Abstract
Several reports on the effect of dextranase in toothpaste or gel on the inhibition of plaque formation have been published. The purpose of this study was to clarify this desirable effect by using dextranase in a mouth rinse solution. The subjects of this study were 82 adults, and double-blinded clinical studies were conducted according to good clinical practice (GCP). The mouth rinse solution contained 17.5 units/g dextranase, and the control solution had the same composition, but with no dextranase. The effects were evaluated using the plaque score and microbial colony count. The plaque adhesions of the subjects, evaluated as 4 for the maximum level of the plaque score in the first day of the study, decreased clearly after 1 week with statistical significance (p<0.0l). The average plaque scores by tooth surface did not show any difference af ter 3 days, but showed a difference after 5 days in all the tooth surfaces in the tested group, which was more clear after 1 week (p<0.05). These results suggest that the dextranase-containing mouth rinse was more effective for inhibition of plaque adhesion in the subjects with an insufficient level of plaque control, and that the inhibition increased with longer use.
