Cariogenicity of human oral lactobacilli in hamsters.

Of 50 strains of lactobacilli isolated from dental plaque of school children, two strains, provisionally identified as Lactobacillus salivarius, and one strain, provisionally identified as Lactobacillus fermentum, induced significant caries activity in conventional hamsters. Sucrose was a required dietary cariogenic substrate and could not be replaced with glucose or starch. In contrast to cariogenic strains of Streptococcus mutans the active lactobacilli did not form adherent sucrose-mediated plaques in vitro, did not form intracellular iodophilic polysaccharides and did not form detectable insoluble extracellular polyglucans.

A new desensitizing dentifrice: preliminary report.

Dentin sensitivity is one of the most painful, ubiquitous, and least satisfactorily treated chronic problems of the teeth. The purpose of this clinical trial was to test the sensitivity-reducing effectiveness of five dentifrices over a six-week period. For the study, 176 adults, ages 18 to 63, exhibiting a total of 486 hypersensitive surfaces, were randomly allocated to five experimental groups to use one of the following: a strontium chloride dentifrice, a 0.4% stannous fluoride gel, a pluronic F-127-sodium citrate gel, a pluronic F-127 gel, or a control dentifrice. No specific instructions were provided as to the frequency or method of toothbrushing; thus, the participants brushed their teeth in their usual manner. The analysis of the data was limited to 168 persons who complied with study procedures. Chi-square analysis examined the statistical differences between the four test agents and the control formulation. The desensitizing effect of the pluronic plus sodium citrate gel was highly significant, and the plain pluronic F-127 preparation was effective to a lesser degree. Patients using the strontium chloride or stannous-fluoride-containing dentifrices did not exhibit a significant improvement over the control group. This study demonstrated that a pluronic polyol gel containing sodium citrate is highly effective in controlling tooth hypersensitivity.

Clinical study of an amine fluoride gel and acidulated phosphate fluoride gel.

This study compared caries inhibition in children by an amine fluoride and an acidulated phosphate fluoride when administered in a topically applied gel. In addition, the effects of applying amine fluoride daily and weekly were compared. Four hundred and sixty-eight children, ages 6 to 13, were randomly assigned to one of five treatment groups and received a total of five, 5-minute treatments. The treatment and interval between each of the five treatments were as follows:(A)acidulated phosphate fluoride daily, (B) amine fluoride daily, (C) amine fluoride weekly, (D) placebo daily, and (E) placebo weekly. When the children were examined for total Decayed, Missing, and Filled Surfaces (DMFS) increments 2 years later, no significant differences were observed. However, when the data were examined for effects of DMFS for specific tooth surface, significant restriction (61%) of occlusal increment was shown in the group which was treated with amine fluoride daily for 5 consecutive days as compared with the control group.

Longitudinal effects of an antibacterial oral rinse on gingivitis and dental plaque.

The purpose of this study was to determine what effect oral rinse containing alexidine dihydrochloride (Calgon Consumer Products Company, a Subsidiary of Merck & Co.) would have on gingivitis and plaque. Following a dental prophylaxis, 167 male and female, 7-12-year-old students in Puerto Rican elementary school rinsed twice daily for 60 sec. with 10 ml of either a placebo oral rinse or one containing alexidine dihydrochloride. All students brushed their teeth daily in school. Gingivitis and plaque were scored on all buccal and lingual tooth surfaces prior to the prophylaxis and on days 30, 90, and 160. On these dates, blood and urine analysis were also made. A second prophylaxis was given at the end of the study. The adjusted mean gingivitis and plaque scores were compared between the treatment and placebo groups at 30, 90, and 160 days using analysis of covariance. The alexidine dihydrochloride oral rinse was found to reduce significantly gingivitis after 160 days (p less than 0.02) of treatment and plaque scores 30 days (p less than 0.01), 90 days (p less than 0.001), and 160 days (p less than 0.001) after treatment. No blood or urine changes were attributed to the active ingredient oral rinse.