Comparative Efficacy of a Soft Toothbrush with Tapered-tip Bristles and an ADA Reference Toothbrush on Established Gingivitis and Supragingival Plaque over a 12-Week Period.

OBJECTIVES: Evaluation of the efficacy of a soft toothbrush with tapered-tip bristles (Test Toothbrush) and an ADA reference soft toothbrush (ADA Toothbrush) on established gingivitis and supragingival plaque over a 12-week period. METHODS: This randomized, single-center, examiner-blind, two-cell, parallel clinical research study assessed plaque removal by the comparison of pre- to- post-brushing after a single use, and again after six- and 12-weeks' use, using the Quigley-Hein Plaque Index, Turesky Modification. The study also assessed gingivitis after six weeks and 12 weeks using the Löe & Silness Gingival Index. Adult male and female subjects from the Central New Jersey, USA area refrained from all oral hygiene procedures for 24 hours. They reported to the study site after refraining from eating, drinking, and smoking for four hours. Subjects had the study procedure explained to them both orally and by written instructions. Subjects then gave written consent to participate before entry into the study. Following an examination for plaque (pre-brushing) and gingivitis (baseline), the subjects were randomized into two balanced groups, each group assigned to one of the two study toothbrushes. Subjects were instructed to brush their teeth for one minute under supervision with their assigned toothbrush and a commercially available fluoride toothpaste (Colgate© Cavity Protection Toothpaste), after which they were again evaluated for plaque (post-brushing). Subjects were dismissed from the study site with their assigned toothbrush and toothpaste, and instructed to brush twice daily at home for the next 12 weeks. The subjects were instructed to brush for one minute during each tooth brushing. The subjects reported to the study site after six weeks and 12 weeks of product use, at which time they were evaluated for plaque and gingivitis. RESULTS: Seventy-one (71) subjects complied with the protocol and completed the clinical study. Compared to the ADA Toothbrush, the Test Toothbrush provided statistically significantly (p < 0.05) greater reductions of 71.1% in whole mouth plaque index scores, 43.8% in plaque severity index scores, and 81.3% in interproximal sites plaque scores after a single tooth brushing. After six weeks' use, the Test Toothbrush provided statistically significantly (p < 0.05) greater reductions of 700% in whole mouth gingival index scores, 700% in gingivitis severity index scores, and 400% in interproximal sites gingival scores compared to the ADA Toothbrush. Also after six weeks' use, the Test Toothbrush provided statistically significantly (p < 0.05) greater reductions of 188.9% in whole mouth plaque index scores, 165% in plaque severity index scores, and 203% in interproximal sites plaque scores compared to the ADA Toothbrush. After 12 weeks' use, the Test Toothbrush provided statistically significantly (p < 0.05) greater reductions of 266.7% in whole mouth gingival index scores, 300% in gingivitis severity index scores, and 250% in interproximal sites gingival scores compared to the ADA Toothbrush. Also after 12 weeks' use, the Test Toothbrush provided statistically significantly (p < 0.05) greater reductions of 158.1% in whole mouth plaque index scores, 143.5% in plaque severity index scores, and 145.4% in interproximal sites plaque scores compared to the ADA Toothbrush. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that a soft toothbrush with tapered-tip bristles provided a significantly greater reduction in supragingival plaque after a single tooth brushing, as well as after six and 12 weeks of twice-daily use, compared to the ADA Toothbrush. After six and 12 weeks of twice-daily use, it also provided a significantly greater reduction in gingivitis as compared to the ADA Toothbrush.

Comparative Efficacy of a Soft Toothbrush with Tapered-tip Bristles to an ADA Reference Toothbrush on Gingival Abrasion over a 12-Week Period.

