Comparing the effects of brushing with a new gel-to-foam dentifrice to brushing with regular fluoride control dentifrices on viable bacteria levels in saliva.

Purpose: To compare the effects of a new gel-to-foam dentifrice to two standard fluoride control dentifrices on foam generation, levels of total viable anaerobes and total viable volatile sulfur compound (VSC)-producing bacteria in expectorate after brushing.

Methods: 36 subjects participated in this investigator-blind, randomized, crossover study. After a 1-week wash-out period prior to each product use, participants reported to the test site having refrained from oral hygiene, eating and drinking on the morning prior to the visit. Subjects brushed with a full ribbon of assigned dentifrice (Aquafresh Iso-active, Aquafresh Extreme Clean or Aquafresh Fresh & Minty), then expectorated the slurry into a collection vessel after 30 and 60 seconds of supervised brushing. Total foam volume was immediately measured. Subjects then rinsed with sterile water for 10 seconds and expectorated into the same vessel, which was processed for microbiological analysis. Total viable anaerobes and total viable VSC-producing bacteria were enumerated using appropriate selective media.

Results: No statistically significant difference was indicated between the gel-to-foam dentifrice and either of the control dentifrices with respect to the level of total viable anaerobes (P > 0.05). The level of total viable VSC-producing bacteria was statistically significantly lower for the gel-to-foam dentifrice (Aquafresh Iso-active) than for one of the control dentifrices (Aquafresh Fresh & Minty) (P < 0.05), and numerically lower for the gel-to-foam dentifrice than for the other control dentifrice (Aquafresh Extreme Clean) (P = 0.0526). Use of the gel-to-foam dentifrice resulted in statistically significantly greater (P < 0.05) foam generation than the two control dentifrices.