TITLE:
Clinical Assessment of a Pharmaceutical Polyphenol Fruit Extract Gel to Inhibit Dental Plaque
AUTHORS:
Steven P. Goh, David M. Goh, E. Russell Vickers
KEYWORDS:
Dental Plaque, Gingivitis, Polyphenol, Quercetin, Randomized Controlled Trial
JOURNAL NAME:
Pharmacology & Pharmacy,
Vol.12 No.9,
September
22,
2021
ABSTRACT: Oral bacteria (e.g. Porphyromonas gingivalis) are associated and potentially
co-causative in several medical conditions including Alzheimer’s disease and
increased cardiovascular risk. Naturally occurring polyphenols are a developing
class of antimicrobial pharmaceutical agents. The use of plant-based polyphenol compounds is an attractive area of medical
and dental research due to their high safety factor from their presence in
vegetables and fruits. This preliminary study evaluated polyphenols found in
berries to reduce bacterial dental plaque accumulation. The study was an in vivo single blind randomized
controlled trial of seven subjects with a novel tooth gel using validated
measurements. Results showed a significant reduction in plaque accumulation (p = 0.005)
and a non-significant trend to reduce gingivitis (p = 0.08).
The bioactive gel showed no local or systemic adverse effects and was well
tolerated by subjects.