The clinical effect on plaque control of dentifrice containing dextranase

In general, dextranase is an effective plaque control agent which enzymatically resolves and removes dental plaque.In this study, the effect on plaque control of dextranase prepared from chaetomium gracile and added to a dentifrice was examined in clinical tests.Sixty-two male subjects aged about thirty to fifty and employed in a factory, were divided into two groups. Each group used a test dentifrice containing 2000 units of dextranase per grain and a placebo dentifrice without dextranase for one month. Then the OHI was evaluated.Regarding the debris-index, reduction rates of the test and the placebo dentifrice groups were 62.3 and 34.4%, respectively, and a statistically significant difference (P<0.01) was observed between them.On the other hand, in the calculus-index, reduction rates of the test and the placebo dentifrice groups were 76.5 and 74.9% respectively. Their effects were almost the same and there was no statistically significant difference.These results suggested that an effect on plaque control of dextranase could be expected in clinical use, but that it would have on effect on the reduction of calculus.