The role of visual feedback by a disclosing agent in plaque control

The common prescription of disclosing agents for home use assumes a relationship between visual feedback from stained plaque and subsequent oral hygiene behaviour. A study of double crossover design showed that there was no significant difference in the improvement in plaque control between the group which received only individual oral hygiene education and another group which had the same oral hygiene education supplemented by the home use of a disclosing agent for 2 weeks. On receiving oral hygiene reinforcement and discontinuing use of the disclosing agent, there was a further significant improvement in plaque control after another 2 weeks. This again suggests that visual feedback from the disclosing agent did not play a critical role in patient motivation. It appears that oral hygiene education is still fundamental to the whole concept of prevention. The prescription of a disclosing agent for home use should not be considered mandatory. Thorough and repeated oral hygiene education seems to be the most important feature in patient motivation.