Two-year caries clinical study of the efficacy of novel dentifrices containing 1.5% arginine, an insoluble calcium compound and 1,450 ppm fluoride.

A 2-year double-blind randomized three-treatment controlled parallel-group clinical study compared the anti-caries efficacy of two dentifrices containing 1.5% arginine, an insoluble calcium compound (di-calcium phosphate or calcium carbonate) and 1,450 ppm fluoride (F), as sodium monofluorophosphate, to a control dentifrice containing 1,450 ppm F, as sodium fluoride, in a silica base. The 6,000 participants were from Bangkok, Thailand and aged 6-12 years initially. They were instructed to brush twice daily, in the morning and evening, with their randomly assigned dentifrice. Three trained and calibrated dentists examined the children at baseline and after 1 and 2 years using the National Institute of Dental Research Diagnostic Procedures and Criteria. The number of decayed, missing and filled teeth (DMFT) and surfaces (DMFS) for the three study groups were very similar at baseline, with no statistically significant differences among groups. After 1 year, there were no statistically significant differences in caries increments among the three groups. After 2 years, the two groups using the dentifrices containing 1.5% arginine, an insoluble calcium compound and 1,450 ppm F had statistically significantly (p < 0.02) lower DMFT increments (21.0 and 17.7% reductions, respectively) and DMFS increments (16.5 and 16.5%) compared to the control dentifrice. The differences between the two groups using the new dentifrices were not statistically significant. The results of this pivotal clinical study support the conclusion that dentifrices containing 1.5% arginine, an insoluble calcium compound and 1,450 ppm F provide significantly greater protection against caries lesion cavitation, in a low to moderate caries risk population, than dentifrices containing 1,450 ppm F alone.

Effect of an essential oil-containing dentifrice on established plaque and gingivitis.

A six-months, double-blind, parallel, clinical study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of an essential oil containing dentifrice on established plaque and gingivitis compared with a placebo dentifrice. A total of 104 subjects were stratified into two groups according to baseline Quigley-Hein Plaque Index scores and Loe-Silness Gingival Index scores. Each group was randomly assigned to use either an essential oil dentifrice or placebo dentifrice. The subjects were instructed to brush their teeth in the customary manner for 1 minute, twice daily, with the provided dentifrice using a soft-bristle toothbrush. After six months, the essential oil containing dentifrice gave a 25.4% reduction (p < 0.001) in supragingival plaque accumulation and a 19.5% reduction (p < 0.001) in gingivitis compared to the placebo dentifrice.

Effects of a triclosan dentifrice on plaque formation, gingivitis and gingival bleeding in pregnant women: five-month clinical results.

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of a triclosan/copolymer dentifrice on plaque formation, gingivitis and gingival bleeding in pregnant subjects. This double-blind clinical study was carried out in 180 women at 3 months of pregnancy. The subjects were stratified into two balanced groups according to their baseline plaque, gingivitis and bleeding scores. Subjects received a thorough dental prophylaxis and were assigned to brush with either a placebo or triclosan dentifrice for five months. They were instructed to brush their teeth as they normally would, twice a day for one minute per brushing. Follow-up examinations after five months of dentifrice use evaluated supragingival plaque, gingivitis and gingival bleeding. After five months, the triclosan dentifrice significantly reduced plaque formation, gingivitis and gingival bleeding by 40.5%, 22.5% and 35.3%, respectively, compared to the placebo group (p<0.05).

Efficacy of fluocinolone acetonide gel in the treatment of oral lichen planus.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of fluocinolone acetonide gel 0.1% in 2 base forms (numbers 1 and 2) with fluocinolone acetonide in an oral base 0.1%. STUDY DESIGN: Forty-eight patients with histologically confirmed oral lichen planus were enrolled in the study. Lesions were scored ranging from 0 (no lesion) to 5 (large erosion) according to the severity. Patients were randomly given fluocinolone acetonide in an oral base, fluocinolone acetonide gel no. 1 or no. 2. They were asked to apply the medication on dried lesions 4 times a day. The lesions were evaluated after 2 and 4 weeks of treatment. The severity scores were analyzed by the Kruskal-Wallis k-sample test. RESULTS: Patients who received fluocinolone acetonide in an oral base and those who received fluocinolone acetonide gel no. 1 and no. 2 improved from the average score of 3.0, 3.0, and 2.9 to 1.5, 1.5, and 1.6, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences in score changes noted in the 3 groups. The results indicate that fluocinolone acetonide gel no. 1 and no. 2 and fluocinolone acetonide in an oral base provide similar efficacy in the treatment of oral lichen planus. CONCLUSION: Fluocinolone acetonide gel 0.1% is a safe and effective alternative therapy to fluocinolone acetonide in an oral base 0.1% in the treatment of oral lichen planus.

