Four-Week Evaluation of Toothbrush and Floss Regimen in Reducing Gingivitis

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of REACH® ULTRACLEAN® floss (with revolutionary MICRO-GROOVES™ technology) + REACH® TOTAL CARE FLOSS CLEAN™ toothbrush in removing dental plaque and reducing gingivitis in comparison to Crest® Glide® Original Mint floss + Oral-B® Indicator® toothbrush. Methods: This was a 4-week, observer-blind, parallel group, controlled clinical study where 120 subjects received safety assessments, gingivitis levels according to the Modified Gingival Index (MGI) and Bleeding Index (BI), and pre-brushing plaque levels on all teeth according to the Rustogi Modified Navy Plaque Index (RMNPI). Qualified subjects with whole mouth mean RMNPI > 0.60 and mean MGI ≥ 1.75 were randomly assigned one of following: ULTRACLEAN® floss + REACH® TOTAL CARE FLOSS CLEAN™ (RU-RTC) or Crest® Glide® Original Mint + Oral-B® Indicator® (CGOM-OBI). Subjects flossed once daily and brushed twice daily in their usual manner for one minute, using standard sodium fluoride dentifrice for four weeks. Clinical examinations were repeated after four weeks post baseline visit. Between-treatment comparison was based on Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA), with treatment as a factor and the corresponding baseline measurement as a covariate. Results: All 120 enrolled subjects completed the study. RU-RTC regimen reduced gingivitis by 6.8% while CGOM-OBI regimen reduced gingivitis by 3.3%. The difference between the two regimen was statistically significant, p<0.001. REACH® ULTRACLEAN® floss and REACH® TOTAL CARE toothbrush removed 12.2% more whole mouth plaque than Crest® Glide® Original Mint and Oral-B® Indicator at week 4, although not statistically significant. Conclusion: Among subjects with mild to moderate gingivitis, once daily flossing with REACH® ULTRACLEAN® floss and twice daily brushing with REACH® TOTAL CARE FLOSS CLEAN™ toothbrush provided two times greater reduction in gingivitis compared to once daily flossing with Glide® Original Mint and twice daily brushing with Oral-B® Indicator.