A study to assess the effects of a new detergent-free, olive oil formulation dentifrice in vitro and in vivo

Objective. To determine the effects of a detergent-free dentifrice containing olive oil using in vitro microbiological tests and an in vivo plaque re-growth model. Method. A total of 20 subjects took part in a double blind, single-centre, crossover study in which slurry rinses were the only form of plaque control over a 5-day period. Following a washout and prophylaxis the subjects used 2x daily rinses in the absence of all other plaque control methods. Subjects returned to the clinic on the afternoon of day 5 when plaque was disclosed and assessed by plaque index and area. A further 9-day washout was carried out and the rinse period repeated to ensure that each subject had used both experimental and control slurries. In vitro microbiological experiments were conducted to examine the effects of olive oil alone and in the new dentifrice on bacterial growth and adhesion. Results. 20 subjects completed the trial. The olive oil product showed a significant inhibition of plaque re-growth (17.2%) compared with a fluoride-matched control using the Turesky index (p<0.0001) and also using the planimetric technique (22.0%) (p<0.0001). Significant decreases in bacterial growth and adhesion (measured as total viable count) were detected in the presence of olive oil and the new dentifrice. Conclusion. The results suggest that the experimental olive oil containing paste has potential value in the inhibition of plaque.