OBJECTIVES: Evaluation of the impact of a soft toothbrush with tapered-tip (Test Toothbrush) bristles and an ADA reference toothbrush (ADA Toothbrush) on gingival abrasion over a 12-week period. METHODS: This was a randomized, single-center, examiner-blind, two-cell, parallel clinical research study and used the Danser Gingival Abrasion Index to assess the level of gingival abrasion after a single brushing, as well as after six weeks and 12 weeks of twice-daily brushing. Adult male and female subjects from the Central New Jersey, USA area refrained from all oral hygiene procedures for 24 hours. They reported to the study site after refraining from eating, drinking, and smoking for four hours. Following a qualifying examination using plaque and gingivitis scores along with a baseline gingival abrasion examination, subjects were randomized into two balanced groups, each group using one of the two study toothbrushes. Subjects were instructed to brush their teeth for one minute, under supervision, with their assigned toothbrush and a commercially available fluoride toothpaste (Colgate© Cavity Protection Toothpaste), after which they were again evaluated for gingival abrasion. Subjects were dismissed from the study site with their assigned toothbrush and toothpaste, and instructed to brush twice daily at home for the next 12 weeks. The subjects were instructed to brush for one minute during each tooth brushing. The subjects reported to the study site after six weeks and 12 weeks of product use, at which time they were evaluated for gingival abrasion. RESULTS: Seventy-one (71) subjects complied with the protocol and completed the clinical study. The results of this study showed that the Test Toothbrush provided statistically significantly (p < 0.05) greater reductions in gingival abrasion scores as compared to the gingival abrasion scores of the ADA Toothbrush after a single tooth brushing, after six weeks, and after 12 weeks of product use (75.0%, 85.5%, 73.9%, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The soft toothbrush with tapered-tip bristles produced significantly less gingival abrasion after 12 weeks of product use as compared to the ADA reference toothbrush.

Comparative efficacy of a specially engineered sonic powered toothbrush with unique sensing and control technologies to two commercially available power toothbrushes on established plaque and gingivitis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy on plaque and established gingivitis of a new specially engineered sonic powered toothbrush with unique sensing and control technologies as compared to two commercially available power toothbrushes. METHODS: This examiner-blind, three-treatment, parallel clinical study assessed plaque reduction via the comparison of pre- to postbrushing after a single use, and following four weeks' use measured by the Rustogi Modification of the Modified Navy Plaque Index. This study also assessed gingivitis using the Löe and Silness Gingival Index after four weeks' use. Qualifying adult male and female subjects from the northern New Jersey area reported to the study site after refraining from all oral hygiene procedures for 24 hours, and from eating, drinking, or smoking for four hours. Following an examination for gingivitis and plaque (pre-brushing), they were randomized into three balanced groups, each group using one of the three study toothbrushes in the order specified by a predetermined randomization plan. Subjects were instructed to brush their teeth for two minutes under supervision with their assigned toothbrush according to the manufacturers' instructions and a commercially available toothpaste (Colgate Cavity Protection), after which they were once again evaluated for plaque (post-brushing). Subjects were then dismissed from the study site with the toothpaste and their assigned toothbrush to use at home twice daily for the next four weeks. They again reported to the study site at which time they were evaluated for plaque and gingivitis. RESULTS: One-hundred eighty-four subjects complied with the protocol and completed the clinical study. Relative to the two commercially available toothbrushes, the new specially engineered sonic powered toothbrush with unique sensing and control technologies provided statistically significantly (p < 0.05) greater reductions in whole mouth plaque index scores (21.9 and 25.8%, respectively), gingival margin plaque index scores (14.5% and 18.9%, respectively), interproximal plaque index scores (160.0% and 136.4%, respectively), facial plaque index scores (17.9% for both), lingual plaque index scores (29.2% for both), and interproximal lingual plaque index scores (200.0% and 350.0%, respectively) after a single tooth brushing. Relative to the two commercially available toothbrushes, the new sonic powered toothbrush also provided statistically significantly (p < 0.05) greater reductions in whole mouth plaque index scores (47.4% and 40.0%, respectively), gingival margin plaque index scores (46.2% and 40.7%, respectively), interproximal plaque index scores (650% and 1400%, respectively), facial plaque index scores (47.6% and 40.9%, respectively), lingual plaque index scores (47.1% and 31.6%, respectively), and interproximal lingual plaque index scores (350.0% and 500.0%, respectively) after four weeks. There was no statistically significant (p > 0.05) difference between the two commercially available toothbrushes for any plaque index score comparison. Relative to one of the commercially available toothbrushes, the new sonic powered toothbrush provided statistically significant reductions (p < 0.05) in gingival index scores (25.0%) and gingivitis severity scores (33.3%) after four weeks of product use. There were no statistically significant (p > 0.05) differences in gingivitis or gingivitis severity index scores between the new sonic powered toothbrush and the other commercially available toothbrush. CONCLUSION: A new specially engineered sonic powered toothbrush with unique sensing and control technologies provides significantly greater levels of efficacy on the removal of dental plaque after a single tooth brushing and after four weeks' use when compared to two commercially available power toothbrushes. The new sonic powered toothbrush also provides significantly greater levels of efficacy on the reduction of gingivitis and gingival bleeding when compared to one of the commercially available power toothbrushes.

