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Meta-Analysis
. 2019 Feb;17(1):27-38.
doi: 10.1111/idh.12364. Epub 2018 Sep 27.

Is plaque regrowth inhibited by dentifrice?: A systematic review and meta-analysis with trial sequential analysis

Cees Valkenburg  1   2 , Fridus Van der Weijden  2 , Dagmar Else Slot  2
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Is plaque regrowth inhibited by dentifrice?: A systematic review and meta-analysis with trial sequential analysis

Cees Valkenburg et al. Int J Dent Hyg. 2019 Feb.

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of this systematic review was to establish in studies with human participants the effect of a regular fluoride dentifrice compared to water or saline on dental plaque inhibition.

Methods: MEDLINE-PubMed, Cochrane-CENTRAL, EMBASE and other electronic databases were searched, up to April 2018. The inclusion criteria were controlled clinical trials among participants aged ≥18 years with good general health. Papers that evaluated the effect of dentifrice slurry compared with water or saline on plaque regrowth during a 4-day nonbrushing period were included. Data were extracted from the eligible studies, the risk of bias was assessed, and a meta-analysis was performed where feasible.

Result: The search retrieved eight eligible publications including 25 comparisons. The estimated potential risk of bias was low for all studies. Based on three different indices, overall plaque regrowth was significantly (P < 0.01) inhibited for 0.25 or more by the use of a dentifrice slurry as compared to water. All subanalysis on specific dentifrice ingredients and the overall descriptive analysis supported these findings.

Conclusion: The results of this review demonstrate moderate-quality evidence for a weak inhibitory effect on plaque regrowth in favour of the use of a dentifrice intended for daily use.

Keywords: dentifrice; oral hygiene; plaque; regrowth; systematic review; toothbrushing; toothpaste.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interests.

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not‐for‐profit sectors. For this study, no funding was accepted, except for support from the listed institutions.

Ethical approval was not required.

Van der Weijden, Slot and their research team at ACTA have previously received either external advisor fees, lecturer fees or research grants from toothbrush and dentifrice manufacturers. Those manufacturers included Colgate, Dentaid, GABA, Lactona, Oral‐B, Procter & Gamble, Sara Lee, Sunstar and Unilever.

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Search and selection results
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