The Clinical Effects Of Toothpaste Containing Dextranase And IPMP

To evaluate the efficacy of a toothpaste containing dextranase, an enzyme that degrades α-1,6 glycosidic bonds in glucans, both alone and in combination with isopropyl methylphenol (IPMP), a non-ionic antimicrobial agent, for inhibiting dental plaque. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Affiliated Stomatological Hospital, Chongqing Medical University (approval number: 2024 Lun Review (084)). Conducted as a parallel, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial, subjects were assessed for Plaque Index (PI) at baseline and randomized into three groups: Group 1 used toothpaste containing the effective amount of dextranase as determined by an in vitro study. Group 2 used toothpaste with five times the amount of dextranase in Group 1 along with IPMP. The control group used toothpaste without dextranase and IPMP. PI was evaluated at 2, 4, and 8 weeks. Differences between the groups were statistically assessed using ANCOVA, with a significant level set at p = 0.05. Group 1 (n=61) showed a significant reduction in PI of 9.5%, 12.3%, and 14.4% after 2, 4, and 8 weeks, respectively, compared to the control group (n=63) at the same time points. Group 2 (n=62) exhibited a significant reduction in PI of 15.4%, 23.5%, and 24.1% compared to the control group. Additionally, Group 2 showed significant reduction in PI of 6.5%, 12.8%, and 11.4% compared to Group 1. Toothpastes containing dextranase, either alone or in combination with IPMP, have demonstrated potential plaque inhibitory effects.