The efficacy of a newly designed toothbrush to decrease tooth sensitivity.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this monadic clinical study was to evaluate the reduction in tooth sensitivity among patients who used the Colgate 360 degrees Sensitive toothbrush during an 8-week period. METHODOLOGY: Adult men and women from the northern New Jersey area were required to present two teeth that exhibited sensitivity both to tactile stimulation using the Yeaple Probe and to thermal stimulation using an air blast delivered by a standard dental-unit syringe. After examination of the oral soft and hard tissues, qualifying patients were provided with a Colgate 360 degrees Sensitive toothbrush and a supply of a commercially available, nonsensitive fluoride toothpaste, and instructed to brush their teeth for 1 minute, twice daily (morning and evening), using only the toothbrush and dentifrice provided. No other oral hygiene practices were permitted during the course of the study. After 4 weeks and again after 8 weeks of product use, patients returned to the dental clinic for follow-up examinations of tactile and thermal sensitivity of the baseline-designated sensitive teeth. Examinations of the oral soft and hard tissues also were performed at these followup visits. RESULTS: At the 4-week examinations, patients exhibited a statistically significant 5.49-unit increase in tactile sensitivity score and a statistically significant 0.77-unit decrease in thermal sensitivity score, both indicative of improvements in tooth sensitivity. At the 8-week examinations, patients exhibited a statistically significant 13.78-unit increase in tactile sensitivity score and a statistically significant 1.85-unit decrease in thermal sensitivity score, again both indicative of improvements in tooth sensitivity. CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that brushing sensitive teeth with the new Colgate 360 degrees Sensitive toothbrush will result in a decrease in tooth sensitivity and this decrease in tooth sensitivity will increase over time.

Clinical studies to assess the extrinsic stain prevention and stain removal efficacy of a variant of a commercially available dentifrice containing a new dual silica system.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of these two six-week, double-blind clinical studies was to compare the extrinsic stain prevention (Study #1) and stain removal (Study #2) efficacy of a new dentifrice (Colgate Total Advanced Toothpaste) containing 0.3% triclosan/ 2.0% polyvinylmethyl ether/maleic acid (PVM/MA) copolymer/0.243% sodium fluoride in a 17% dual silica base, to a commercially available fluoride dentifrice without tooth whitening ingredients (Crest Cavity Protection Toothpaste) containing 0.243% sodium fluoride in a silica base. METHODS: Following baseline examinations for extrinsic tooth stain and an oral tissue examination, qualifying adult male and female subjects from the northern and central New Jersey, USA areas were randomized for each study into two treatment groups which were balanced for gender and level of extrinsic tooth stain. Subjects received a full oral prophylaxis at the start of Study #1 only. All subjects were provided with their assigned product and a soft-bristled adult toothbrush for home use. Subjects were instructed to brush their teeth for one minute twice daily (morning and evening) using only the dentifrice and toothbrush provided, and to refrain from using any other oral hygiene products for the entire six weeks of the study. There were no restrictions regarding diet or smoking habits during the course of the study. Examinations for extrinsic tooth stain and oral tissue assessments were repeated after three weeks and six weeks of product use. RESULTS: One-hundred fourteen (114) subjects participating in Study #1 and 119 subjects participating in Study #2 complied with the protocol and completed the entire study. In both studies, at the three-week and the six-week examinations, subjects who used the new dentifrice exhibited statistically significantly lower levels of extrinsic tooth stain area and extrinsic tooth stain intensity than did those subjects who used the commercially available fluoride control dentifrice. CONCLUSION: A new dentifrice containing 0.3% triclosan/2.0% PVM/MA copolymer/0.243% sodium fluoride in a 17% dual silica base is more efficacious in the prevention and removal of extrinsic tooth stain than a commercially marketed fluoride dentifrice.

