Comparison of the plaque-removing efficacy of toothpaste and toothpowder.
BACKGROUND
Removing dental plaque may play a key role in maintaining oral health. Methods for oral hygiene vary from country to country and from culture to culture. Chewing sticks (miswak) and toothpowders are popular oral hygiene tools in Pakistan.


OBJECTIVE
To compare the plaque-removing efficacy of toothpaste and toothpowder with and without manual toothbrushes.


METHODS
The study was designed as an examiner-blind crossover study. The Silness and Löe plaque index was used to evaluate the plaque distribution. Thirty-six volunteer dental students were recruited for the experiment. After scoring, the subjects were randomly divided into two groups. The first group was asked to brush with toothpaste or toothpowder according to a split mouth protocol. The second group was asked to follow the same protocol except they were asked to use their finger instead of the brush. The remaining plaque was scored again.


RESULTS
Plaque-removing efficacy of the toothpowder was higher whether it was used with brush or with finger. There was a significant difference between paste and powder users (p = 0.009).


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study indicate that toothpowder is an effective means to remove plaque with a brush.
Khan
Muhammad Khalil
MK
Department of Periodontology, Fatima Jinnah Dental College, Karachi, Pakistan. mkhalilk@yahoo.com
Khan
Ayyaz Ali
AA
Hosein
Tasleem
T
Mudassir
Abdul
A
Mirza
Kamran Masood
KM
Anwar
Asim
A
D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003742:Dental Devices, Home Care; D003773:Dental Plaque / Q000628:therapy*; D003802:Dentifrices / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D010154:Pakistan; D011208:Powders / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D014099:Toothbrushing / Q000295:instrumentation; D014100:Toothpastes / Q000627:therapeutic use
D003802:Dentifrices; D011208:Powders; D014100:Toothpastes