The effect of Octapinol on dento‐gingival plaque and development of gingivitis

Octapinol, a compound which in previous studies has been shown to reduce plaque formation in vitro and to reduce gingivitis in vivo in dogs, was studied with regard to its effect on plaque formation and gingivitis in man. The study was divided in two parts. In the first, 24 dental hygiene students were divided into 4 groups of equal size and starting from a plaque‐free base line were treated with 0.1–1.0% w/v aqueous solutions of Octapinol applied daily for 4 days onto the teeth on one side of the jaw while the contralaterial side was treated with a placebo solution. In the second study, 7 students starting from a plaque‐ and gingivitis‐free base line applied a 1.0% solution daily to all teeth for a 3‐week period during which time no mechanical oral hygiene was allowed. After a period of resumed oral hygiene another 3‐week period of no oral hygiene followed during which a placebo solution was applied in a similar fashion. In the first study 0.5 and 1.0% concentrations of Octapinol significantly reduced the plaque formation during the 4‐day test period while the effect of lower concentrations was less prominent. In the 3‐week experiment using a 1% Octapinol solution only minor development of plaque and gingivitis was noted during the test period while rapid accumulation of plaque and marked gingival inflammation occurred during the control period.