Efficacy of three toothbrushes on established gingivitis and plaque.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of three toothbrushes [Colgate 3600 Deep Clean (AFT version), the Colgate 3600 Deep Clean (stapled version) and the Oral B Indicator] on the removal of established gingivitis and plaque. METHODS: This examiner-blind, three-treatment, parallel clinical research study assessed plaque removal via the comparison of pre-to- post-brushing and 4-week plaque removal measured by the Rustogi Modification of the Modified Navy Plaque Index. This study also assessed gingivitis using the Löe & Silness Gingival Index. Qualifying adult male and female subjects from the Northern New Jersey area reported to the study site after refraining from any oral hygiene procedures for 12 hours; and from eating, drinking, or smoking for 4 hours. Following an examination for gingivitis and plaque (pre-brushing), they were randomized into three balanced groups, each group using one of the three study toothbrushes in the order specified by a pre-determined randomization plan. Subjects were instructed to brush their teeth for 1 minute under supervision with their assigned toothbrush and a commercially-available toothpaste (Colgate Cavity Protection), after which they were once again evaluated for plaque (post-brushing). Subjects were then dismissed from the study site with the toothpaste and their assigned toothbrush to use at home twice daily for the next 4 weeks. They again reported to the study site at which time they were evaluated for plaque and gingivitis. RESULTS: 109 subjects complied with the protocol and completed the clinical study. For plaque removal, comparisons were made for whole mouth, at the gingival margin and at interproximal sites. The results of the study indicated that all three test toothbrushes provided statistically significantly reductions in pre- to post-brushing plaque index scores of up to 44.0%, 38.6% and 23.6% respectively, after a single toothbrushing. Relative to the Oral B Indicator toothbrush, the Colgate 360 degree Deep Clean toothbrush (AFT version) and Colgate 360 degrees Deep Clean toothbrush (stapled version) provided a statistically significantly greater removal of plaque of up to 107% and 93.0%, respectively, after a single toothbrushing. Also, the group using the Colgate 360 degree Deep Clean toothbrush (AFT version) and the Colgate 360 degree Deep Clean toothbrush (stapled version) exhibited a statistically significantly greater removal of plaque of up to 575% and 400%, respectively, when compared to the Oral B Indicator toothbrush after 4 weeks. The group using the Colgate 3600 Deep Clean toothbrush (AFT version) and the Colgate 3600 Deep Clean toothbrush (stapled version) exhibited statistically significantly greater reductions in gingivitis of up to 23% and 17%, respectively, and greater reductions in gingivitis severity (bleeding sites) of up to 73% and 52% respectively, as compared to the Oral B Indicator toothbrush after 4 weeks. There was no statistically significant difference between the two Colgate 3600 toothbrushes for any parameter and at any comparison time.

Comparison of the clinical efficacy of a new manual toothbrush on gingivitis reduction and plaque removal.

The objective of this controlled, examiner blind, 4-week clinical study was to evaluate and compare the safety and efficacy of a newly designed manual toothbrush, the Colgate 360 degrees toothbrush, to the Oral-B Indicator toothbrush for the control of supragingival plaque and gingivitis. A total of 82 subjects from the northern New Jersey area reported to the clinical facility for a baseline plaque and gingivitis examination after having refrained from all oral hygiene procedures for 12 hours and from eating, drinking, or smoking for 4 hours. The population was comprised of healthy adult men and women 30 to 68 years of age. After the baseline examinations, qualifying subjects were randomized into two groups and assigned to one of the two test toothbrushes. All subjects were instructed to brush their teeth for 1 minute under supervision, after which they were again examined for supragingival plaque. They were then instructed to brush their teeth twice a day for 1 minute with their assigned toothbrush and a commercially available toothpaste (Colgate Cavity Protection Great Regular Flavor Fluoride Toothpaste) for the next 4 weeks. After 4 weeks, subjects returned to the clinical facility for a final gingivitis and plaque examination. Eighty-one subjects complied with the protocol and completed the 4-week clinical study. The results of the study indicated that the new manual toothbrush was statistically significantly effective in reducing gingivitis after 4 weeks and in removing plaque after a single toothbrushing and after 4 weeks of use. Also, the new manual toothbrush exhibited a statistically significant greater reduction in gingivitis and in gingivitis-related bleeding sites after 4 weeks of use as well as statistically significant greater plaque removal after a single toothbrushing and after 4 weeks of use, as compared to the Oral B Indicator toothbrush. This superior plaque-removal performance was found in separate analyses of the whole mouth, at interproximal surfaces, and at the gumline.

