To evaluate the comparative clinical efficacy of a test toothpaste containing 0.454% stannous fluoride stabilized with zinc phosphate as compared to a regular fluoride toothpaste containing 0.76% sodium monofluorophosphate in controlling supragingival calculus formation over a 12-week period.

Many dental homecare products are marketed, several of which have been evaluated using a "clean tooth" protocol (the teeth are scaled at the start of the trial). The efficacy of dental products in dogs that have not had their teeth professionally cleaned ("dirty tooth model") has been studied far less often. Some dogs for which professional dental cleaning is indicated will not have their teeth cleaned because of anesthetic risk or for other reasons. In this study, 6 dental homecare products were evaluated against a negative control group; none of the dogs received professional dental cleaning at the start of the study. The home care protocols tested were: brushing every other day using a toothpaste, feeding a dental chew once daily (VF), adding a water additive in the water daily (AQ), brushing once a week + VF daily, brushing once a week + AQ daily, VF + AQ daily. Dental deposits (plaque and calculus) and periodontal health were assessed on awake dogs, before and after receiving the assigned homecare regimen for 8 weeks. Results were compared with an untreated control group. Dental deposits were reduced by regular mechanical action (brushing or VF daily). Periodontal health status was improved when AQ daily was combined with either brushing once a week or VF daily. Two scoring techniques useful for determining a recommendation from a veterinarian to commence home oral hygiene or recommend dental scaling as a necessary first step are described.

Lippia sidoides is a typical shrub from Brazil that has been used in traditional medicine. This is a systematic review on the effect of L. sidoides for controlling dental plaque, gingivitis, and periodontitis. A database search through May 2021 in Medline/PubMed, SCOPUS, BVS, and Web of Science identified 711 reports of which 17 met our inclusion criteria. Five randomized controlled trials and three animal studies were included that compared L. sidoides-based products (toothpaste, mouthrinse, and gel) to cetylpyridinium chloride, chlorhexidine, and placebo products. Among the human studies, a significant antiplaque effect after treatment with L. sidoides-based products was observed in three studies and an antigingivitis effect in two studies, similar to chlorhexidine-based products. One study found superior dental plaque reduction compared to cetylpyridinium chloride mouthrinse. Only one study testing a L. sidoides gel found no antiplaque effect. Among the animal studies, an L. sidoides mouthrinse significantly reduced calculus in two studies, inflammatory infiltrate in one study, and plaque bacteria and gingivitis in one study. An L. sidoides gel significantly reduced alveolar bone loss and inflammatory response in one study in which mice were submitted to ligature-induced periodontal disease. In general, L. sidoides-based products were effective in reducing dental plaque and calculus formation, as well as clinical signs of gingivitis. As most studies present methodological limitations, these results should be interpreted carefully. Further clinical trials with greater methodological accuracy and control of biases are necessary for the use of L. sidoides-based products in humans to be viable in clinical practice.

Sodium fluoride (NaF) is one of the neglected environmental pollutants. It is ubiquitously found in the soil, water, and environment. Interestingly, fluoride has been extensively utilized for prevention of dental caries and tartar formation, and may be added to mouthwash, mouth rinse, and toothpastes. This study is aimed at mitigating fluoride-induced hypertension and nephrotoxicity with clofibrate, a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-alpha (PPARα) agonist. For this study, forty male Wistar rats were used and randomly grouped into ten rats per group, control, sodium fluoride (NaF; 300 ppm) only, NaF plus clofibrate (250 mg/kg) and NaF plus lisinopril (10 mg/kg), respectively, for 7 days. The administration of NaF was by drinking water ad libitum, while clofibrate and lisinopril were administered by oral gavage. Administration of NaF induced hypertension, and was accompanied with exaggerated oxidative stress; depletion of antioxidant defence system; reduced nitric oxide production; increased systolic, diastolic and mean arterial pressure; activation of angiotensin-converting enzyme activity and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB); and testicular apoptosis. Treatment of rats with clofibrate reduced oxidative stress, improved antioxidant status, lowered high blood pressure through the inhibition of angiotensin-converting enzyme activity, mineralocorticoid receptor over-activation, and abrogated testicular apoptosis. Taken together, clofibrate could offer exceptional therapeutic benefit in mitigating toxicity associated with sodium fluoride.

(1) Background: Dental calculus works as a niche wherein pathogenic bacteria proliferate in the oral cavity. Previous studies revealed the anticalculus activity of pyrophosphates, however there was no clinical study that evaluated microbiome changes associated with calculus inhibition. Therefore, the aim of this randomized clinical trial was to evaluate the calculus inhibition of pyrophosphate-containing toothpaste and its effect on oral microbiome changes. (2) Methods: Eighty subjects with a calculus index ≥2 on the lingual of the mandibular anterior tooth were randomly allocated to the test group that pyrophosphate-containing toothpaste was given to or the placebo control group. Full mouth debridement and standardized tooth brushing instruction were given before the allocation. Plaque index, gingival index, calculus index, probing depth, and bleeding on probing were measured at the baseline, and at 4, 8 and 12 weeks. Genomic DNA was extracted from the plaque samples collected at the baseline and at 12 weeks, and 16S ribosomal RNA gene amplicon sequencing was applied for microbiome analysis. (3) Results: None of the clinical parameters showed significant differences by visits or groups, except the plaque index of the test group, which reduced significantly between 4 and 12 weeks. A significant difference of microbiome between the baseline and 12 weeks was observed in the test group. Between baseline and 12 weeks, the proportion of Spirochetes decreased in the control group, and the proportions of Proteobacteria, Fusobacteria and Spirochetes in the phylum level and the proportions of Haemophilus, Fusobacterium and Capnocytophaga in the genus level decreased in the test group. In the test group, as plaque index decreased, Streptococcus increased, and Fusobacterium and Haemophilus parainfluenza decreased. (4) Conclusion: The use of pyrophosphate-containing toothpaste effectively inhibited the dysbiosis of the oral microbiome and the proliferation of pathogenic species in periodontal disease. Clinically, plaque formation in the pyrophosphate-containing toothpaste group was effectively decreased, however there was no significant change in calculus deposition.

Oral diseases, particularly caries and gingivitis, continue to be widespread. Incorporating a stabilized stannous fluoride dentifrice into patients' daily oral hygiene routine is a convenient, cost effective approach to improve and protect their oral health and the appearance of their smile. Unlike other common fluorides that only provide anti-caries benefits (e.g., sodium fluoride and sodium monofluorophosphate), stabilized stannous fluoride formulations have demonstrated broader and significantly greater protection, also reducing plaque, gingivitis, erosion, sensitivity, and halitosis. To deliver the full range of benefits and simultaneously deliver whitening and tartar control benefits, stannous fluoride requires careful formulation. Procter & Gamble is the only dentifrice manufacturer with decades of patented innovations to overcome these formulation challenges, resulting in a large portfolio of stannous fluoride-containing dentifrice products marketed under the Crest® Pro-Health™ name that are available today. The most recent innovation is a "smooth texture" variant of Crest Pro-Health, containing stabilized stannous fluoride with zinc citrate as the anti-calculus agent. This product was developed to deliver a patient preferred brushing experience with the full range of benefits offered by Crest Pro-Health. This article discusses two common misconceptions about dentifrice, describes the history of key Crest stannous fluoride innovations, and outlines the research in this issue demonstrating health and cosmetic benefits of the new Crest Pro-Health smooth texture variant.