title: Crest Tartar Control benefits assessed by Quanticalc: clinical method and three-month results.
abstract: In this paper, a method is described for applying the Quanticalc (QC) dental scaler to the clinical assessment of tartar control dentifrice effects on supragingival calculus formation and therapist efforts required in subsequent calculus debridement. In a 3-month, randomized cross-over study, subjects using Crest Tartar Control were observed to form 25% less calculus than they formed in a similar period using Crest Regular non-tartar control dentifrice as placebo. QC measurements likewise revealed 25% savings in the developed force used to scale the anterior lingual surfaces, coupled with a 27% reduction in the number of strokes required to clean these surfaces free of supragingival calculus in subjects using tartar control dentifrice. The quantitative savings in professional effort amounted to 3 kg (developed forces saved) per subject using tartar control dentifrice. White subjects using placebo dentifrice for 3 months developed less calculus than shown at baseline (29% less calculus), this was not complemented by decreases in total force and strokes used in cleaning. This supports the hypothesis that the surface area coverage of calculus (e.g., the planimetric "area" of supragingival calculus on the tooth) does not contribute alone to the amount of effort as forces and strokes required in subsequent debridement. These results demonstrate that: 1) the QC dental scaler can be effectively used in the clinical assessment of scaling forces/efforts associated with supragingival calculus debridement; and 2) a tartar control dentifrice containing soluble pyrophosphate is clinically effective in reducing both the surface coverage of calculus and the therapist effort required in subsequent calculus debridement.
authors.affiliation: State University of Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Dijkman
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Arends
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Ruben
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: E R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Cox
authors.forename: B W
authors.initials: BW
authors.lastname: Bollmer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003728:Dental Calculus / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003756:Dental Hygienists; D012534:Dental Scaling / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D003799:Dental Stress Analysis / Q000295:instrumentation; D003802:Dentifrices / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011756:Diphosphates / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D004526:Efficiency; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009911:Oral Hygiene Index; D012824:Silicic Acid; D012822:Silicon Dioxide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012969:Sodium Fluoride / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D014100:Toothpastes; D014159:Transducers; D014937:Work
chemical_list: C098422:Crest Tartar Control; D003802:Dentifrices; D011756:Diphosphates; D004338:Drug Combinations; D014100:Toothpastes; C546060:hydrated silica gel-based toothpaste; D012824:Silicic Acid; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D012969:Sodium Fluoride