Comparison of plaque removal efficacy of a battery-powered toothbrush and a manual toothbrush: a single-use clinical study in New Jersey.

OBJECTIVE: This single-use, examiner-blind clinical study evaluated the efficacy of a newly introduced battery-powered toothbrush (Colgate Motion Toothbrush) relative to a manual toothbrush (Oral-B CrossAction toothbrush) for the removal of supragingival plaque. METHODOLOGY: This study assessed plaque removal via the comparison of pre- and post-brushing plaque levels. A total of 126 adult male and female subjects from the northern New Jersey area reported to the clinical facility for a baseline (pre-brushing) plaque examination after having refrained from all oral hygiene procedures and chewing gum for 24 hours, and from eating, drinking or smoking for four hours. Subjects were entered into the study and stratified into two balanced groups based on their baseline plaque scores. Subjects were instructed to brush their teeth for one minute under supervision with their assigned toothbrush and a commercially available dentifrice, after which they were once again evaluated for supragingival plaque (post-brushing). RESULTS: All 126 subjects completed all aspects of the single-use clinical study. The subjects who used the Colgate Motion toothbrush exhibited a statistically significant 42.1% greater plaque reduction after a single tooth brushing than did those subjects who used the Oral-B CrossAction toothbrush. Relative to the pre-brushing baseline scores, the Colgate Motion toothbrush group exhibited a statistically significant 59.0% reduction in plaque removal. CONCLUSION: The results of this single-use, examiner-blind, clinical study support the conclusion that the battery-powered Colgate Motion toothbrush provides significantly greater efficacy for the removal of supragingival plaque than does the manual Oral-B Cross-Action toothbrush.

The clinical efficacy of Colgate Total Plus Whitening Toothpaste containing a special grade of silica and Colgate Total Fresh Stripe Toothpaste in the control of plaque and gingivitis: a six-month clinical study.

The objective of this six-month, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical study, conducted in harmony with American Dental Association guidelines, was to provide an assessment of the effectiveness of a new dentifrice formulation of Colgate Total Toothpaste containing a special grade of silica (Colgate Total Plus Whitening Toothpaste), vs. Colgate Total Fresh Stripe Toothpaste as a control, and a placebo dentifrice without triclosan and the copolymer, for the control of supragingival dental plaque and gingivitis. Adult male and female subjects from the state of New Jersey were entered into the study, and stratified into three treatment groups which were balanced for baseline Quigley-Hein Plaque Index scores and baseline Löe-Silness Gingival Index scores. Subjects received an oral prophylaxis, and 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 supragingival plaque and gingivitis were conducted after three-months' and again after six-months' participation in the study. One-hundred ten (110) subjects complied with the protocol and completed the entire six-month clinical study. At both the three- and six-month study examinations, the Colgate Total Plus Whitening Toothpaste group and the Colgate Total Fresh Stripe Toothpaste group exhibited statistically significantly less supragingival plaque and gingivitis than did the placebo toothpaste group. At the six-month examination, the magnitude of these differences exceeded 23.0% for all four parameters measured in the Colgate Total Plus Whitening Toothpaste group (29.9% for Plaque Index, 59.2% for Plaque Severity Index, 23.2% for Gingival Index, and 75.1% for Gingivitis Severity Index). Also, at the six-month examination, the magnitude of these differences exceeded 21.0% for each of the four parameters measured in the Colgate Total Fresh Stripe Toothpaste group (27.9% for Plaque Index, 54.9% for Plaque Severity Index, 21.4% for Gingival Index and 69.2% for Gingivitis Severity Index). The results of this six-month clinical study support the conclusion that Colgate Total Plus Whitening Toothpaste and Colgate Total Fresh Stripe Toothpaste provided a statistically significant, clinically relevant level of efficacy for the control of supragingival plaque and gingivitis, in accordance with the criteria provided by current American Dental Association guidelines.

A clinical study to assess the anticalculus efficacy of a new dentifrice containing a special grade of silica (Colgate Total Plus Whitening Toothpaste): a clinical trial on adults.

