Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of 0.4% stannous fluoride (SnF2) gel on clinical parameters (plaque control record, plaque index, gingival index and bleeding on probing) and the number of Streptococcus mutans in saliva. Ten subjects were instructed to brush their teeth using 0.4% SnF2 gel twice a day for two weeks. After the examination of each clinical parameter, each subject was instructed to stop using the SnF2 gel for the subsequent another two weeks. The clinical findings were then reexamined and analyzed, in comparison with those at the first 2-week examination, The results indicated that use of the 0.4% SnF2 gel significantly improved clinical parameters and reduced the number of S. mutans in saliva. Therefore, 0.4% SnF2 gel seems to be a useful agent for chemical plaque control.