Oral lichen sclerosus et atrophicus. A case report.

Lichen sclerosus et atrophicus affecting only the oral mucosa is extremely rare. We report here a case of oral lichen sclerosus et atrophicus presenting as a white, flat lesion involving the right buccal and labial mucosa and vermillion border. The diagnosis was based on histopathologic features. Treatment with intralesional corticosteroid was successful in reducing the size of the lesion and the symptoms of the patient. A free gingival graft was also performed to restore the lost attached gingiva. No recurrence of the lesion was found after a 1-year follow-up period, and no skin or genital lesions developed during the 3 years of treatment.

Efficacy of topical retinoic acid compared with topical fluocinolone acetonide in the treatment of oral lichen planus.

The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of retinoic acid in an oral base 0.05% with fluocinolone acetonide in an oral base 0.1% in the treatment of atrophic and erosive oral lichen planus. Thirty-three patients with histologically proven oral lichen planus were asked to participate in the study. Lesions were scored ranging from 0 (no lesion) to 5 (large erosion) according to the severity. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either topical fluocinolone acetonide or topical retinoic acid. They were instructed to apply the medication on dried lesions four times a day. The lesions were evaluated after 2 and 4 weeks of treatment. The sign scores were analyzed by the Wilcoxon rank sum test. Eighteen patients receiving topical fluocinolone acetonide improved from the average score of 3.0 to 1.5 after 4 weeks of treatment, whereas 15 patients receiving topical retinoic acid showed little change (average score, 2.9 and 2.4, respectively). The changes were statistically significantly different between the two groups (p = 0.01). The results suggest that 0.1% fluocinolone acetonide reduced the severity of atrophic and erosive oral lichen planus better than 0.05% retinoic acid.

Effect of a triclosan/copolymer pre-brush mouthrinse on established plaque formation and gingivitis: a six-month clinical study in Thailand.

A six-month, double-blind parallel clinical study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy on existing plaque and gingivitis of a pre-brush mouthrinse (Colgate Plax, Thailand) containing 0.03% triclosan and 0.13% of a polyvinylmethyl ether/maleic acid (PVM/MA) copolymer in the absence of fluoride, as compared to a matching placebo rinse. A total of 121 subjects were stratified into two balanced groups according to baseline Quigley-Hein Plaque Index scores and Loë-Silness Gingivitis Index scores. Each group was randomly assigned to the use of either the triclosan/copolymer pre-brush rinse or the placebo pre-brush rinse. No subjects received an oral prophylaxis. They were instructed to rinse twice daily for 60 seconds using the provided fluoride dentifrice and soft-bristled toothbrush. After six months' use of their assigned mouthrinse, 118 subjects who completed the study were evaluated for plaque index score and gingivitis index score using the same scoring procedure. After six months, the triclosan/copolymer mouthrinse group provided a 35.48% reduction of plaque (p<0.001) and an 18.82% reduction of gingivitis (p<0.001), as compared to the placebo mouthrinse group. The reduction of the triclosan/copolymer group was most pronounced in the severity manifestation of plaque and gingivitis (p<0.001). The results indicate that twice daily use of a pre-brush mouthrinse containing triclosan/copolymer in the absence of fluoride significantly reduces pre-existing plaque and gingivitis as compared to the placebo rinse.

Effect of a pre-brush mounthrinse containing triclosan and a copolymer on calculus formation: a three-month clinical study in Thailand.

