on the Vita shade guide. The duration of product use was 30 minutes, twice daily for 2 weeks. Change in toodth color was measured by reflectance spectroscopy using a colorimeter. The readings were taken in the L*, a*, and b* color space at the initiation of the study, at 1 week, and at 2 weeks. Calculation of color change (deltaE) was performed using the color difference equation established by the Commission International de L'Eclairage. Results demonstated that Colgate Platinum was 46% more effective at tooth whitening after 1 week, and 96% more effective after 2 weeks of treatment. The results demonstrated that the Colgate product was significantly superior vs Rembrandt at increasing tooth whiteness (increase in deltaE), and tooth lightness (increase in deltaL*). No adverse reations were noted on clinical examination.

The clinical effects on plaque and gingivitis over three-month's use of four complex-design manual toothbrushes.

The Colgate Total (formerly Colgate Precision) was evaluated along with the New Improved Crest Complete, Reach Advanced Design and Oral-B Advantage toothbrushes to compare six-week and three-month effects on plaque and gingivitis. One-hundred and ninety-three male and female participants completed a three-month, unsupervised toothbrushing study, brushing their teeth twice daily with one of these four products and a standard fluoride dentifrice. Plaque was quantified using the Rustogi et al. refinement of the Modified Navy Plaque Index. Gingivitis levels were measured using the Lobene et al Modified Gingival index. After initial screening examinations, the qualifying population (0.6 plaque, 1.8 gingivitis) was given a complete oral prophylaxis and instructed to return after forty-eight hours of no oral hygiene for baseline evaluations. The study population was split into four balanced groups after baseline examinations and assigned, by group, to use a particular toothbrush for the study duration. Subjects returned after six weeks and three months for safety and efficacy evaluations. There were no reported or observed untoward effects at any examination time in the study. Plaque and gingivitis mean values were not significantly different at baseline between the four groups. Results from this three-month clinical study demonstrated a significant reduction (p<.0001) in plaque levels and gingivitis for all of the four toothbrushes compared to baseline. At both six weeks and three months, gingivitis and plaque means were significantly lower (p<.01) in the Colgate Total group compared to the other three toothbrushes tested. When changes from six weeks to three months were statistically analyzed only the Colgate Total toothbrush significantly reduced (p<.001) gingivitis mean scores.

A clinical comparison of plaque removal performance of three manual toothbrushes.

A clinical study was performed to evaluate and compare the plaque-removal performance of a recently introduced, computer-designed manual toothbrush with that of two commercially available products; the Oral-B 40 and the Reach Full-Head soft toothbrushes. Seventy-five adult male and female subjects participated, each refraining from toothbrushing for twenty-four hours. Plaque was scored according to the Rustogi, et al. refinement of the Modified Navy Plaque Index. Following screening, the subjects were divided into three balanced groups on the basis of initial plaque scores. Each group, in an alternate weekly cross-over design, used each of the three toothbrushes. At Visit 1, each group, having refrained from toothbrushing for twenty-four hours, was evaluated for plaque before brushing for sixty seconds with the assigned toothbrush, after which plaque was again scored. At Visit 2 one week later, the same procedure was followed except for the assignment of a different toothbrush. The same procedure was employed for Visit 3. On completion of the study, the data were subjected to statistical analyses which indicated that the Colgate Precision Full Head soft toothbrush removed significantly more plaque than either of the other two toothbrushes.

Antiplaque efficacy of a triclosan/copolymer prebrush rinse: a plaque prevention clinical study.

A 5-day, double-blind parallel clinical study was conducted to determine the antiplaque efficacy of a pre-brush rinse containing 0.03% triclosan and 0.125% of a copolymer of polyvinyl methyl ether maleic acid as compared to a matching matching placebo pre-brush rinse. A total of 114 subjects were stratified into two balanced groups according to baseline Quigley-Hein Plaque Index scores. Each group was randomly assigned to use either the triclosan/copolymer pre-brush rinse or the placebo pre-brush rinse. All subjects received a thorough oral prophylaxis at the start of the study. They rinsed their mouths twice daily (mornings and evenings) for 1 minute with 15 cc of their assigned pre-brush rinse. Immediately after rinsing, subjects brushed their teeth for 30 seconds with a commercially-available dentifrice containing 0.76% sodium monofluorophosphate and a soft-bristled toothbrush. The morning rinsing/brushing procedure was done under supervision at the clinical facility. The evening rinsing/brushing procedure was done at home. After 5 days' use of their assigned pre-brush rinse, subjects were evaluated for plaque formation using the modified Quigley-Hein Plaque Index scoring system. As compared to the matching placebo pre-brush rinse, the results showed: 1) The triclosan/copolymer pre-brush rinse provided a 28.15% reduction in plaque formation on all surfaces of the teeth. This reduction was statistically significant (P less than 0.001); 2) The triclosan/copolymer pre-brush rinse provided a 50% reduction in plaque formation on the "more difficult to brush" surfaces of the teeth.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Comparative plaque removal efficacy of three toothbrushes in two independent clinical studies.

