Advances in home therapy for gingivitis--revolution or evolution?

The daily use of toothpaste offers the opportunity for additional therapeutic benefits beyond caries control. The dental professional must be prepared to assist patients in making informed choices about these products to maximize their benefits as a supplement to mechanical oral hygiene. Dentifrices containing chemotherapeutic agents that are successful in controlling gingivitis, when combined with mechanical therapy, have the potential to improve oral health. However, the published clinical studies on some of these products do not always present a consistent picture with regard to absolute or relative efficacy. In this article, the clinical studies on dentifrices containing sodium bicarbonate/hydrogen peroxide, chlorhexidine, triclosan, and stannous fluoride are reviewed. In addition, suggestions for the analysis of these types of studies by practitioners are presented. Ultimately, it is the responsibility of the dental professional to provide monitoring and guidance to assist patients in making informed decisions about oral health care product use.