Adaptation of the Gingival Contour Plaque Index for Measuring Dental Plaque Removal in Dogs

The gingival contour plaque index (GCPI) is a method for measuring gingival margin plaque in dogs. The scoring approach usually characterizes accumulation of dental plaque via a "clean" baseline attained by toothbrushing of conscious animals. However, toothbrushing is a rare pet owner-led practice. Instead, the introduction and/or use of dental interventions is far more likely when a dog's teeth are in a somewhat "dirty" state. In line with such an assumption, 2 studies were conducted to gauge the efficacy of a single feeding instance of several different dental chews following either 7 or 5 days of intentional plaque accumulation. Each singly fed dental intervention led to a statistically significant removal of plaque compared to the no chew control (P ≤ 0.007). This adapted approach to employing GCPI offers a new opportunity to assess the plaque removal efficacy of oral care products, a novel clinical measure of principal value and relevance to the oral health of dogs in the real world.