Effect of a Plaque-Identifying Toothpaste on Plaque Amount in 12-16-Year-Olds With Fixed Orthodontic Appliances: A Randomised, Double-Blind, Controlled Clinical Trial.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy of a plaque-identifying toothpaste in assisting with plaque removal in adolescents undergoing orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances.Methods A randomised, double-blind, active-comparator trial was conducted at the Orthodontic Department, University Medical Center Department, University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands, from October 2021 to January 2022. Seventy seven healthy adolescents aged 12-16 years, undergoing buccal fixed appliance treatment for at least 3 months, were enrolled. Participants were stratified based on manual or electric brushing habits and randomised to receive either plaque-identifying toothpaste or a non-colouring control toothpaste. The primary outcome measured reduction in dental plaque using Quantitative Light-Induced Fluorescence ∆R30 (QLF) images at baseline (T0) and after 4-7 weeks (T1). Secondary outcomes included self-reported participant experiences.Results No statistically significant difference in plaque reduction was found between the two groups (F = 0.211, p = 0.647). Subgroup analyses showed that participant-related factors did not significantly influence plaque reduction. Participants using plaque-identifying toothpaste reported a slightly stronger perception of plaque removal (p = 0.018) but encountered slightly more difficulty with the toothpaste colour (p = 0.028). Compliance was high, and no adverse effects were reported.Conclusion Plaque-identifying toothpaste did not lead to significant plaque reduction among adolescents with fixed orthodontic appliances.