A three-month, double-blind, parallel clinical study was conducted on a population of Thai adults to evaluate the effect of the twice daily use of a commercially available pre-brush mouthrinse on supragingival calculus formation. The mouthrinse test product contained 0.03% triclosan and 0.13% PVM/MA copolymer with the absence of fluoride. The subjects were initially examined for calculus using the Volpe-Manhold procedure. All subjects received an oral prophylaxis and were assigned to the use of either 1) a triclosan-copolymer mouthrinse, or 2) a matching flavored/colored water placebo mouthrinse. Subjects were instructed to rinse twice daily with 10 cc of the assigned mouthrinse for 1 minute, followed by brushing with the provided toothpaste containing fluoride for 45 seconds. After three months of using the assigned mouthrinse, the subjects were reexamined for calculus formation. The results indicated that the subjects using triclosan/copolymer mouthrinse had 23.17% less supragingival calculus than the placebo mouthrinse subjects. This reduction was statistically significant at the 99% or greater (F = 24.35, p<0.001) level of confidence.

Anxiety in recurrent aphthous stomatitis patients.

The relationship of recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) to psychological factors has been reported. The purpose of this study was to determine anxiety in RAS patients. All new patients seen during May 1988-November 1988 at the Oral Diagnosis Clinic, Department of Oral Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry, Mahidol University, completed a questionnaire regarding their history of RAS. For the measurement of anxiety, patients were given the Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS). Of the 3,106 patients studied, 46.7% reported a positive history of RAS. In this population, females were significantly (P less than 0.001) more anxious than males. The mean SAS score obtained from patients with RAS was significantly (P less than 0.001) higher than that of patients without RAS in each sex. It is concluded that patients with RAS are more anxious than patients without RAS.

[Survey of drug used and medical history among dental out-patients].

Information about drug used and medical history among dental patients would be useful for dental practice and teaching of clinical pharmacology. Therefore, 541 consecutive adult outpatients of Mahidol dental school were studied in 1987. The names of drug used and medical problems were obtained by direct questioning. Out of patients surveyed, 307 (56.7%) were taking drugs and the most commonly drug used was non-narcotic analgesics. 300 patients (55.4%) had medical problems and allergy was the most common disease. The frequency of patients who taking drugs and having medical problems varied between age groups. The highest frequency of medication intake was found in patients with age above thirty. The highest frequency of significant medical conditions was found in patients with age above fifty. The data from this investigation revealed that the medical problems of patients which affect dental treatment were very common. Consequently, the dental personnel should study more about the pharmacology of systemic drugs and the nature of systemic diseases.

[Comparison of the effectiveness of dental local anesthetics in guinea pig].

A large number of local anesthetics has been marketed for clinical use. The purpose of this study was to compare the effectiveness of nine local anesthetics used in dentistry. After subcutaneous injection of 0.1 ml of local anesthetic into the guinea pig's back, the onset and duration of action were determined by stimulating with an electric current. The onset of action of these local anesthetics occurred immediately. But the duration of action was statistically significant different (P less than 0.01, ANOVA and Duncan's New Multiple Range Test). The duration of action ranging from 7.0 to 73.2 minutes was divided into 5 groups as the following: 1. Benadryl and Xylocaine plane. 2. Xylocaine plane and Lidocaton. 3. Citanest and Octocaine. 4. Octocaine and Neo-lidocaton. 5. Neo-lidocaton, Xylestesin-F, Xylocaine c noradrenaline 1:50,000 and Xylocaine c adrenaline 1:80,000. The result of this study will be useful for the dentists to select the appropriate local anesthetics for their treatment.

The loss of camphorated monochlorophenol from the root canal: an in vitro study.

The assessment of the loss of camphorated monochlorophenol (CMCP) was conducted by means of the spectrophotometric technique. Extracted human single-rooted teeth were used in this study. The teeth were randomly divided into four groups with ten teeth in each group. Root canals were enlarged with reamers and files. 5.25 per cent sodium hypochlorite and 3 per cent hydrogen peroxide were used as irrigants. The root canals were dressed with 2 microliters of 40 per cent CMCP. The coronal and apical portions of the teeth in groups 1, 2 and 3 were sealed and incubated at 37 degrees C with 100 per cent relative humidity for 1, 3 and 7 days, respectively. In group 4 the teeth were treated in a procedure similar to that performed in group 1, except that the root apices were not sealed. The results showed that there was no significant difference in residual concentrations of CMCP among four groups (P greater than 0.05). The loss of CMCP in excess of 50 per cent was recorded in 1 day, with no further loss at longer time intervals.