Comparative Clinical Trial with a Paste, Power Brush & Rinse

Objectives: A clinical study was conducted to evaluate the combination use of a therapeutic dentifrice and rinse plus power brush on plaque accumulation. Methods: Healthy adults with evidence of overnight plaque accumulation were randomly assigned to a combination paste-rinse-brush group or control. Subjects received either the combination treatment with 0.454% stannous fluoride sodium hexametaphosphate dentifrice (Crest® Pro-Health™ Night), a rotating-oscillating powered brush (Oral-B® Vitality™ Precision Clean), and 0.07% cetylpyridinium chloride rinse Crest® Pro-Health™ Night),or a regular brush + paste control, with use at-home and unsupervised. Digital plaque image analysis was used to objectively measure fluorescein-disclosed prebrush (overnight) and postbrush plaque area on the anterior facial tooth surfaces plaque after two and four weeks. Results: 37 subjects with a mean (SD) age of 36.1 (12.8) were enrolled, and 36 were analyzed at each post-baseline visit. Groups were balanced (p > 0.45) on baseline plaque, with mean (SD) prebrush scores ranging from 15.6-16.2%. Relative to the control, the combination group exhibited 71% and 67% reductions in overnight plaque at Week 2 and 4, respectively, and 59% reduction in post-brushing plaque scores. Treatments differed significantly (p<0.0005) throughout the study for overnight and post-brushing plaque, favoring the combination group. Treatments were generally well-tolerated, with one subject experiencing mild oral irritation in the combination group. Conclusion: Use of the combination stannous fluoride dentifrice, power brush and rinse yielded an average 69% reduction in overnight plaque relative to the control.