Method: Healthy adults with overnight plaque were randomly assigned to a combination paste-brush group or regular brushing control. Subjects received either the combination treatment with 0.454% stannous fluoride sodium hexametaphosphate (SnF2/SHMP) dentifrice (Crest® Pro-Health) and power brush (Oral-B® ProfessionalCare Series 500 with the Oral-B Precision Clean® brush head, or a regular anticavity paste and manual brush (control). Use was at-home and unsupervised, and response was measured with image analysis of fluorescein-disclosed plaque area (%) after 1-week at prebrush (overnight) and postbrush time points.
Result: Study subjects had a mean (SD) age of 38.8 (15.5), with 42 subjects evaluated after 1 week use. At baseline, groups were balanced (p > 0.51) on baseline plaque, with overall mean (SD) prebrush and postbrush plaque area% of 11.4 (6.5) and 5.6 (4.3), respectively. Only the power brush + therapeutic paste combination exhibited significant (p<0.01) improvements from baseline for both prebrush and postbrush plaque. Relative to the control, the SnF2 + power brush combination group exhibited 47% and 46% reductions in adjusted mean prebrush and postbrush plaque after 1 week use. Treatments differed significantly (p<0.004) for overnight and post-brushing plaque, favoring the SnF2 + power brush group. Treatments were generally well-tolerated.
Conclusion: Use of a combination stannous fluoride dentifrice with rotation-oscillation power brush yielded an average 47% reduction in overnight and postbrush plaque relative to brushing with a regular anticavity paste and manual brush.