Evaluation of the effects of brushing on the removal of dental plaque.

The ability of three different toothpaste abrasive systems--sodium bicarbonate, hydrated silica, and dicalcium phosphate--to remove dental plaque has been examined. A total of 34 volunteers participated in an independent, double-blind, crossover clinical investigation that compared the amount and percentage of plaque removed with a single brushing with Arm & Hammer Dental Care (sodium bicarbonate), Crest Regular Toothpaste (hydrated silica), and Colgate Regular Toothpaste (dicalcium phosphate) after 48 hours of limited oral hygiene. All three dentifrices removed from 58% to 68% of plaque, but the percentage removed after brushing with Arm & Hammer Dental Care was significantly greater than with either Crest (p = 0.0001) or Colgate (p = 0.0002) during a controlled, 1-minute toothbrushing. The mean amount of plaque removed with Arm & Hammer Dental Care was also significantly greater than that with Crest or Colgate (p = 0.0002 and p = 0.0004, respectively). These results indicate that the abrasive system in Arm & Hammer Dental Care was the most efficient in removing plaque and improving oral hygiene. In the second half of the study, Arm & Hammer Dental Care was compared with Arm & Hammer Peroxicare and Mentadent toothpaste in 45 subjects. All three dentifrices removed from 57% to 70% of the plaque, with Arm & Hammer Dental Care removing significantly more than Mentadent (p = 0.007).