The effect of a self-bonding polymer on plaque and gingivitis over six months: A pilot study

Abstract

Sang E. Park1*, Shigemi Ishikawa-Nagai1, John D. Da Silva1 and Rachel B. Ramoni2

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of self-bonding polymer (SBP) (KISSCARE® Concentrated Gel, KISS-COTE Inc., Tampa, FL, USA) in relation to plaque attachment and subsequent gingival inflammation. This randomized blinded clinical study followed a split-mouth design and examined prospectively 15 participants over a 6-month period. The average plaque index (PI) and average gingival index (GI) were measured for the control and SBP groups at baseline (week 0) and again after 2, 4, 12, and 24 weeks. Within the SBP groups, mean PI and GI at baseline, respectively, were compared to the same measures at the follow-up visits. Additionally, the control and SBP groups were compared in terms of the change in PI and GI from baseline to each of the follow-up points. For most part, the average PI and the average GI improved in both the control and SBP groups. The improvement in GI was statistically significant in both groups at weeks 2 and 4, while the improvement in PI was statistically significant at all follow-up visits. Among the areas to which polymer was applied, the average PI was statistically significantly lower than baseline at all follow-up visits. The SBP group showed significantly greater decrease in GI values when compared with the control group at week 2 (P<0.005). The overall potential benefit of SBP was too small to be clinically substantial as it may be compounded by an increase in subjects’ attention to their oral hygiene during the clinical study.