Verification of caries inhibition by a tartar control toothpaste.

Objective: The anticaries properties of a silica-based, sodium fluoride (NaF) toothpaste containing tetrapotassium pyrophosphate (PPi) with anti-tartar properties (Aquafresh All Tartar Control) were assessed in specific pathogen-free Osborne-Mendel rats.

Methodology: The dentifrice was compared to a silica-based, fluoride-free control toothpaste that contained PPi but no NaF, termed a "Placebo" (negative control), and a NaF-containing silica-based USP reference standard toothpaste which was used as a positive fluoride control toothpaste. Sixty weanling rats were randomly distributed into groups of 20; all were inoculated with S. mutans 10449S, ate cariogenic diet 2000, and drank demineralized water, ad libitum. Each toothpaste, contained in coded tubes, was applied to the dentitions of rats' teeth for one minute, twice daily on weekdays and once daily on weekends and holidays. There was no difference in weight gains or in recoveries of the S. mutans inoculant from tooth swabs among the groups at either the 24- or 38-day post-inoculation recovery date. After euthanasia at 42 days and defleshing, heads were randomly coded and scored blindly for carious lesions according to Keyes/Larson methods. Only after scoring was completed were the random codes broken to enable statistical analyses. Only after statistical analyses were completed and the data reported to sponsor were the identities of the test items revealed.

Results: Both the NaF/PPi-containing and the NaF-containing USP standard toothpaste groups had lower total enamel caries scores (29.8 to 30.6%, respectively) than the group treated with the fluoride-free PPi-containing control. Similar-dimensioned differences were evident both at smooth surface and sulcal enamel sites and in dentinal sites. All were statistically significant at p < 0.001. There were no statistically significant differences at any tooth surface category site between the two fluoride-containing toothpastes' effects.

Conclusion: It is thus apparent that Aquafresh All Tartar Control, an anti-tartar NaF toothpaste, retains the anticaries benefit of a USP reference standard NaF toothpaste in vivo.