A Six-Week Study to Evaluate the Anticalculus Efficacy of a Chewing Gum Containing Pyrophosphate and Tripolyphosphate

Objective: A six-week, double-blind, cross-over clinical study was conducted to compare the effect of a new chewing gum containing pyrophosphate (1%) and tripolyphosphate (1%), versus a control chewing gum on supragingival calculus deposits. Methodology: Twenty-eight adult subjects (mean age 34 ± 8 years) who entered the study were given a full oral prophylaxis and were assigned to chew two pieces of gum, four times a day for five minutes. The gum, either a test chewing gum or placebo chewing gum, was randomly assigned and the subjects were directed to chew their assigned gum for six weeks. All participants also received a 12-week supply of a sodium fluoride (0.32%) dentifrice (Colgate). They were then scored for calculus deposits using the modified Volpe-Manhold Calculus Index (VMI) by the same two examiners. At the end of the first six weeks, the subjects received a second oral prophylaxis and used the alternate chewing gum for a second six-week period of time. The subjects were again scored for calculus deposits and the study was completed. Results: The results demonstrated a mean VMI of 3.65 ± 2.82 for the test group, and a mean of 4.24 ± 3.25 for the placebo group. This difference was significant with paired sample t-test (p < 0.001). Conclusion: These results indicated that chewing gum containing pyrophosphate and tripolyphosphate reduced supragingival calculus formation by 13.9%, compared to the placebo chewing gum

Effect on dental stain occurrence by chewing gum containing sodium tripolyphosphate--a double-blind six-week trial.

Objective: A six-week controlled double-blind clinical study was conducted to assess and to measure the efficacy of a sugar-free chewing gum containing sodium tripolyphosphate (1%) on dental stain occurrence versus a placebo sugar-free chewing gum. Methods: One-hundred and eleven subjects who had a Lobene Modified Index for stain extent score between 0.33 and 1.5 in their frontal teeth joined this study. Each subject entered in the test or the control group using a random table which allowed for an equal distribution of smokers and habitual tea users. Participants agreed to chew two gums (two grams each) three times per day, after meals, for ten minutes over six weeks. All received the same dentifrice containing only fluoride as the active agent. After six weeks, participants were scored for dental stain with the Lobene Modified Index. Data were scored by the same blinded operator for all measurements. Comparisons between the groups with respect to baseline scores were performed using an unpaired t-test, and inside the groups with a paired t-test (α = 0.05). Results: One-hundred and eight subjects completed the trial; three left, but none reported problems linked to sodium tripolyphosphate. The mean difference for stain extent index after the six-week trial was 0.04 (± 0.08) in the control group, and-0.05 (± 0.08) in the test group (p < 0.001). A statistically significant reduction was also reported for intensity and composite indexes. The initial mean for stain extent index in the test group was 0.8 (± 0.34), and at six weeks was 0.74 (± 0.33; p < 0.001). The initial mean for extent index in the control group was 0.78 (± 0.3), and at six weeks was 0.81 (± 0.32; p < 0.005). Conclusion: This trial showed a reduction in dental stain by a chewing gum containing sodium tripolyphosphate after six weeks