The objective of this double-blind clinical study, conducted in harmony with the accepted Volpe-Manhold design for studies of
dental calculus, was to compare the supragingival anticalculus efficacy of three commercially available
dentifrice formulations. The test
toothpastes were
Colgate Total Plus Whitening Toothpaste with an added high cleaning
silica base, Crest Multi-Care Advanced Cleaning
Toothpaste, and Colgate Winterfresh Gel. Adult male and female subjects from the northern New Jersey area were entered into the study based on a pre-test (baseline) Volpe-Manhold
Calculus Index score of 7.0 or greater, provided a full oral prophylaxis, and stratified into three treatment groups which were balanced for age, sex and baseline
calculus scores. Subjects were instructed to brush their teeth twice daily (morning and evening) for one minute with their assigned
dentifrice, using a soft-bristled toothbrush. Examinations for
dental calculus were again performed after eight weeks' use of the study
dentifrices. One hundred (100) subjects complied with the protocol and completed the entire study. At the eight-week examination, subjects using the
Colgate Total Plus Whitening Toothpaste and subjects using the Crest Multi-Care Advanced Cleaning
Toothpaste exhibited statistically significant (p < 0.05) reductions in mean Volpe-Manhold
Calculus Index scores as compared to the negative control
dentifrice group (Colgate Winterfresh Gel). There was no statistically significant difference in mean Volpe-Manhold
Calculus Index scores between subjects using the
Colgate Total Plus Whitening Toothpaste and subjects using the Crest Multi-Care Advanced Cleaning
Toothpaste.