Journal of Dental Research, Vol 58, 2381-2388, Copyright © 1979 by International & American Associations for Dental Research Online Journals
Clinical studies of plaque control agents: an overview
R. R. Lobene
Dental plaque is massed packed bacterial cells which accumulate on the
supra- and subgingival surfaces of the teeth as well as on the oral mucosa.
The microorganisms of plaque have been shown to be associated with both
dental caries and periodontal disease. This overview of clinical studies of
plaque control agents reviews the properties and effects of chemical
compounds which have demonstrated a potential for the control of plaque
microorganisms. The search for clinically effective antiplaque agents has
been stimulated by findings in laboratory and animal studies of plaque
dynamics. Based upon these in vitro and in vivo experiments,
chemotherapeutic agents such as antibiotics, antiseptics, enzymes,
detergents, bacteriosides, antimetabolites, and oxidizing agents have been
evaluated against human plaque microorganisms using the ultimate biological
model -- man. Continued study of chemotherapeutic agents should be
encouraged because many of these drugs have been shown to be safe for human
use and may require only the development of a delivery system to potentiate
their concentration in a specific local site. Use of these chemotherapeutic
agents, which can be self-administered, becomes an attractive way of
providing the public with a cost-effective method of preventing caries and
periodontal disease.
