Clinical efficacy of an herbal toothpaste.

The purpose of this three-month, double-blind, parallel-design clinical study was to compare the efficacy of two commercially available dentifrices, Herbal Toothpaste and Gum Therapy and Colgate Total, in controlling gingivitis, gingival bleeding, plaque and stain. Forty healthy adult volunteers from the Junior Comprehensive Care Clinics at New York University College of Dentistry were accepted as subjects for this clinical trial. To be eligible for a baseline clinical examination, subjects had to first indicate that during the previous six months they habitually brushed their teeth two or more times per day, and had noticed "bleeding gums" or "blood in the toothpaste" after brushing or flossing their teeth. At the baseline examination, subjects were enrolled in the study if they had at least five Löe-Silness gingival bleeding sites and 20 natural teeth, including all anterior teeth and four molars. An independent t-test before treatment indicated that there were no significant differences between the two groups at baseline. A one-way Analysis of Variance indicated that both dentifrices had a significant effect on gingivitis, gingival bleeding, plaque, and dental stain (p < 0.05). No significant statistical differences were observed between Herbal Toothpaste and Gum Therapy and Colgate Total for gingivitis or gingival bleeding. Herbal Toothpaste and Gum Therapy produced statistically significant differences in reducing plaque and stain relative to Colgate Total (p < 0.05). The results obtained in this study support the clinical efficacy of both products in reducing gingivitis and plaque, and demonstrate the efficacy of Herbal Toothpaste and Gum Therapy in maintaining reductions of plaque and stain.