The objective of this double-blind clinical study, conducted using the Volpe-Manhold design for studies of dental calculus, was to confirm the supragingival anticalculus efficacy of a formulation variant of a commercially available anticalculus dentifrice. The commercially available dentifrice (Colgate Total Toothpaste) contains 0.3% triclosan and 2.0% PVM/MA copolymer in a 0.243% sodium fluoride/silica base. The new formulation variant contains those same ingredients, of which 10% of the silica is a high cleaning grade (Colgate Total Plus Whitening Toothpaste). In this study, the dentifrice formulation variant was tested for anticalculus efficacy against a negative control dentifrice containing 0.243% sodium fluoride/silica. Adult male and female subjects from the northern New Jersey area were entered into the study based on a pre-test (baseline) Volpe-Manhold Calculus Index score of 7.0 or greater, provided a full oral prophylaxis, and stratified into two treatment groups which were balanced for age, sex, and baseline calculus scores. 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 dental calculus were again performed after eight weeks' use of the study dentifrices. Sixty-three (63) subjects complied with the protocol and completed the entire study. At the eight-week examination, subjects in the Colgate Total Plus Whitening Toothpaste group exhibited a statistically significant 34.13% reduction in mean Volpe-Manhold Calculus Index score as compared to the negative control dentifrice group. Thus, the results of this clinical study support the conclusion that a new dentifrice formulation variant containing a special grade of silica (Colgate Total Plus Whitening Toothpaste) is efficacious for the control of the formation of supragingival calculus.

A clinical study to compare the anticalculus efficacy of three dentifrice formulations.

The objective of this double-blind clinical study, conducted in harmony with the accepted Volpe-Manhold design for studies of dental calculus, was to compare the supragingival anticalculus efficacy of three commercially available dentifrice formulations. The test toothpastes were Colgate Total Plus Whitening Toothpaste with an added high cleaning silica base, Crest Multi-Care Advanced Cleaning Toothpaste, and Colgate Winterfresh Gel. Adult male and female subjects from the northern New Jersey area were entered into the study based on a pre-test (baseline) Volpe-Manhold Calculus Index score of 7.0 or greater, provided a full oral prophylaxis, and stratified into three treatment groups which were balanced for age, sex and baseline calculus scores. 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 dental calculus were again performed after eight weeks' use of the study dentifrices. One hundred (100) subjects complied with the protocol and completed the entire study. At the eight-week examination, subjects using the Colgate Total Plus Whitening Toothpaste and subjects using the Crest Multi-Care Advanced Cleaning Toothpaste exhibited statistically significant (p < 0.05) reductions in mean Volpe-Manhold Calculus Index scores as compared to the negative control dentifrice group (Colgate Winterfresh Gel). There was no statistically significant difference in mean Volpe-Manhold Calculus Index scores between subjects using the Colgate Total Plus Whitening Toothpaste and subjects using the Crest Multi-Care Advanced Cleaning Toothpaste.

Comparison of two dentifrices with respect to efficacy for the control of plaque and gingivitis, and with respect to extrinsic tooth staining: a six-month clinical study on adults.

The objective of this six-month, double-blind clinical study, conducted in harmony with American Dental Association guidelines, was to provide a comparison between Colgate Total Toothpaste and Crest Gum Care Toothpaste with respect to their levels of efficacy for the control of supragingival dental plaque and gingivitis, and with respect to the levels of tooth staining associated with their use. Adult male and female subjects from the Edinburgh, Scotland area were entered into the study and stratified into two treatment groups which were balanced for age, sex, baseline Quigley-Hein Plaque Index scores and baseline Löe-Silness Gingival Index scores. Subjects received an oral prophylaxis, and 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 plaque, gingivitis and extrinsic tooth staining were conducted after three months' and again after six months' use of the study dentifrices. One-hundred and nine (109) subjects complied with the protocol and completed the entire six-month clinical study. At both the three- and six-month study examinations, the Colgate Total Toothpaste group exhibited statistically significantly less plaque, gingivitis and extrinsic tooth staining compared to the Crest Gum Care Toothpaste group. At the six-month examination, the magnitude of these differences exceeded 18% for all six parameters measured (18.7% for Plaque Index, 60.5% for Plaque Severity Index, 22.2% for Gingival Index, 85.1% for Gingivitis Severity Index, 45.3% for stain intensity, and 46.3% for stain area). Thus, the results of this six-month clinical study support the conclusion that Colgate Total Toothpaste provides a statistically significant, substantive advantage in efficacy for the control of plaque and gingivitis over Crest Gum Care Toothpaste, while, at the same time, providing better control against the development of extrinsic tooth staining.