Two independent studies were conducted to evaluate and compare the clinical performance of three toothbrushes on plaque removal. Both studies were carried out under the same protocol. A total of 73 adult male and female subjects who met the inclusion/exclusion criteria completed Study I and 78 different subjects completed Study II. Subjects were initially screened for dental plaque eligibility. After plaque was scored on the facial and lingual surfaces of all natural teeth using the Rustogi, et al. index, qualifying subjects were randomly assigned to one of three groups on the basis of initial plaque scores and number of teeth. Subjects were then dismissed and scheduled to return for Visit 1 a week later, having abstained from all oral hygiene procedures for a prior 24-hour period. At Visit 1, each group was evaluated for plaque before brushing with their assigned toothbrush for sixty seconds. They were again scored for plaque after brushing. Subjects were dismissed and instructed to resume their normal routine and return to the clinical site for two more weekly visits. At each visit, a different test toothbrush was assigned to each group in a cross-over design. Plaque evaluations and brushing procedures were performed as in Visit 1 of the study. In both studies, the Colgate Precision toothbrush was significantly more effective (p < 0.01) than both the Oral-B 40 and Reach Full-Head soft toothbrushes in reducing the whole mouth plaque scores, as well as plaque at the gumline and at interproximal areas. The Oral-B 40 and Reach toothbrushes were not significantly different from each other with regard to plaque removal.

Clinical studies regarding the plaque removal efficacy of manual toothbrushes.

Two independent cross-over design studies were performed to compare two toothbrushes for their ability to remove plaque. In Study I, the Colgate Precision toothbrush was compared to the Oral-B 40 toothbrush; in Study II, the Colgate Precision toothbrush was compared to the Reach Full-Head soft toothbrush. A total of 54 and 72 adult male and female subjects who met the inclusion/exclusion criteria completed Study I and Study II, respectively. In each study, subjects refrained from brushing for 24 hours, and were screened for dental plaque on the facial and lingual surfaces of all natural teeth, using the Rustogi, et al. index. Based on mean scores and number of teeth, qualifying subjects were randomly assigned to one of two groups. Subjects were then scheduled to return one week later, having again abstained from all oral hygiene procedures for a 24-hour period. At this visit, each subject was evaluated for plaque, then brushed with his/her assigned toothbrush for sixty seconds, and was again scored for plaque after brushing. Subjects were instructed to resume their normal routine and return to the clinical site one week later. At this visit, a different test toothbrush was assigned to each group in a cross-over design. Plaque evaluations and toothbrushing procedures were again performed. In both studies, the Colgate Precision toothbrush was significantly more effective (p < 0.01) than either the Oral-B 40 toothbrush or the Reach Full-Head soft toothbrush in reducing whole mouth plaque scores, plaque scores at the gumline, and plaque scores at interproximal areas.

Refinement of the Modified Navy Plaque Index to increase plaque scoring efficiency in gumline and interproximal tooth areas.

To improve the assessment of plaque present on teeth, a new index, based on the original Modified Navy Plaque Index, has been developed. The primary modifications to the original Modified Navy Plaque Index were: (1) extending areas F (distal) and D (mesial) into the region just below the interproximal contact point, and (2) extending areas C and A so as to increase the gumline (or marginal gingiva) region. The new index assesses the amount of plaque in the tooth area bounded by the tooth contact, the free gingival margin, and mesial or distal line angles. The use of this new index enables the examiner to evaluate and record both the gumline (or marginal areas) and interproximal areas of the tooth, thus giving these an anatomical areas an increased importance. A pilot clinical assessment study was conducted to utilize this new index in evaluating the plaque removal efficacy of five manual toothbrushes. The results from this pilot study indicated that, when the new plaque scoring index was used, significant differences between pre-toothbrushing and post-toothbrushing plaque scores (as well as among toothbrush groups) could be demonstrated. Further, these differences (plaque removal efficacy) were demonstrated on an interproximal (mesial and distal) basis and a gumline (or gingival margin) basis, as well as on a whole mouth basis.

Effect of a dentifrice containing triclosan and a copolymer on plaque formation and gingivitis.

A total of one hundred twenty-one (121) adult male and female subjects completed a 6-month, double-blind clinical study comparing the effect on supragingival plaque formation and gingivitis of a dentifrice containing 0.3% Triclosan and 2.0% of a copolymer of methoxyethylene and maleic acid to a placebo dentifrice. Both the Triclosan/copolymer and placebo dentifrices contained 0.243% sodium fluoride in a silica base. Subjects were stratified into two balanced groups according to baseline plaque and gingivitis scores. They then received an oral prophylaxis and were assigned to use either the Triclosan/copolymer dentrifrice or the placebo dentifrice for the next 6 months. Subjects were evaluated for supragingival plaque formation and gingivitis after 3 and 6 months' use of the dentifrices. After 6 months, the Triclosan/copolymer dentifrice was shown to provide a 32.32% statistically significant reduction (99% level of confidence) in supragingival plaque formation, as compared to the placebo dentifrice. Also, after 6 months, the Triclosan/copolymer dentifrice was shown to provide a 25.64% statistically significant reduction (99% level of confidence) in gingivitis, as compared to the placebo dentifrice. It thus can be concluded from this clinical study that the twice daily use of the dentifrice containing 0.3% Triclosan and 2.0% of a copolymer in a 0.243% sodium fluoride/silica base provides statistically significant reductions in both supragingival plaque formation and gingivitis.

Development of a system to assess visible and hidden gingival recession.

The accurate assessment of gingival recession is important because of soft tissue deterioration and/or the state of soft tissue health. While recession of the gingival margin is a common and important symptom of periodontal disease, it also refers to the location of the gingiva and not to its condition. Recession can occur at all tooth surfaces. This paper describes a new system designed to measure two parameters of gingival recession. One parameter of recession is visible above the gumline to an observer, while another parameter is hidden by the gingiva itself. Visible recession is the shift of the marginal gingiva to a position apical to the cemento-enamel junction. Hidden recession is obscured by gingiva and can be assessed by measuring from the free gingival margin to the level of epithelial attachment. The system developed here differs from the current indices commonly used for gingival recession, since it combines both the visual portion with the hidden portion of recession for a total score. The assessment method is similar to the calculus scoring procedure of Volpe and Manhold and is called the Gingival Recession Total (GRT) scoring system.