A six-week clinical efficacy study of four commercially available dentifrices for the removal of extrinsic tooth stain.

The objective of this double-blind clinical study was to compare the extrinsic tooth stain removal efficacy of three commercially available dentifrices: Colgate Platinum Whitening Toothpaste with Fluoride, Aquafresh Advanced Whitening Toothpaste with Fluoride, and Crest Regular Fluoride Toothpaste. Following a baseline examination for extrinsic tooth stain, qualifying adult male and female subjects from the Toronto, Ontario, Canada are were randomized into three treatment groups which were balanced for age, gender, tobacco habits, and level of extrinsic tooth stain using the Lobene Stain Index. Subjects were instructed to brush their teeth twice daily (morning and evening) for one minute with their assigned dentifrice using a soft-bristled toothbrush. Examinations for extrinsic tooth stain were repeated after six weeks' use of the study dentifrices. One-hundred forty-nine (149) subjects complied with the protocol and completed the entire study. At the six-week examination, subjects assigned to the Colgate Platinum treatment group exhibited statistically significant reductions (p < 0.05) from baseline level with respect to extrinsic tooth stain area (49.4% reduction) and extrinsic tooth stain intensity (52.4% reduction). Statistically significant reductions (p < 0.05) for both extrinsic tooth stain parameters were also exhibited by the subjects assigned to the Aquafresh Whitening treatment group (14.0% reduction for area, 15.5% reduction for intensity). Both tooth whitening treatments provided statistically significantly greater reductions (p < 0.05) in extrinsic tooth stain than did the Crest Regular Fluoride dentifrice, which exhibited a small increase in the extrinsic tooth stain parameters over the course of the study. Additionally, the Colgate Platinum dentifrice provided statistically significantly (p < 0.05) greater removal of extrinsic tooth stain over the course of this six-week study than did the Aquafresh Whitening dentifrice. Thus, the results of the double-blind clinical study support the conclusion that the two tooth whitening dentifrices, Colgate Platinum and Aquafresh Whitening, provide significantly greater (p < 0.05) removal of extrinsic tooth stain than does Crest Regular Fluoride, a sodium fluoride/silica dentifrice. Further, the results of the study support the conclusion that Colgate Platinum dentifrice provides a greater (p < 0.05) level of extrinsic tooth stain removal efficacy than does Aquafresh Whitening dentifrice.