title: Quanticalc assessment of the clinical scaling benefits provided by pyrophosphate dentifrices with and without triclosan.
abstract: The Quanticalc (QC) dental scaler permits a quantitative assessment of the work used by professionals in calculus removal through the measurement of force dynamics and scaling strokes applied in calculus debridement. The purpose of this study was to use the QC to compare the clinical effects of two 5% pyrophosphate dentifrices on dental calculus in subjects following six-months' product use. Three-hundred forty-six subjects participated in a six-month, double-blind tartar control clinical trial involving traditional Volpe-Manhold Index (VMI) evaluations. Following the six-month VMI examinations, the subjects had a QC prophylaxis (scaling force measurements). The three dentifrice treatment groups included a control dentifrice (NaF only, Crest); NaF dentifrice containing 5.0% pyrophosphate (Crest Tartar Control); and NaF dentifrice containing 5.0% pyrophosphate plus 0.28% triclosan (antimicrobial). Subjects were balanced by baseline (pretest) VMI scores at the start of the trial. QC examinations revealed statistically significant reductions in total force and stroke number used by the therapist to scale the six anterior VMI teeth for subjects using the pyrophosphate tartar control dentifrices as compared to control dentifrice. The reduction in scaling effort amounted to almost 3 kg per scaling for subjects. QC results paralleled VMI reductions of calculus on the teeth and demonstrated that the use of 5% pyrophosphate dentifrices, with or without triclosan antimicrobial, results in significant reductions in the total (developed) force and strokes required by therapists in regular calculus debridement at a six-month interval. The clinical benefits of tartar control toothpastes may not only include reductions in cosmetically objectionable supragingival calculus, but in reducing professional effort in calculus debridement during regular prophylaxis.
authors.affiliation: Procter and Gamble Company, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: B W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Bollmer
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Perlich
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: McClanahan
authors.forename: B B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Beiswanger
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mau
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tuohy
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Arends
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003728:Dental Calculus / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012534:Dental Scaling / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D003799:Dental Stress Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation; D003802:Dentifrices / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011756:Diphosphates / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004526:Efficiency; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009911:Oral Hygiene Index; D012969:Sodium Fluoride / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014159:Transducers; D014260:Triclosan / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014937:Work
chemical_list: D000891:Anti-Infective Agents, Local; C098422:Crest Tartar Control; D003802:Dentifrices; D011756:Diphosphates; D004338:Drug Combinations; D014260:Triclosan; D012969:Sodium Fluoride