Mouthrinses in "experimental gingivitis" studies.

The experimental gingivitis study design is a frequently used clinical model for the evaluation of the effects of antimicrobial agents on developing plaque and gingivitis. In individuals who at the start of the experiment have clean teeth and healthy gingivae and who use a mouthrinse containing the test agent as the only tooth cleaning measure during a period of 14-21 days, the anti-plaque and anti-gingivitis potential of the agent can be properly evaluated. The present paper describes different designs of experimental gingivitis studies for the evaluation of chemotherapeutic agents used to control supragingival plaque formation. Findings reported in the literature with respect to the effects obtained by various antimicrobial compounds are also reported.