Effectiveness of Plaque Removal of Two Different Toothpastes

Background: Ineffective oral hygiene may cause damage to hard and soft tissues, especially in orthodontic patients whose fixed appliances trap plaque close to tooth surfaces. Products able to reveal remaining plaque after mechanical removal have the potential to increase patients’ awareness and encourage more thorough homecare, and therefore reduce oral disease. However, no products with the combined properties of dentifrice and plaque-indicator were previously available on the market. The purpose of this study was to test a novel product (PlaqueHD) to determine whether it promotes more effective plaque removal than conventional dentifrices. Methods: Thirty-one participants were randomized and divided into groups. Control group participants used only control toothpaste at two visits; experimental group participants had a baseline visit with control toothpaste and a second visit with experimental toothpaste. The control and the experimental toothpaste had similar chemical compositions apart from the presence of plaque-indicating dye in the experimental toothpaste. Prior to both visits there was a brief period of hygiene cessation. At the initial visit for both groups, subjects were asked to brush using the control toothpaste, then rinse with a fluorescein solution, then take intraoral photographs. Photographs were taken using an ultraviolet digital plaque imaging assessment which detects plaque-bound fluorescein on tooth surfaces. The second visit followed identical protocols, however the control group continued to brush with the control toothpaste while the experimental group received PlaqueHD and were asked to “brush away any green staining” they may see. Images from the two time points were compared using custom software to calculate a percentage change of remaining plaque. Statistics were performed to determine mean plaque reduction. Results: Results show that participants using the experimental product had significantly less plaque remaining between visits (51.3% plaque reduction, p=0.015) than participants using the control dentifrice only (22.5% plaque reduction, p=0.189). Conclusions: The results of this study demonstrated that plaque removal was significantly more effective when using toothpaste containing plaque-indicating dye. Patient hygiene can significantly improve, especially for those whose fixed orthodontic appliances are an inherent cleaning obstacle that can be more easily overcome when using a visual hygiene indicator.