Enhancement of Plaque Removal by Brushing with Baking Soda Dentifrices

A preliminary study demonstrated that a single brushing with a 65% baking soda dentifrice removed more plaque than marketed toothpastes without baking soda (J Clin Dent 9:57-60, 1998).

Objectives: To evaluate dentifrices containing baking soda for enhancing plaque removal in comparison to other dentifrices without baking soda, and to determine if plaque removal is related to baking soda concentration.

Methods: Three independent, examiner-blind, single-brushing, crossover clinical studies were conducted at the same site among adult subjects with 24-hour plaque accumulation. Plaque was assessed by the same examiner in all studies using the Turesky Modified Quigley-Hein Index before and after a single, 60-sec, supervised brushing with a manual toothbrush and dentifrice (1.5-gm). Washout periods (=5 days) using a regular dentifrice separated each treatment. Treatments included 4 dentifrices containing different levels of baking soda (BS) and 3 other marketed toothpastes containing triclosan/copolymer (TC), stannous fluoride (SnF2), and NaF/Silica (FS). Between-product comparisons were based on post-ANCOVA t-tests.

Results: Pre-brushing mean plaque scores for all groups within each study were well balanced. Whole-mouth, pre- to post-brushing plaque score reductions (Mean±SD) are summarized below:

	N	65% BS	48% BS	27% BS	20% BS	TC	SnF2	FS
Study #1	64	0.73±0.26	---	---	0.64±0.26	0.52±0.20	---	---
Study #2	66	---	0.72±0.28	---	0.68±0.27	0.58±0.25	0.59±0.26	---
Study #3	65	---	0.78±0.31	0.73±0.32	---	0.62±0.27	---	0.58±0.24

Baking soda dentifrices showed significantly greater reductions in mean, whole-mouth, plaque scores as compared to non-baking soda dentifrices (p<0.005). Similar results were obtained for less accessible tooth areas when analyzed separately. In all three studies, numerically greater plaque reductions were observed corresponding to higher levels of baking soda, suggesting a dose related response.

Conclusions: Baking soda dentifrices enhanced plaque removal as compared to non-baking soda dentifrices, exhibiting significantly greater reductions in mean plaque scores.

Sponsored by The Church & Dwight Co., Inc.