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Effect of a Plaque‐Identifying Toothpaste on Plaque Amount in 12–16‐Year‐Olds With Fixed Orthodontic Appliances: A Randomised, Double‐Blind, Controlled Clinical Trial

Year: 2025

Type: article

Study designs: Randomized Controlled Trial, Clinical Trial

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of a plaque-identifying toothpaste in assisting with plaque removal in adolescents undergoing orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances. METHODS: A randomised, double-blind, active-comparator trial was conducted at the Orthodontic Department, University Medical Center Department, University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands, from October 2021 to January 2022. Seventy seven healthy adolescents aged 12-16 years, undergoing buccal fixed appliance treatment for at least 3 months, were enrolled. Participants were stratified based on manual or electric brushing habits and randomised to receive either plaque-identifying toothpaste or a non-colouring control toothpaste. The primary outcome measured reduction in dental plaque using Quantitative Light-Induced Fluorescence ∆R30 (QLF) images at baseline (T0) and after 4-7 weeks (T1). Secondary outcomes included self-reported participant experiences. RESULTS: No statistically significant difference in plaque reduction was found between the two groups (F = 0.211, p = 0.647). Subgroup analyses showed that participant-related factors did not significantly influence plaque reduction. Participants using plaque-identifying toothpaste reported a slightly stronger perception of plaque removal (p = 0.018) but encountered slightly more difficulty with the toothpaste colour (p = 0.028). Compliance was high, and no adverse effects were reported. CONCLUSION: Plaque-identifying toothpaste did not lead to significant plaque reduction among adolescents with fixed orthodontic appliances.

Source: Orthodontics and Craniofacial Research

DOI: 10.1111/ocr.12904

Authors: Sebastiaan P. van Doornik, Lisa van Kammen, Yijin Ren, David J. Manton, Anne Marie Kuijpers‐Jagtman