title: Design of studies to evaluate plaque control agents.
abstract: The importance of plaque in the etiology of periodontal diseases is reviewed. A survey is also presented of the various indices for scoring plaque in clinical trials. Variations in the clinical design, type of population studied, and difficulty in scoring gingival plaque are reviewed. A survey is presented of some recent published studies of plaque-inhibiting agents.
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001645:Biguanides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005891:Gingivitis / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D009910:Oral Hygiene; D009911:Oral Hygiene Index; D010512:Periodontal Index; D010518:Periodontitis / Q000209:etiology; D012107:Research Design; D014099:Toothbrushing
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001645:Biguanides