The effect of a detergent-based pre-brushing dental rinse on plaque accumulation.

A pre-brushing dental rinse, based on the principle of non-specific removal and modification of dental plaque by detergent action, was studied. The rinse had previously been shown to have the ability to remove a limited amount of plaque without intervention of the toothbrush. In this study, the effect of the rinse on routine plaque control was evaluated over a 3-week period. The protocol sought to minimize the Hawthorne effect. A regimen involving use of the rinse prior to toothbrushing produced a significant decrease in mean plaque score of 50% compared to baseline. A normal oral hygiene regimen (i.e., toothbrushing without the pre-brushing rinse) resulted in a non-significant decrease in plaque area score of 11%. The difference in plaque reduction between the two regimens was significant at p less than .001.